EISTORY. The first settlement of the French in India was at Surat in 1668. The chief of the French East India Company at that time was Caron. Subsequently lie took Trineomali from the Dutch, but they were not long in ing themselves of it; Carou then turned to the Coromandel Coast. In 1672 he took from the Dutch Siio Thom6, a Portuguese town (now a suburb of Madras) but two years later the Dutch retook this place also. It was then that Francois Martin collected about sixty men and settled them in Pondicherry, which, in 1674, he had purchased, with the surrounding territory, from a lieutenant of Sivaji, the great Mabratta conqueror. The Dutch took the town in 1693 ; but by the Treaty of Ryswiek it was restored to the French in 1697. Chandernagar, on the Hugli. was ceded to the French in 1688 by Aurungzehe. In 1727 they obtained the sion of Ma116, on the Malabar coast; in 1739 they purchased Karikal from the King of Tanjore: and in 1752 Yanaon was ceded to them. Dupleix (q.v.) was Governor of Pondicherry when war broke out between France and Eng land in India. In 1746 La Bourdonnais took Madras. In 1745 Admiral Boscawen besieged
Pondicherry, but two months later was com pelled to raise the siege. In the same year occurred the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle; but it did not put an end to hostilities in India till some time later. In 1757 war recommenced. In 175S Lally became Governor-General of the French possessions in India and attacked the English settlement of Fort Saint David, which surren dered. and was totally destroyed. In 1761 Eyre Coote took Pondicherry. By the Peace of Paris 117631. Pondicherry was restored to the French with reduced territory, as well as Mahe, Karikal, and Chandernagar. Pondicherry was again taken by the English under Sir Hector Monro in 1788, and restored in 1783. In 1793 the English re possessed themselves of it. but the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 again restored it, though only till the following year. From this time it was held by the English till, by the treaties of 1814 and 1815. it was for the last time restored to France. Consult Qnennefer, Souvenirs de Pondi chery (Lyons. ISS2 ).