The Private Diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai A Record of Matters Political Historical Social and Personal from 1736 to 1761 (Jan. 1756 - Jun. 1757)

Astrologers had been predicting a time of universal misfortune for the peoples from the West—predictions which were cofirmed by the news of the Great Earthquake at Lisbon and the re-opening of the struggle between the English and the French. [...] Against this measure the Courtier and Flacourt (renter of Srirangam though Bali Chetti had been reported to the Company as holding the farm) loudly protested as likely nay certain to throw the revenue management into confusion to encourage the ryots to withhold the revenue and to injure the Company's interests. [...] The dispute between Lenoir and La Farelle was merely about the custody of the keys of the fortress (and probably the giving of the word of the day and the countersign).1756] diNANDA RAWGA PILLAI while M. Barthelemy M. Guillard M. Delarche du Bausset and M. Miran—five in all—are for M. d'Auteuil. [...] I therefore asked some European gentlemen and was told that yesterday an officer had unjustly beaten one of the mechants ; M. Barthelemy had questioned the Second major about it and ordered the officer to be imprisoned ; but the officers and the Major-General M. d'Auteuil had gone to Monsieur the Governor declaring that the latter only and not the Second had power to imprison officers and [...] The Governor had sent them away saying175(;) AHANDA RAMA PILLAI 27 that the Second was in the wrong and that the man should be set free ; M. d'Auteuil informed M. Barthelemy of this last night ; and the latter visited the Governor this morning to ask the reason of his decision.