"Heretofore I thought myself a great man and a great general," said Hyder Ali to the admiral; "but now I know that you alone are a great man." Suffren informed the nabob that M.de Bussy- Castelnau, but lately the faithful lieutenant of Dupleix and the continuer of his victories, had just been sent to India with the title of commander-in-chief; he was already at Ile de France, and was bringing some troops.

"Provided that you remain with us, all will go well," said the nabob, detaching from his turban an aigrette of diamonds which he placed on M.de Suffren's hat.

The nabob's tent was reached; Suffren was fat, he had great difficulty in sitting upon the carpets; Hyder Ali perceived this and ordered cushions to be brought.

"Sit as you please," said he to the commander, "etiquette was not made for such as you." Next day, under the nabob's tent, all the courses of the banquet offered to M.
de Suffren were prepared in European style.

The admiral proposed that Hyder Ali should go to the coast and see all the fleet dressed, but, "I put myself out to see you only," said the nabob, "I will not go any farther." The two great warriors were never to meet again.
The French vessels were ready; the commander had more than once put his own hand to the work in order to encourage the workmen's zeal.
Carpentry-wood was wanted; he had ransacked Gondelour (_Kaddalore_) for it, sometimes pulling down a house to get hold of a beam that suited him.
His officers urged him to go to Bourbon or Ile-de-France for the necessary supplies and for a good port to shelter his damaged ships.
"Until I have conquered one in India, I will have no port but the sea," answered Suffren.