ABSTRACT
Pondiscerý is the most important place belonging to France; the fortress is well built and well provided with munitions and stores. The Governor of all the French possessions in India lives there with a large body of soldiers. Monsieur de Beuvalier was then Governor; he had begun and built more than half of the fine solid walls enclosing the city with handsome gates and strong bastions. The city is large, the streets are wide and straight and some have avenues of trees which add to their beauty. Our Society has a house in Pondiscerý, where the French Fathers lead a life of toil and abnegation and have made many converts among the heathens. Superior of the Mission at that time was the Revd. Father Bouchet, author of many books in the Tamulic language and one of the most zealous founders of the Carnat [Carnatic] Mission. When I arrived the Fathers raised their hands to Heaven with joy at seeing another assistant; the number of churches had increased while the number of workers had diminished. They begged me to remain alleging that my acquaintance with the court of Delly and my knowledge of Hindustan and of Persian would be most useful in dealing with the Governor of the province whose protection is important. My Superior, the Revd. Father Provincial at Goa allowed me to remain, and I at once began to study Tamulic, the language of Malabar.
