Travels in India (Tavernier) 35.2.6

35.2.6

The Governor, seeing that the Provencal did not appear, ordered a drum to be beaten throughout the town, and proclamation to be made that whoever would disclose the place where he was concealed would receive 100 piastres as his reward, and also that whoever kept him concealed without making a declaration would be certainly hung with him. The Provencal having received intimation of this threat, not wishing to ruin the Frenchman with whom he lodged, and having found means to entice five or six of his companions, who were not able to stand any more than he the severity of the Dutch General, escaped successfully on the following night, which was dark and rainy. They passed very close to a sentry, by whom they were not seen, the darkness and the rain being very favourable to them, and if he had said a word they were resolved to kill him. Having travelled all the night, they came to a small river near Porakad, but when the tide ascends this river it is wide and deep ; this obliged these poor soldiers to throw away their clothes, and to retain only their drawers, in order to swim across quickly, as they feared pursuit. Hunger beginning to oppress them, they realised at their leisure, which they had not done when taking flight, the danger they were in of dying ;