PONDICHERRY  , the

capital of the French possessions in India, situated on the Coromandel or western coast, 122 M. by rail S. of Madras . The territory, which is entirely surrounded by the British district of South Arcot, has an area of 115 sq. m. with a population (1901) of 174,456 . The chief crops are dry grains, rice, earth-nuts and a little indigo . The territory is traversed by a branch of the South Indian railway from Villapuram . The town has a population of 27,448 . It is well laid out with fine public buildings; the water-supply is derived from artesian wells . It has an open roadstead, with a small iron pier . The port is visited yearly by 500 vessels, and has trade of the value of about some £1,300,000 . The principal imports are areca-nuts, wines and liqueurs, and the chief exports ground-nuts, oil, cotton fabrics and rice . Of the export trade more than one-half is with France, but of the import trade only one-fourth . The weaving of various fabrics forms the principal industry . Pondicherry was founded in 1683 by Francois Martin, on the site of a village given him by the governor of Gingee .

In 1693 the Dutch took Pondicherry, but restored it, with the fortifications greatly improved, in 1697, at the

peace of Ryswick . In 1748 Admiral Boscawen laid siege to it without success, but in 1761 it was taken by Colonel Coote from Lally . In 1763 it was restored to the French . In 1778 it was again taken by Sir Hector Munro, and its fortifications destroyed . In 1783 it was retransferred to the French, and in 1793 recaptured by the English . The treaty of Amiens in 1802 restored it to the French, but' it was retaken in 1803 . In 1816 it was finally restored to the French .