to enter into bond for the payment, as well of the duty, commonly called the Old Subfidy, or any other of the duties which were formerly payable in ready money; and that if any tobacco which has been or fhall be fo imported, during the continuance of this order, from the territories of the faid United States, into the faid ports of London, Bristol, Liverpool, Cowes, Whitehaven, Greenock, and Port Glasgow, fhall be afterwards taken, within the time limited, out of the warehouses wherein the fame fhall be fecured under his majefty's locks, in manner herein before directed, at either of the above ports, to be exported directly from thence, the bonds which have been or fhall be entered into for payment of the faid duties, fhall be difcharged in the manner directed by the feveral acts of parliament in force.

And in order to facilitate the car rying on trade and commerce between the people and territories belonging to the crown of Great Britain, in the West Indies, including in that defcription, the Bahama iflands, and the Bermuda or Somers iflands, and the people and territories belonging to the faid United States of America, his majefty is hereby farther pleafed to order, that pitch, tar, turpentine, hemp and flax, mafts, yards, and bowfprits, ftaves, heading boards, timber, fhingles, and all other fpecies of lumber; horses, neat cattle, fheep, hogs, poultry, and all other fpecies of live ftock and live provifions; peas, beans, potatoes, wheat flour, bread, bifcuit, rice, oats, barley, and all other fpecies of grain, being the growth or production of any of the faid United States of America may (until far ther order) be imported by British fubjects, in British built hips,

owned by his majesty's fubjects, and navigated according to law from any port of the faid United States of America, to any of his majesty's Weft India iflands, the Bahama islands, and the Bermuda or Somers iflands; and the rum, fugar, melaffes, coffee, cocoa nuts, ginger, and pimento, may (until fuch order) be exported by British fubjects, in British fhips, owned by his majefty's fubjects, and navigated ac cording to law, from any of the faid islands, to any port or place within the faid United States, upon pay. ment of the fame duties on exporta tion, and fubject to the like rules, regulations, fecurities, and restrictions, as the fame articles, by law, are or may be fubject and liable to, if exported to any British colony or plantation in America; and the bonds and fecurities heretofore re quired to be taken for fuch fhips carrying fuch goods, fhall and may be cancelled and discharged, upon the like certificates as are required by the above recited act to discharge any bonds given in Great Britain for the due landing any other goods in the faid United States of America.

And his majefty is hereby farther pleafed to order, with the advice aforefaid, that the faid feveral regu lations herein comprized, fall, in all refpects, be extended to fuch fhips and goods as fhall have been brought and imported from, or may be entered and fhipped for exporta tion to, any part of the said United States, fince the faid 20th day of this inftant December.

And the right honourable the lords commiffioners of his majesty's Treafury, and the lords commiffioners of the Admiralty, are to give the neceffary directions herein as to them may refpectively apper. tain.

STEPH. COTTRELL.

Extracts of letters from Lieutenant General Sir Eyre Coote, K. B. dated Madras the 31st of Auguft and 25th of September, 1782, received at the Office of his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the 7th of April, 1783.

WH

WHILST I was training every nerve in advancing the army to the neighbourhood of Chingleput, to counteract the views of Hyder and the French, I anxi oufly looked to the refult of my reference to the governor-general, and to the arrival of their orders in conLequence, as a period which would undoubtedly restore to me that authority over the fouthern troops, which would enable me to direct them to fuch a co-operation as might tend equally to facilitate my own movements, and distract the defigns of our enemy: but most unfortunately, on the 18th of February, long before any answer could come from Bengal, colonel

Brathwaite was attacked by Hyder Ally's fon, Tippo Saib, and Monf. Lally, near the banks of the Colleroon, and t tally defeated. His whole attachment, confifting of a bout 2000 infantry, 250 cavalry, 18 officers, and a field train of 13 pieces, were either captured or deAtroyed.

The French being free from any apprehenfions of a check from our fouthern forces, and covered by the army of Hyder Ally to the northward, which fecured them from all fudden attack by my army, proceeded in perfect fecurity against Cuddalore, which being incapable of holding out for any length of time, was, on the 6th of April, furrendered to the French forces under Monf. Duchemin, on terms

of capitulation, which I have the honour to inclose.

To His Excellency Sir Eyre Coote, K. B. Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief in India.

SIR,

IT gives me much concern to inform you, that this garrison surren dered to the French arms on the 4th inftant in the morning. A copy of the capitulation I have now the honour of forwarding.

I flatter myself your excellency will excufe me for not fending it fooner, as I have been prevented by a multiplicity of bufinefs, owing to conftant applications from the gentlemen in charge of the French othcers, relative to the delivering over the ftores, &c. of this garrifon.

I have the honour to be, With the greatest respect, Your excellency's very obedient and most humble fervant, (Signed) JAMES HUGHES. Cuddalore, April 6, 1782.

SIR,

THE French general being defirous of having as little bloodshed as poffible, has fent me to inform you, that the Nabob's troops having joined his army, if you do not immediately furrender, it will be out of his power to prevent the plundering of the fort, being promifed to the European and black troops if they attack it.

In confequence of which, he propofes articles of capitulation, fuch as, from your fituation, you have reafon to expect; wishing to convince the English, it is only in war we look on you as enemies; and being fent for this purpose by Monf. Duchemin, general of the French

army,

army, I fign thefe his propofals, according to the power he has invested me with.

(Signed) LE VIE HOUDETOT. N. B. The above is a tranflation of a copy from the original.

ARTICLES of CAPITULATION . drawn up between his Ex cellency Monf. Pierre Duchemin, Marfhal of the Camps and Army of the King of France, and Commandant of the Troops of his Majesty in India, on one fide, and Capt. James Hughes, Commandant of the garrifon of Cuddalore, on the other.

THE gates fhall be delivered up to-morrow, the 4th of April, 1782, between the hours of eight and nine in the morning. - Agreed.

The French flag fhall be kept flying till that time on the ramparts, and all hoftilities fhall be fufpended; Capt. Hughes giving his word, that nothing fhall go out of the place, either by land or fea; and all that does go out fhall be deemed an infringement on the articles of capitulation, as it must either belong to the king or company, fince the property of officers and inhabitants are infured to them.

Agreed.

The garrifon fhall remain prisoners of war; the European officers and troops fhall be fent to Madras on their parole, to be exchanged for the like number and rank of French officers and troops. Agreed.

Private property fhall be fecured : but all that belongs to the king and company fhall be given over with the utmost exactness and regiftered by the French commiffary fent for that purpofe; and the leaft afidelity fhall be deemed an in1783.

I had no doubt of the enemy's forming defigus upon Vandiwath; indeed my intelligence gave me realon to believe, that the French and Hyder would march immediately to attack it; I therefore moved the army towards it with all poffible dispatch, in full perfuafion that our enemies would have met me there, and tried a decifive action :. but I arrived there without receiving the fmalleft oppofition; apprehending, however, left the enemy might be in doubt about my defire of bringing them to action, and convinced that they would not feek for me in the neighbourhood of Vandiwafh, where I could receive them to to great advantage, I determined to advance towards them. I accordingly made two marches in the direct road to the ground, on which we had obferved them, from the hill of Vandiwafh to be encamped; but on my approach they fell back, and both by my intelligence, and by what I could dif cover from the heights in the neighbourhood of our camp, they took up their ftation on the Red Hills. This was a pofition in itfelf fo ftrong, and could, by an army of fuch magnitude as Hyder's, fupported by an European force far exceeding the numbers in my army, be occupied to fo great advantage, that I judged it expedient to lay my intelligence and fentiments before the two next officers in command, major general Stuart and colonel Lang, that I might have the bene. fit of their opinions on a matter of fuch momentous importance, and on the iffue of which depended the whole of the British interefts in India.

Upon a reference to the council of war, which was held on this occation, the idea I fuggefted of drawing the enemy from their strong

poft, by moving in a direction, which would effectually check Hyder's fupplies, and alarm him for his grand magazine of Arnee, was unanimoufly approved.

In conformity to the plan, we accordingly marched on the 30th, and on the 1st of June, encamped at the distance of about five miles from Arnee. That day I received intelligence that Hyder, on hearing of the route we had taken, marched immediately, and that the advance of his army had arrived the preceding evening at Defloor, diftant from us about twenty-five miles, and in the high road towards us. I was thereby fatisfied that the ef fect I had in view had taken place, and ordered a proper place to be reconnoitered for posting the baggage, in cafe I fhould either have found it advifeable to go and meet the enemy, or to receive them on the ground I had occupied. In the middle of the night of the 1ft, or rather early in the morning of the 2d, intelli gence was brought me that Hyder was come to Chittiput, diftant from us about eleven miles. The army was then under orders of march to proceed nearer Arnee, which, I was encouraged to hope, might prove an eafy acquifition, and which, by the large flock of provifions it contained, added to the extreme fitnefs of its fituation, opened to us no lefs a profpect than the total expul fion of the enemy from the Carnatic. In my then pofition, with Hyder's army on the one fide, and an object of fuch magnitude on the other, it became a point of delibe ration, which was the most eligible line of conduct to be adopted. To perfevere in my original intention of threatening Arnee (which Hyder had moft undoubtedly come to co ver) and thereby bring on an action, or to advance and engage the enemy,

I prefered the former, as promifed the most certain iffue, upon the mind of Hyder, whofe fole view evidently was to fave his grand magazine. It was equal to him, whether he accomplished that, by diverting our attention from it, or by giving us battle. But it is reafonable to imagine, that if he fucceed ed on the former grounds, he would hardly, after having fuffered four defeats, put any thing to rifk on the latter. We accordingly therefore commenced our march towards Arnee, contiguous to which the advance of our army had arrived, and we had begun to mark out the ground for our encampment, when a diftant connonade opened on our rear, and which was the first annunciation I had of Hyder's having approached fo near us, in force. His coming upon us thus fuddenly, proceeds from his being able to cover the march of his line of infantry, by his large bodies of horfe, and which having generally been the companions of our movements, during the whole of the war, were never to be confidered as any pofitive proof of his army being at hand.

Every difpatch was ufed in making the neceffary difpofition for repelling the attack, and coming to action. Our line was then in a low fituation, with high and commanding ground all round, which as the enemy had got poffeffion of, our different manoeuvres were performed under every difadvantage, and expofed to a heavy though diftant cannonade. It was not until near mid-day that we had reduced the enemy's various attacks into one fettled point, fo as to advance upon them with effect, and with a profpect of advantage; but fo foon as that was accomplished, we pufhed on and they gave way. We purfued them till the evening was far

advanced, taking from them in their retreat one gun, five tumbrils, and two carts loaded with amunition.

I remained at this advanced station to the last moment the state of my provifions would admit of; and when obliged to fall back for my fupplies, I endeavoured to do it with all the credit poffible, by again feeking for Hyder, who, by my intel ligence, had encamped with his army contiguous to a road by which we might march. He retreated before me with precipitation, although in poffeffion of ground which he could have difputed our approach towards with great advantage. We purfued our march the fucceeding day, by the fame road on which he had retreated, but found that he had turned off and croffed the country towards Arnee. On the 8th of June, when encamped in the neighbourhood of Trivatore, and where we had halted a day to refresh both the troops and the cattle, of which they stood greatly in need, having fuffered feverely both by ficknes and fatigue, our grand guard was most unfortunately drawn into an ambufcade compofed of about fix thoufand of Hyder's chofen horfc, and totally cut off before any fupport could be afforded.

were

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