were obliged by the threatening af pect of affairs to take measures for their fafety. Of thefe, the two moft confiderable were the Mahrattas and the Nizam; and though there exifted an hereditary enmity betwixt the two; altho' they differed in laws, in inftitutions, and in religion,-urged by the common danger, they forgot or fufpended their quarrels, and joined in the closest alliance. The confederates, confident from their union and their strength, hoped to humble the power of Myfore, and were probably by no means averfe to a rupture. They were not, however, under a neceffity of feeking an occafion and pretext for the commencement of hoftilities. In the fummer of 1788, Tippoo marched his army down the Ghauts towards the Malabar coaft, evidently with hoftile defigns against the Rajah of Travancore. He first attempted to detach him from the alliance of the English, and to perfuade him to throw himself under his protection. "Who", faid he, "ever formed good faith in Europeans!" He then encouraged the Rajah of Cochin, one of his tributaries, to lay claim, upon fome antiquated pretence, to part of the ground upon which the lines are built to defend Travancore on the north, the only quarter on which it is acceffible to an invading army. It appeared that he was fired with the defign of getting poffeffion of the kingdom; which would have made him abfolute mafter of the whole Malabar coaft; and enabled him at any time, with ease, to invade the Carnatic. Alarmed at his danger, the Rajah dispatched a meffenger to Madras, to inform the English government of the movements of Tippoo. Sir Archibald Campbell fent fome troops to his affiftance, and declared, that if Tippoo fhould attack the lines of Travancore, it would be confidered on the part of the English as paramount to a declaration of war. Thefe fteps were approved by the fupreme government of Bengal; and Tippoo, awed by this fteady oppofition, withdrew his troops and returned to Seringapatam. The following fummer, however, produced a plaufible pretence for executing his fcheme, and fpread the flames of war all over India. The Dutch, from the vicinity of Cochin to Myfore, trembled for their moft valuable poffeffion. They had in the last century conquered from the Portuguezc two ports, Cranganore and Jacottah, which lay betwixt Cochin and Myfore. These they offered in fale to the Rajah of Travancore, forefeeing that, if he should be fo foolish as to accept the offer, they would thus guard their poffeffions with the British Ægis. The Rajah, thinking that they would ftrengthen his barrier to the fea, rafhly concluded the bargain. Tippoo was, or pretended to be, highly incenfed at this tranfaction. He afferted that he was feudal fovereign of that part of the Malabar coaft, and that of courfe no transfer could be made of the property without his leave first afked and obtained: and upon the Rajah's refufal to relinquith the pur chafe, he marched with a powerful army to the frontiers of Travancore, The kingdom of Travancore, by nature, on the north, is extremely defenceless; but, about fifty years ago, ftrong lines were conftructed for its defence. They confift of a ditch 16 feet broad, and 20 deep, with a thick bamboo hedge inferted in the middle of it; a flight parapet, a good rampart, and baftions nearly Q3 flanking flanking each other. Tippoo, determined to strike a fudden blow at the root of the Rajah's power, on the 29th of December attacked the eaftern extremity of the lines, and attempted to take them by ftorm. He at firft carried every thing before him; but the fortune of the day foon changed: the Travancore troops, who had fled at his approach, rallied from their confufion, and the Myforean army was repulfed with great flaughter. The Sultan himfelf made a narrow efcape. In the retreat he was thrown from his horfe into the ditch, where he was fevereJy bruifed. Galled at his difappointment and difgrace, he is faid to have made a vow never again to wear his turban till he had taken the lines of Travancore. Accordingly he fent to Myfore for fupplies of troops and battering-guns, and prepared to befiege them by regular approach. As foon as thefe tranfactions were known to the government of Madras, the conduct of the Rajah in making the purchafe on fo precarious and invidious a title, was cenfured in the fevereft terms; and Mr. Holland, the prefident, warned him to defift from his ambitious defigns. At the fame time the government remonftrated with Tippoo against the impropriety of his proceedings in thus attacking their friend and ally, whom they were bound to defend. They propofed that the difference fhould be fettled betwixt him and the Rajah in an amicable manner; and offered to fend commiflioners to meet an equal number appointed by him, whofe decifion fhould be final to both parties. Tippoo returned a polite anfwer; faying, that he fhould be very happy to have a perfonal conference with an English commiffioner; and that he had no doubt of being able completely to make good his title, and to justify his conduct. But though both parties feemed thus amicably inclined, both were bent upon war. The time had now come, which they had fo eagerly longed for, when each might hope to realize his views. Tippoo had a fair pretext for beginning his fcheme of conqueft, and a fair profpect of going on in a victorious career. Travancore he confidered already as his own. From that kingdom he might eafily crofs over to the Coromandel coaft, drive the English from the Carnatic, purfue them from Bengal, and extirpate them from India. The juncture was still more favourable to the views of his enemies. The Englith had formed a clofe alliance with the Mahratta ftates and the Nizam of the Deccan. Their own affairs were in a state of unexampled profperity. At any former period they would have met with powerful oppofition from France in their defigns upon Tippoo. Now they had nothing to fear from that quarter, as fhe was fufficiently employed in attempts to regulate her internal concerns. Little progrefs was therefore made in negociating a reconciliation; but vigorous preparations for war were carried on all over India. During the fpring of 1789, the Rajah of Travancore, though of himfelf completely unable to cope with the power of Myfore, fhewed no difpofition to yield,-being probably encouraged to perfevere by the government of Bengal, and af fured of protection and fupport. He even went fo far, in the begin ning of May, as to make an attack upon Tippoo's camp. He was beat back with lofs; and the Myforeans next day commenced offentive operations operations against the lines. After a fiege of a few weeks, a breach was effected, and Tippoo inftantly led on his troops to the ftorm. Having entered the fortification, he met with little refiftance: - the troops of the Rajah fled in every direction, and were flaughtered by thousands. The whole extent of the lines was evacuated; and Tippoo became mafter of the key of the kingdom of Travancore. He then proceeded to the attack of Cranganore; which he took after a vigorous fiege. Jacottah, Paroor, and Curiapilly fucceffively furrendered to his arms; and not a fort in the northern part of his dominions remained in the poffeffion of the unfortunate Rajah. He was obliged to remain an inactive fpectator of the devaftations of Tippoo, who now laid wafte the whole country with fire and fword. But the triumphs of Tippoo were but of fhort duration. The war which he thus fuccefsfully began, was to terminate in his defeat and difgrace, in the lofs of his dominions, and nearly in the extinction of his power. War against Myfore was now publicly declared by the fupreme government of Bengal. Whether we were juftified in this step, and who was the aggreffor, it is not eafy to determine. On one fide, it may be faid, that by the treaty of Mangalore we guaranteed the poffeffions of the Rajah of Travancore, and that we were bound in juftice and honour to defend him when attacked. It may be faid that the ambitious views of Tippoo were fo boundless and fo avowed, that we were juftified on the ftrong plea of political neceffity, in taking meafures for their fruftration. It may be faid that Tippoo had no right to the ports of Cranganore and Jacot tah; that if he had been allowed to feize thefe, he would foon have invaded the Carnatic; and that he was evidently the aggreffor, in breaking through the exifting treaties. On the other hand, it was contended that as the forts lay within the Rajahfhip of Cochin, which is tributary to Tippoo, by the immemorial custom of Hindoftan he was their feudal fuperior, and had a right to object to their fale. That, at any rate, the English had no right to interfere, as they only engaged to protect the dominions which the Rajah held in 1784; and that, as in their treaties with the Mahrattas and the Nizam, there was no mention of Travancore, their only object in entering into the war, was, to enrlch themselves by the fpoils of the vanquished. The juftice and neceffity of the war might be problematical; but no doubt was entertained with regard to its policy; and accordingly the English prepared in all their fettlements to profecute it with the utmoft vigour. Bengal, from its great distance from the fcene of action, could do little more than furnifh fupplies of money and military ftores. An army of 15,000 men was formed in the Carnatic, and near half that number in the prefidency of Bombay. The command of the firft was entrusted to Major General Meadows; that of the laft, to Major General Abercrombie; both officers of diftinguished merit. A plan was laid down for the campaign. It was refolved that the Bombay army fhould act against Tippoo's poffeffions, weft of the Ghauts; that the fafety of the Carnatic fhould be entrusted to a small body of troops under Colonel Kelly; and that the grand army fhould march towards Coimbatore, gain 04 poffeffion poffeffion of that country, and from thence penetrate into the kingdom of Myfore. The Mahratta ftates, and the Nizam of the Deccan, promifed a cordial co-operation; and engaged with all their forces to make a powerful diverfion on the north. Tippoo, daunted by thefe vigorous meafures, and alarmed at the form which was gathering in every direction, made offers of fubmiffion; but all his offers were treated with difdain. "The Englith, equally incapable of offering an infult, as of fubmitting to one," said General Meadows to him, in reply, "have always looked upon war as declared from the moment that you attacked their ally, the King of Travancore. God does not always give the battle to the strong, nor the race to the fwift; but generally fuccefs to thofe whofe caufe is juft:-on that we depend." The Sultan, about the end of May, had left Travancore with precipitation, and turned to Seringapatam, to take meafures for defeating the defigns of this powerful confederacy. He collected an immenfe force under his own immediate command; he ftationed his Generals, with confiderable armies, on the most expofed fituations; and difpatched large bodies of Looties, or irregular cavalry, all over his frontiers. re The grand Carnatic army affembled, and was embodied about the beginning of June, in the plains of Trichinopoly; and General Meadows commenced his operations on the 15th of the month. He directed his march towards the Gujelhatty pafs, intending first to attack all the forts, and to fecure the country to the fouth-east of the Ghauts, that he might prevent Tippoo from drawing fupplics from this fertile quarter; that he might eftablifh a fafe communication betwixt the pafs and the Coromandel coaft; and thus render the invafion of Myfore eafy and fecure. Sahid Saheb, one of the Sultan's ableft generals, was stationed in this country, in the neighbourhood of Damiocottah; but, his force being inconfiderable, he was obliged to retire at the approach of the British army. For feveral weeks General Meadows heard of no other hoftile army, and met with no oppofition in his progrefs, except from bodies of Looties, who at times haraffed his march. During this time he made himself master of Caroor, Daraporam, Coimbatore, and feveral forts of lefs note, with little difficulty or lofs, having either found them evacuated, or having met with a feeble resistance. At Coimbatore he determined to take up his quarters for fome time, there to form a depot, and to fend out detachments from his army to reduce the neighbouring forts. Of thefe, by far the strongest and most important is Dindigul, which is fituated to the fouth-eaft of Coimbatore, about half way betwixt the Malabar and Coromandel coafts. It was then ftrongly fortified, defended by a numerous garrifon, and commanded by one of the ableft and most faithful officers in the Myforean fervice. A large detachment was fent against Dindigul, headed by Colonel Stuart; but as the English were unacquainted with its fituation and its ftrength, Captain Arain, who was then returning from Madura to the camp, was ordered firft to make an attempt upon it, and to try what could be done by surprise, ftratagem, or negociation. Upon reconnoitring the fort, however, he found found that an attack would be fruitlefs; and, having in vain tampered with the fidelity of the governor, who threatened to fhoot a fecond meffenger, if he fhould be fent, from the mouth of a cannon, he was obliged to await the arrival of Colonel Stuart. As foon as guns were procured, and other things neceflary for carrying on a fiege, batteries were opened, and the place heavily cannonaded for two days. On the evening of the second, a breach, deemed practicable, was made, and a ftorm was inftantly determined on. Never was there a greater difplay of gallantry. The affailants led on the attack with the most determined bravery; they were received by the garrifon with equal fpirit; they were obliged to retreat, but again returned to the charge: attack fucceeded attack, but ftill without fuccefs; they were finally repulfed with great flaughter, and obliged to return to their tents. But the victory proved fatal to the victors: the garrifon and the works had fuffered fo feverely during the night, that next morning the gover nor was obliged to capitulate. From Dindigul Colonel Stuart moved weftwards to Palicaudchery, a place of confiderable importance, which he fummoned to furrender. The governor refolutely refufed; but the fort was foon reduced, after a feeble refiftance. Colonel Stuart having left garrifons in the places he had taken, then rejoined the grand army at Coimbatore. About the fame time Eroad and feveral smaller forts had fallen to a detachment under Colonel Aldham: and now the poffeffion of a chain of pofts, betwixt the Ghauts and the coaft of Coromandel, and the collection of a large ftore of fupplies, feemed to announce a fpeedy invafion of Myfore. One obftacle only remained; the fort of Sattimungulum, fituated clofe by the Gujelhatty pafs, through which the British army was to enter, was ftill in the poffeffion of the Sultan. Againft this important fortrefs Colonel Floyd was detached with the King's regiment, and fixteen fquadrons of native cavalry, the thirty-fixth regiment, and four battalions of native infantry, attended by eleven pieces of cannon, ferved by the Bengal artillery. Colonel Floyd having come upon Sattimungulum unexpectedly, the furprised garrifon, without ftriking a blow, furrendered at difcretion. He placed in it a battalion of fepoys for its defence, and encamped with the reft of his army on the fouth fide of the Bouanni. He there expected to be joined by General Meadows, and to penetrate northwards with him without interruption; and he had reason to expect this, although he was cruelly dif appointed. He knew that Sahid Saheb was pofted at the bottom of the pafs; but his force was inconfiderable in point of numbers, and ftill more fo in point of difcipline. Thefe irregular troops had been repeatedly routed by the English already, and now would not ftand to the charge. Colonel Floyd had fpies and fcouts all round the country, yet had heard of no other ene my being near. But the antagonists of Tippoo had not to truft to the common calculations of war. Tippoo, active, dexterous, and fubtle, flew from one country to another with a celerity that anticipated all intelligence of his defigns. He had now actually defcended the Ghauts in great force, and had advanced with in RHODES HOUSE OXFORD RY |