barous enemy, who refufed quarter to every foul that afked it. The troops being totally defeated, near forty thousand horfe indulged their favage cruelty, by butchering every body who fell in their way. I endeavoured to feek protection of a head-man, who, I thought, had humanity painted in his countenance, but I found I was a very bad Phyfiognomist; for inftead of mercy, which I implored, he took my fword from me, and then ftruck a moft violent blow at my head, which I perceiving, received it on my right wrift. He gave me four before I fell down; but be not alarmed, my dear mother; these four have proved of no great confequence, only carrying the fcars of this favage to my grave.

How long I remained on the ground is not eafy for me to fay; however I found I had been stript to my shirt and small cloaths; and have fince heard by my brother Officers, that in about two hours after the engagement, Hyder Ali, (I suppofe by the advice of the French Officers in his camp) gave out a general order, that if any were left alive in the field of battle, they fhould be brought before him. I was one of that for. tunate number, as it has fince proved, and was led, or rather drove like a fheep to be flaughtered, to Hyder's camp, nine miles diftant. The lofs of blood I had fuftained, the want of food to fupport nature, no cloaths to keep off the heat of the fun; all these were too much. I frequently fainted before I reached the spot, and thought myself the most unfortunate of men in having life prolonged, which foretold nothing but a fcene of mifery and forrow. From eleven in the morning till fix in the evening, I was conducted by this banditti, who frequently beat me, and otherwife inhumanly treated me, because I did not walk fafter; which was out of my power to do, having all my toe-nails trodden off by the horses, while I was laying on the ground.

At fix o'clock I reached Hyder's camp, and was placed before this tyrant, who was feated on a throne, and not the leaft moved with compaffion for thofe miferable objects which were

brought

brought before him. He ordered me to be put among my fellow prifoners, most of whom I found much more wounded. than myself, groaning under the most severe pain, and no affiftance to be got, except a piece of coarfe cloth to bind up our wounds. In this ftate I threw myfelf proftrate upon the earth, and sweet fleep, the balm of human woes, took me to her arms, where I remained until day-light the eleventh. Thus ended the fatal 10th of September 1780, a day, most honoured madam, that involved thousands in mifery, and left the poor inhabitants a prey to a hungry wolf, who came to devour them.

The English army being routed, Eastern fortifications could not long withstand his force, where mothers had flown with infants, for protection, and where the industrious labourer had gathered in his little all, in hopes of faving it; but alas! all, all fell into the hands of this cruel tyrant. On the 11th of September, about noon, the French Officers in Hyder's camp got leave to come down and visit us; and I must do them the juftice to fay, poured in as generous a relief as their present circumftances would admit of; except Monfieur Lally, who, I could not find, (although a man of great power with Hyder) had done a fingle thing towards the relief of the prisoners in general. It is a lafting reproach upon his memory. But to proceed with my ftory.-My knowledge of the French language was now of the utmost consequence to me. I addressed myself to Monfieur Pomuraine, (whofe memory I fhall for ever blefs, he being alas! no more) to advance me fifty pagodas, and to receive that fum from my Attorney at Madras. This he immediately did, and this enabled me to change my filthy linen, and to purchase a few articles, which in my melancholy fituation I ftood fo much in need of.

I remained in Hyder's camp until the 14th, during which time, I picked up a fervant, a most useful thing to me, as I was difabled in both hands, and could not affift myself. I was told a feparation muft foon take place; thofe badly wounded muft be fent to Arnee, the reft to Bandelore, fituated two hundred miles

miles up the country. Arnee is the place I now command: what a reverle of fortune! My wounds appearing rather bad, and my defire of staying near Madras, if poffible, fucceeded; and I with the reft were conveyed to this place, in the most inhuman vehicles ever seen, being only three feet in length, and one foot and a half high, placed upon the shoulders of men, of a mountainous race, which fubjected me to every inconvenience fuch a fhocking machine could afford.

On the 17th, we entered the gates of this garrifon; but I forgot to tell you, on the firft day's march I miffed my fervant, which I fenfibly felt, having given him fome money, and what few things I had bought; and as I faid before, being wounded in both arms, I could not affifi myself. However, I got a little cold rice to fatisfy nature, and on the 15th my fervant re. turned, fript of every article I had given him. But, as a fervant was to me of the utmost value, I made myself contented with his returning, as I had a little more money left out of my dear fifty pagodas. On the 17th, I reached Arnee, and with twenty-eight other Officers was put into a dungeon, where I now keep my sheep in. Sorry am I to fay, in this place feveral of my fellow-fufferers died; but God be praised, my wounds healed daily, and I continued in good health. When my wounds were quite healed, I wrote to Madras, begging my friends there to write and inform you that I was alive and well, knowing how much you would be distreffed at my melancholy catastrophe. Heaven knows whether you ever received fuch an account.

On the first of November, I was felected out, with four other Officers, to be fent to Seringnapatam, a garrifon one hundred miles beyond Bundelore, and of course three hundred up the enemy's country. I was mounted on a Tattoo horfe, very little better than an afs, and furrounded with a numerous guard; and had to go a journey of fifteen days, in the fuitry heat of the fun. They gave us a coarse kind of grain to eat, such as they feed their elephants with, and faid it was quite good

enough

enough for Europeans. I well knew if we eat of it, the confequences would prove fatal. I remonftrated with our keeper; but the answer was, "Why, the more of ye that die, the better I fhall please my mafler, Hyder Ali." However, by a bribe to the head-man, out of my dear fifty pagodas, I got a little rice; and at the end of three days, we entered into the paffes, which lead to the Enemy's country. Here, O my dear mother, I gazed on the hills of the Carnatic, with a heart ready to burst with anxiety and pain, thinking I was bidding farewel to you,

and to them for ever.

On the 15th, we reached Seringnapatam, and were put into a pretty good prifon, for this country; and had a golden fanam a day given us, in value about eight-pence; which would just keep life and foul together. On the 19th of January 1781, Hyder's people came into the prifon, and made us all offers of great employments in their army, with high rank, if we would accept of it; but on our telling them, we had jointly agreed that death would be more preferable, they left us in very ill humour, at our refufing what they thought fuch great and advantageous offers.

Nothing material happened, except being daily tormented with an account of their daily fucceffes against the English army, until the 8th of April 1781, when Colonel Baillie, and feveral other Officers of rank, were brought into our prifon with heavy irons on their feet. This incident alarmed me very much, judging, if the fountain head was fo ill treated, what would become of the Subalterns. And on the toth of May (being my birth day) myfelf and my brother Officers were put into irons, and thus fettered like the most atrocious villains, we remained until our release.

On the 19th of September 1781, I was told Hyder Ali had felected all the young men out of another prison, and by force made them Mahometans. Think, O think! how this intelligence must rack my mind! It was true, youth had fome years left me, but I had a florid complexion, and was very

Aout.

flout. However, God be praised, this form blew over, and nothing material happened until the 26th of March 1782. We had been told a peace was on the carpet, and that we fhould all foon be released; but in one moment thofe hopes were blafted; for in the afternoon of that very day, eighteen Officers more, taken prisoners with Colonel Braithwaite, were brought into our jail, and gave us the most melancholy account of our affairs. Oh! let any perfon conceive (if they can) what a fevere stroke this was to me, and all of us, to fee at that moment, after eighteen months long and fevere confinement, eighteen more added to our number, and our hopes of a peace entirely at an end; for, the more victories they got, the more cruel they were, and much less inclined to make peace

A heavy miferable time we dragged on, until the month of February 1783, when Lieutenant Sampson, a most noble, generous, charming youth, was beckoned out of our prifon; and, horrid to pronounce it, to be poisoned with two other Officers, in cold blood. Oh! my heart bleeds at the remembrance of him, taken from us in fo inhuman a manner, and facrificed without any real caufe. Oh! my mother, he was one of my moft intimate friends. thought had entered Tippo Sultan's I and every one of us expected to share the fame fate. We were all in the fame predicament. to favour than thofe who were gone in hourly expectation of death. But, God be praised, the French peace took place, or every foul of us must have fol lowed this worthy young man.

Finding this diabolical head (Hyder's fucceffor,)

We had no greater claim before us; and we were

A ceffation of arms took place in the beginning of August 1783; during which time Tippo Sultan, an infernal devil on earth, by the most unparalelled inftances of barbarity and cruelty, poifoned one Major and feventeen officers on a rock fifty miles from Seringnapatam; and on the fixth of September of the fame year, he ordered the fame dreadful dofe to be