courage the hope of a complete triumph over the confederacy between Tippoo and the French, againft the British power in India. The difmiflion of the French faction from the nizam's army had been happily accomplished at Hydrabad, a new fubfidiary treaty had been ratified with that prince, and a decifive and glorious victory had been obtained by an English over a French fleet, on the coaft of Egypt. The governor-general, therefore, on the eighth of November, fent a letter to Tippoo Sultaun, in which, after apprifing him that he was acquainted with his intercourfe with the French nation, he mentioned the fuccefs of his Britannic majesty's fleet againft the French in Egypt, the revival of our alliance with the nizam, the deftruction of the French influence in the Deccan, the declared difpofition of the pashwa to fulfil his defenfive engagement to the utmost extent in his power, the prefence of his majesty's fquadron on the coaft of Malabar, re-inforced by fuch of his majesty's fhips as had been equipped for the purpofe; and, finally, the progrefs of the military preparations of the British on both coafts. It was hoped that the representation of all thefe particulars would have incli ned the fultaun to a propofition made to him, by the governorgeneral, to receive major Doveton, on the part of the allies, for the purpose of proceeding to an amicable arrangement of all fubfifting differences. With fuch expectations, lord Mornington proceeded to fort St. George, for the purpose of conducting the expected negociation with the fultaun. On his arrival thither, he received a letter from the fultaun, in anfwer to his own, of the eight of November, and one of another date to the fame effect, gloffing over his intercourfe with the French, (with whom he had actually made a treaty offenfive and defenfive, under the ftrongeft affurances that it would be ratified by the directory) and evading the propofition of opening a negociation with the allies. From this letter, fraught with a ftrange mixture of politenefs, religious hypocrify, and barbarian cunning and diffimulation, it may not be improper, or unentertaining to our readers, to give the following extract: "I have been made happy by the receipt of your lordship's two friendly letters, the contents of which I clearly comprehend. The particu lars which your lordship has communicated to me, relative to the victory obtained by the English fleet over that of the French, near the fhores of Egypt, have given me more pleasure than can poffibly be conveyed by writing. Indeed, I poffels the firmeft hope, that the leaders of the English and the company Bahauder, who ever adhere to the paths of fincerity, friendship. and good faith, and are the wellwithers of mankind, will, at all times, be fuccefsful and victorious; and that the French, who are of a crooked difpofition, faithless, and the enemies to mankind, may be ever depreffed and ruined. Your lordship has written to me with the pen of friendship," that it is impoffible for me to fuppofe your lordship to be ignorant of the intercourfe which fubfifts between me and the French, whom I know to be the inveterate enemies of the company, and to be now engaged in an unjust war with the British; and that I cannot imagine your lordship to be indifferent to the the tranfactions which have paffed. In this cafe, the allufion to war in your friendly letter, and the following paffage, namely, that pru dence required that both the company and their allies fhould adopt certain meatures of precaution and fell-defence,' have given me great furprize. "It was farther written by your friendly pen That as your lordlip is defirous of communicating to me To this letter from the fultaun the governor-general returned an anfwer on the ninth of January, in which he renewed the propofition for opening a negociation, and urged him not to delay his reply beyond the period of one day. The fultaun remained filent: at length, on the fifteenth of February, 1798, he intimated, by letter, to lord Mornington, that, being frequently dif pofed to make excurfions and hunt, he was, accordingly, proceeding upon 1 upon a hunting excurfion, and defiring that he would dispatch major Doveton flightly attended. The advanced guard of the army was by this time ordered into the territory of Tippoo. To have delayed this, would have at once thrown the advantage, which the British then poffeffed, into the hands of Tippoo, and have rendered the fiege of his capital impracticable, during the prefent feafon. Intimation was given to the allies, of an intention to proceed immediately to hostilities with Tippoo. The Nizam's army took the field, and took the proper fteps for forming a junction with that of Madras. This army confifted of fix thousand native troops, nearly an equal number of the company's troops, fubfidized by his highnefs, and a great body of cavalry. It then joined that of Madras, under major-general Harris, about twent-four thousand ftrong, which entered the Myfore country, on the fifth of March, with orders to proceed immediately to Seringapatam. These orders were executed with an alacrity in perfect confonancy with the fpirit by which they were dictated. No time was allowed for reflection, change of purpofe, or negociation. A great prize of the grafp of both the company and individuals. It might be loft through procrastination and parlies. In the mean time, the Malabar army, equipped and put in motion, with equal promptitude and judgement, under general Stuart, had, on the firft of February, marched from Cannanore, and afcended the Ghauts on the twenty-fifth. His army was divided into four different corps; and thefe moved fucceffively into fuch fituation as might enable him to form the earlieft poffible junction with the principal army. With the fame view he occupied a poft at Seedafeer, near to which there is a high hill, that commands a view of the Mysore, almoft to the environs of Seringapatam. From the fummit of this mountain, a party of obfervation, on the morning of the fifth of March, difcovered an encampment to be forming between Seedafeer and Seringapatam. Before the evening this encampment affumed a very formidable appearance, and covered a great extent of ground. From the hill of obfervation, the whole of the army of this encampment was feen to be in motion: but their movements were fo well concealed by the woodiness of the country, and the hazinefs of the atmosphere, that it was impoffible to afcertain their object; nor, in fact, was this difcovered until they had penetrated a confiderable way into the Jungles, and commenced an attack upon our line, which happened between the hours of nine and ten. On the feventh, the enemy pierced through the Jungles with fuch fecrecy and expedition, that they attacked the rear and the front of our line almoft at the fame inftant. This difpatch prevented more than three of the Bombay corps being engaged, as the fourth, which was posted two miles and a half in the rear, was unable to form a junction, from the enemy having cut in between them and Seedafeer. The communication was effectually obftructed by a column which, according to the reports of prifoners, confifted of upwards of five thoufand men, under the command of Bober Jung. On the eighth, fortunately before the enemy had accomplished their purpose, major-general Hartley had time to apprize the commander-inchief of their attack, and remained himself to give any affiftance that might be neceffary. The beft pofition was aflumed for repulfing the enemy; and in this alarming fituation, the corps defended themselves with fo much refolution, that the fultaun's troops were unable to make any impreffion. The brigade was on every fide completely furrounded, and had to contend against a vaft difparity of numbers, befides other difcouraging circumstances. As foon as general Stuart received intelligence of the perilous fituation of the right brigade, he marched to their affiftance with the flank companies of his majefty's feventy-fifth regiment, and the whole of the feventy-feventh. He arrived at about half paft two, at some of the divifions of the enemy, who had penetrated into the rear, and poffefled themselves of the great road leading to Seedafeer. The engagement lafted nearly half an hour, when, after a smart fire of mufquetry on both fides, the enemy were completely routed, and fled with precipitation through the Jungles, to regain their column, which still continued the attack in front. On arriving at lieutenant-colonel Montrefor's poft, the general found his men overcome with fatigue, and their ammunition almoft exhaufted. At twenty minutes past three, the enemy retreated in all directions. A junction was formed between the Bombay and the main army. Tippoo Sultaun, by the encampment at Periaptam, and by haraffing the march of general Harris, had ufed all the means in his power for preventing this junction in vain. He deftroyed the villages, and laid wafte the country, in front of the English army. But as he did not fufficiently spread the tracts of devaftation, his purpose of defeating our army was defeated, as general Harris, by a flight deviation from the common road, reached his desti nation at the time he wished, and without any material interruption: Tippoo having abandoned the open country, and taken refuge in his capital and fortrefs of Seringapa tam. On the fixteenth, general Stuart, with the Bombay army, croffed the Cavery, and took up a pofition extending from its northern bank towards the Edgal: while general Floyd, with the left wing and cavalry, moved to the Delawayery, beyond Myfore, to cover a party fent out the preceding night to collect cattle and fheep, and to examine the new fort of Myfore. The party returned with confiderable fuccefs on the evening of the fixteenth, and encamped near the line of general Harris. Measures were immediately taken by the general for erecting batteries, and preparing for the attacking of Seringapatam. The batteries being finished, they began to batter in breach on the thirtieth of April, and had, on the evening of the third of May, fo much deftroyed the walls againft which they were directed, that the arrangement was made for affaulting the place next day, when the breach was reported practicable. troops intended to be employed were ftationed in the trenches early on the morning of the fourth, that no extraordinary movement might lead the enemy to expect the affault, which general Harris had determined fhould be made in the heat of the day, as the time beft calcuted to enfure fuccefs, for their troops The would would then be leaft prepared for making oppofition. At one o'clock, the troops moved from the trenches, croffed the rocky bed of the Cavery, under an extremely heavy fire, paffed the glacis and ditch, Dand afcended the breaches in the fauffe-braye and rampart of the fort, furmounting, in the moft gallant manner, every obftacle in their "way, and were completely fuccefsful. Refiftance continued to be made, from the palace of Tippoo, for fome time after all firing had ceased from the works. Two of his fons were there, who, however, on the aflu"rance of fafety, furrendered to the troops furrounding them; and guards were placed, for the protection of "the family, most of whom were in -the palace. nently diftinguished from all the families, or dynafties, that have ever appeared, in fuch quick fucceflion, in Hindoftan, by a more extenfive adoption, cultivation, and application, of European arts and arms, than had been known before in the dominions of any native power in Afia. Those who are fond of parallels between illuftrious characters, may find many points of resemblance between Tippoo, the fon of Hyder, and Hannibal, tlie fon of Hamilear; both, at once fubtle and falfe, yet brave; both, ftudious of the knowledge of their times; both trained up by their fathers in hoftility to the first power of the age; both exciting the vengeance of all nations against that power; and, in this career, taking a wider range than that which ufually bounded the views of even ambitious and conquering princes: Hannibal, extending his intrigues from the Pillars of Hercules to the Red Sea; Tippoo Saib, from the nations to the east of Caucafus, not only to Conftantinople, and other feats of power on the Mediterranean, but even to Paris. It would feem that indignation and refentment, against overbearing power and ambition, is, in the loftieft minds, the livelieft paffion. It was, probably, by fuch feelings, more than a calm confideration of the general welfare of the United Provinces, and of Europe, that the great king William III. Thus, after a fhort, but brilliant was animated to fuch invincible career, fell the house, or dynafty, and heroic oppofition to the ambiof Hyder. It was noble, in pro- tion of Louis XIV. of France. It portion to the lownefs of its origin is unneceflary to obferve, that, not(for Hyder Naig was at firft only withftanding all thefe refemblances, a private in the Mylorean fervice), there was no comparison between fplendid in its progrefs, and not the abilities of Tippoo, who was inglorious in its fall. It is emi-guided more by paflion than found 'It was foon after reported, that Tippoo Sultaun had fallen. Seve-ral other chiefs were also flain. Measures were immediately adopted, to ftop the confufion, at firft unavoidable, in a crowded city taken by assault. The princes were removed to camp. Immediately, "fearch was made for the fultaun's body, which, after much difficulty, was found, late in the evening, at one of the gates, under a heap of flain, and foon after placed in the palace. The corpfe was, the next day, recognized by his family, and interred, with all the honours due to his rank, in the maufoleum of his father. judgement, |