cious means employed to fupport and protect their extraordinary efforts.

It is not neceffary to enter into the detailed progress of the fiege. It may, however, be proper to remark, that, notwithstanding the errors committed by the Sultaun in defence of the place, nothing less than the vast combined army in our fervice, could have carried the enterprize with fuccefs. The extent of pofts we were obliged to occupy on both fides of the river, required the whole force of the coaft and Bombay armies; befides the troops neceffary to diflodge the numerous fwarms of the enemy. As this fervice was entrusted chiefly to European officers, who were appointed to the various branches of it, not by felection, but in regular fuc ceffion, opportunities were given, as they were univerfally employed, to difplay the skill and bravery of the British military character.

The act of ftorming difplayed a moft animating and unrivalled picture of British bravery. The columns of grenadiers dafhed, as it were, across the river, at noon day, defpifing the difficulties, of the paffage, to mount the breach, which could have been practicable alone to their irrefiftible force and bravery. The impetuous fpirit which led them on, in the face of a very heavy and continued fire of cannon and mufketry, the rapidity with which they afcen. ded the ladders, and the impetuous courage which drove the affrighted enemy from the walls, foon combin ed to place the British colours on them. The enfilading batteries of the Bombay advanced poft were offignal fervice, as they deterred numbers from difputing the breach, who might otherwife, have kept up a galling fire upon it. The hour of attack allo was fortunate; it being one at noon, when numbers of the befieged had retired to take refreshment, though enough ftill remained to have repelled def dating affailants. The Sultaun,

who had hitherto commanded his troops, was alfo retired to refresh himfelf; but on hearing the alarm, he haftened back, when finding, that the grenadiers had entered the breach, and feeing his people falling all around him, he made for a fally port, where, amidst a crowd of fugitives, he was overtaken and flain. It is not yet known by whofe hand this tyrant of the Eaft was laid low; and it is fuppofed, that the jewels which he always wore about his perfon, and were now become the fpoil of the fortunate foldier, whoever he might be, that was his conqueror, are too precious to be hallly acknowledged.

The following particulars were related by Bejeb Seehib, one of the Sirdars who came with the hoftage Princes to Lord Cornwallis. He conftantly wore a ruby ring, which was esteemed by him as the most valuable in his treafuty. His turban alfo was always adorned with a jewel of great value; and a pearl rofary was a continual ornament of his perfon. The pearls of which it confifted, were of uncommon fize and beauty. They had been the collection of many. years, and were the pride of his dress. Whenever he could purchase a pearl of extraordinary fize, he never omitted the opportunity; and made it fupply, on his rofary, the place of another inferior in form and beauty. Neither of thefe precious articles have appeared fince the Sultaun's death. His body was found late in the evening, beneath a heap of others, brought together in one promifcuous laughter. It had been fhot in the temples, and was otherwife wounded, as it appeared, with a bayonet. After it had been properly identified, it was delivered to the furvivors of his family, and interred in the sépulchre of his father Hyder Ally, with the folemnity and ceremonial belonging to his rank and ftation. It is not among the customs of the European nations to war with the dead, or fuch a tyrant

a tyrant, whose peculiar averfion was exerted against, and inveterate cruelty exerciled on, the Europeans when ever they were fo unfortunate as to become fubject to his tyranny. The rooted and barbarous antipathy which he manifeited against the European prifoners of all ranks, in a former war, feems to have accompanied him to the last. About twenty unhappy fragglers from our army had fallen into his hands in the course of our march, whom he ordered to be put to death; and among them a little drummer boy of the Scotch brigade. Even his fmall motley band of French auxiliaries execrate his memory as a most cruel tyrant, and reprefent with bitter imprecations, the ignominy and hardships to which he fubjected them. The carnage on this occafion is very much to be lamented, though it was much less than might have been expected in a large city entered by storm, and filled with people whofe oppofition was continued in the streets and from the houfes, and where no incentive was wanting to gratify luft, rapine, and revenge. But it should be for ever remembered, to the honour of the general officer who conducted the affault, and others who feconded his humane efforts, that the effufion of blood was very foon reftrained, and under circumstances of provocation which fufficiently proved, if proof were ever wanting, the humanity of the British character. Nor, in the course of that plunder which the laws of war allow, in certain cafes, to the conquerors, was any defencelefs inhabitant killed, nor any woman treated with wanton brutality.

That the French republicans obtained the quarter which they fo ill deserved, must be imputed to accident rather than to any difpofition in their favour. The party had shut themfelves up with the defenders of the palace, till the first burft of violence was paffed, and mixing with

them, partook of the mercy by which they were preferved. Their appearance, in every respect, was extremely mean; though their commander (for there was an elderly man among them who certainly bore fome fort of fuperior commiffion,) difplayed fomewhat of the military veteran in his appearance.

The two fons of Tippoo, who had been hostages at Madras, comforted themselves with a decent and manly refignation to their fate. They were ignorant of their father's death until the body was found, it being believed by them, as it was fufpected by us, that he had escaped. Tippoo was fo infatuated as not to entertain an apprehenfion of the catastrophe which befel him. He confidered himfelf as in a state of perfect fecurity in his capital, where he retained all his family and treasures, inftead of fending them off to remote firong-holds, where they might at least have been preferved from a victorious enemy. His principal people, and all the inhabitants, poffeffed the fame confidence; fo that no preparations had been made for concealment or for flight. The plunder of the town was confequently very great, and many of the foldiers, both native and European, poffeffed themselves of very precious effects, in gold and jewels. Confiderable fortunes are alfo fuppofed to have been made by perfons of higher rank, in the way of purchase.

The houfes of the chief Sirdars, as well as of the merchants and throffs, were completely pillaged; while the women, alarmed for their perfonal fafety, emptied their coffers, and brought forth whatever jewels they poffeffed. Fortunately, however, for the army in general, the palace was fecured, and all the riches it contained referved for the army at large as captured property. They are immenfe, and confift of jewels, gold and filver plate, rich ftuffs, and variousother articles of great price and

rarity,

rarity. The quantity of money yet difcovered, though great in itself, is by no means equal to what might have been expected from the known extent of Tippoo's revenues and expenditure. Many lacks of fpecie it is fuppofed are not yet found; and it is equally probable, that they never will be recovered.

This enormeous mafs of wealth appeared to be arranged without talte or judgment. All the various and extenfive buildings, except the Zenana and the State Durbars, were appropriated for its reception. A fucceffion of quadrangles, with their ranges of ftorehouses, whofe galleries were filled with thofe articles which were the leaft fufceptible of injury. The jewels are kept in large dark rooms, ftrongly fecured, behind one of the durbars, and are depofited coffers. In the fame manner is preferved the greater part of the gold plate, both folid and in fillagreen; of which laft manufacture, there is an almost endless variety of moft beautiful articles. The jewelery is fet in gold, in the form of bracelets, rings, necklaces, aigrettes, plumes, &c. &c. In an upper and very long apartment, is contained the filver plate, folid and fillagreen, of all dimenfions and fashions. In one of the galleries, are two elephant howders, entirely of this metal. There are many pieces of maffive filver plate richly inlaid with gold, and a few with gold and jewels. The greater part of this treasure must have been the plunder of the unhappy Myfore family, and of many other inferior Rajahs, which Tippoo and his father Hyder have amaffed, after the extermination of their respective poff:ffors. Two of the most capital articles are, how ever, of his own purchase, and are depofited in two fmall rooms, on each fide of the hall of audience. The one is a throne, estimated at a lack of pagodas, and the other is a howder of equal value. The repofitories of

curious and costly fire-arms and fwords, are equally astonishing, and fome of the latter molt magnificently adorned with gold and jewels; the greatest part of these have been prefents, and feveral of them are of Englith manufacture. Among the palankeens of flate, were found thofe which had been prefented by the Marquis Cornwallis to the two young Princes who were hostages with him, which appear never to have been unpacked. There were also several door pofts of ivory, of exquifite workmanship. To this fucceffion of treafure may be added, various extenfive warehoufes filled with the richest furniture, and most costly carpets. In fhort, there was every thing that power could command, or money could purchase, in this ftupendous collection. Telescopes of every fize, fpectacles of every fight, with looking glaffes and pictures in unbounded profufion; while of China and glass ware, there was fufficient to form a large mercantile magazine. But amidst the confufion that appeared in the arrangement, there was an unexpected degree of regularity; the whole being accurately registered, and every article bearing its correfpondent label. Tippoo, whofe defire of hoarding was infatiable, paffed the greatest part of his leifure hours in reviewing this various and fplendid affemblage of his riches.

Nor is this all. Tippoo with his tyrannic nature, blended the love of literature, and was poffeffed of a very large and curious library. The volumes are kept in chefts, each having a feparate wrapper, fo that they are in general in excellent prefervation. Some of thefe, which have been examined, were very ichly adorned, and beautifully illuminated in the manner of the Roman Miffals. This library, which contains thoufand volumes, will, it is imagined, be prefented by the army, to the English nation, and will form the finest,

any

moft

most curious, and valuable collection of Oriental learning, and history, that has been introduced into EuTope.

The collection of military ftores rivals the arsenal of Madras. The ordnance mounted on the works were very numerous. The quantity of ordnance and mufket ammunition expended during the fiege must have been immenfe, from the conftant heavy fire which was maintained, and which, from the variety of its bear ings, could never be filenced. The gunpowder, to the manufacture of which great attention appears to have been paid, was better than ours: fome of the hot were thrown from the walls confiderably within our lines, which were at the distance of two miles.

All his brass fix pounders, which were fifty-one in number, are faid to be English; the others were, in general, caft in his own foundery, and curiously ornamented. One brass forty-two pounder, and one brafs fixteen-inch howitzer, with a great number of his iron ordnance, are of English manufacture; and it is faid, that he did not fucceed fo well in cafting iron, as brafs ordnance. Tippoo had established powder mills on the European construction; but as they were without the walls, and on the fide of our approaches, he had destroyed them. There is a paper mill also, within the fort, on a large fcale. The ftores of grain furpaffed all credibility. In the ftables there were found only a few fine ftallions and brood mares; his cavalry being at this time in the field.

The body of the fort appears as large as Trichinopoly, but its defences and outworks are infinitely more extensive; and as the most la borious additions were continually making to it, there is little doubt, when its infular fituation is confidered, that it would have been in a hort time rendered impregnable. Its E Mag. April 1805.

population is very great, and the mofque lately erected is a magnificent ftructure: but neither the ancient Myfore palace, or the pagodas are on a grand fcale. The ruins of the pettah, or citadel, form a very ftriking fpectacle: they occupy more ground than the fort and black town of Madras, including the vacant space and cover the greatest part of the island. It is closely built, and in regular streets, and nothing remains but the walls of the houses. It is, however, a pleafing reflection, that its former inhabitants ftill exift, and are returning by degrees, to restore their former dwellings: the deferted vil lages will also be shortly re-inhabit. ed; and there is every reafon to believe, that the fertile environs of Seringapatam, will foon be feen to flourish in a renewed ftate of cultiva tion. One material mifchief will. not, however, be eafily remedied, which is the draining off the vast body of water of the Mooltutillera Lake; it was kept up by natural mounds, and by means of fluices a large tract of country was watered. It is about twelve miles from Serin gapatam, and the army is encamped near its bed. Its ordinary depth is about forty feet; and Tippoo had employed a vast number of people for feveral weeks, and under his own inspection, to make a breach in the mound, which is really tremendous, being an hundred feet deep, and as much more in breadth and thickness.

It

Of the two gardens in the island, the Haulbaugh, and the Dowlet Baugh, the former has been already defcribed the latter, being close under the walls of the fort, was not in our poffeffion in the last war. contains a large, ancient, and handfome manfion; but has neither tomb nor maufoleum. It formed the head quarters of the Commander in Chief. On one end of the building was reprefented, as may be fuppofed, in a miferable ftyle of painting, the defeat

of

of Colonel Baillie, which the painter reprefented with every exaggeration that might flatter the vanity of the conqueror. The Haulbaugh was employed as a field hofpital.

The houses of Seringapatan are very fpacious, and well conftruded; but the interior embellishments are without variety, and as gaudy as blended colours and gilding can make them. The streets are like thofe of Tanjore, but contain a larger proportion of houfes of two ftories. The fituation of the ancient capital of the Myfore dominio s must have been originally chofen on account of its ftrength, as its diftrict is naturally barren. It is indebted for its population and fertility to the most perfevering induftry, in procuring the means of watering it. The water courfes from the river, as well as the distant lakes and tanks, in all directions, are ftupendous works. The principal ones are finished with ftone, with bridges at convenient intervals.

The chief Sirdar, Kummer udDeen Khan, furrendered himself at our out-posts, on the fourth day of the capture, as did Tippoo's eldeft legitimate fon, and Hyder Saib, his eldeft illegitimate fon, who commanded a feparate army. All the Sircar's horfes were shortly after delivered up, and there has been select ed a fufficient number of them to complete the King's regiments of dragoons, ferving on the coaft, as well as the Company's eftablishment of native cavalry. Upwards of two thousand of an inferior description, were transferred to the Nizam. The

draft and carriage bullocks, with the camels and elephants, have also been furrendered, fo that the army will be immediately furnished with every neceffary equipment. To crown the whole, the difperfed and affrighted natives are returning in great numbers to their former fituations.

As a proof of the mental derangement of the late Sultaun, which his fubjects, in general, confirm, he neglected for feveral months paft, the war department, and particularly that branch of it which related to the maintenance of thofe animals which are fo effentially neceffary to it; an object to which his father Hyder, throughout his reign, and himself till very lately, had paid fuch unremitted attention: fo that his bullocks, and his horfes, his elephants, and his camels, were almoft starved, and the people who had the care of them in long arrears of pay: This, too, at a time, when he must have expected to be attacked by us; and had actually invited an army of French auxiliaries, who were deftitute of 'every kind of equipment, and muft neceffarily have been provided by him with the means to render their fervice effectual. Nor is this all: After he had formed those plans of ambition which brought on his ruin, he deprived twelve thousand fighting men, of thofe lands which they held by military tenure, and annihilated at once fo large a portion of his ftrength, at the very moment when his empire was threatened with that deftruction which has fo rapidly overtaken it.