fhall conclude our remarks on this truly claffical Poem; a Poem, on the whole, moft nobly different from the light and trivial favourites of the prefent day. How is it vanifh'd in a hafty fpleen, The Tor of Glaftonbury! Even but now I faw the hoary pile crefting the top Of that north-western hill; and in this Now A cloud hath paft on it, and its dim bulk Becomes annihilate, or if not, a spot Which the ftrain'd vifion tires itself to find. And even fo fares it with the things of earth Which feem most constant: there wili come the cloud That shall infold them up, and leave their place A feat for emptiness. Our narrow ken (Which bear him like an eagle o'er the earth) Are plumed in front so downy soft they seem To fofter what they touch, and mortal fools Rejoice beneath their hovering: woe the while! For in that indefatigable flight Who ftretch'd her lawless hand to feize The multitudinous ftrokes inceffantly Memoirs of the late War in Afia, with a Narrative of the Imprifonment and Sufferings of our Officers and Soldiers. By an Officer of Colonel Bailie's Detachment. 2 Vols. 8vo. Murray, 1/88. T HE object of thefe volumes is explained by the writer of them in an addrefs to the reader. "The relations already published of the late military "transactions in India, compiled chiefly "from Gazettes, are too partial to give "an adequate idea of the kill and ex"ertions of our opponents, and too "general to record the merit and the "fate of individuals in our own fleets and armies. It is the object of thefe Memoirs, at the fame time that "they illuftrate the connection of mili tary affairs with politics, the nature and the relations of different actions "to one another, and the general refult "of the war, to defcribe not only our own, but the valour and addreis of "our enemies, and to particularife the "merits and the hardships of our "countrymen, and others in our fervice; "for the promotion of their interest, if they have furvived their fufferings; "for perpetuating their names, if they "have not, and in both cafes for the "fatisfaction or confolation of their " anxious relations and friends." Nor is it to thefe only, as the author obferves, that the fate of men diftinguished by merit, or fuffering, or both, will 66 66 will be interefting. "All mankind na"turally enter by fympathy into the fituation of one another, but particu"larly into that of the generous, the "brave, and the unfortunate. The par"ticulars relating to our officers and fol"diers, who fell at different times into the hands of Hyder-Ally-Khan, and Tippo Sultan Bahander, communicated by certain of thofe fufferers, and for the most part by one gentleman who perfevered in the midst of the utmost danger in keeping a journal of what "paffed from day to day in the principal prifon of Seringapatam, imprefs the "mind with all the force of a deep tragedy a tragedy continued by too "perfect an unity of time and place, and of fuffering if not of action, for the fpace of near four years; while Death, "according to the image of our great "claffical poet, fhook his dart over their heads, but delayed to trike." The writer of the Memoirs alfo hints at fundry important initances, in which the very particular and circumftantial narative of the captivity and fufferings of our men that the memorandums and converfation of different officers have enabled him to prefent to the public, open interesting views of the moral economy of human nature. As natural convulfions, fays he, difcover the fudden ftrata of the earth and ocean, fo violent moral fituations tear up and difplay the paflions and powers of the human foul. The fenfibility of our captive countrymen was powerfully excited, and the energy of their minds called forth in moft ingenious contrivances to beguile the languor of incccupation, to fupply conveniences and comforts, and, on fome occasions, to elude fudden affaffination. In the prifons on the coaft of Malabar, particuJuly that of Singapatam, we fee the condition of human nature, as it were, inverted. Man, with unbounded liberty, and the world for materials, becomes ac quainted with the qualities and relations of things, and advances in the arts by flow degrees. Our countrymen, and others who followed their fortune, immured in a narrow prifon, with a very limited command of inftrumentality and matter, fupplied the deficiency of thefe by knowledge and invention. The ength of thar fympathy with one another the natural connection between freng paffion and poetry; the longing of the circumcited flave-boys to join their countrymen, the in bonds and in danger of death; that fudden impatience under confinement, and vehement defire of liberty, which feized on the minds of all the prifopers, on the certain and near profpect of a releafe; the excitement of their joy, incapable of compofure, and carried to painful excefs; the impreffion that was made on their minds, after fo long a confinement in the gloomy jail, by ex. ternal objects, and the fair face of nature; thefe, with other interefting circumttances and confiderations, juftify the publication of a narrative, which, tho' it be very particular and minute, is neverthelef's interefting throughout. The most trivial facts and circumstances derive an intereft from their relation to perfons in whom we are concerned, and in whom they were not indifferent. With regard to the matter, then, of the Memoirs of the Late War in Alia, it may be affirmed without danger of contradic tion, that it is in the highest degree important and interesting. An hundred thousand men employed in daring enterprizes or courageous defence, in dif ferent parts of Hindoftan, on the fide of the Englith, unfupported by a fingle ally; thefe oppofed to almost all the powers of India, encouraged by fuccours from France, and contending often with fuccefs, but always with glory against Asiatic fubtlety, and numbers confirmed in no final degree by European difcipline and intruments of war; form a fcene the moit fplendid that can well exit. The prize is the preponderating dominion in India, the richeft and the most vener able country in the world, Courage, genius, and the pump of war are dif played on either fide in the difficult contelt. The ocean which divides the Indian nations from Britain and France, unites their arms; and while fquadron after fquadron from Europe brings freth fupplics of men and warlike ftores to the numerous bands of Alia, fleets co-operate with armies in all the various attempts and ftratagems of war, and bring forward into important: ¿tion_the_valour, the abilities, and the refources of the two gidateft nations in the world. The molt prominent feature in this range of matter, the difficulties with which Great Britain was forced to contend in the Eaft, and the means by which the furmounted them, is the great bond by wh ch the writer of the Memons has given an unity of defign to his compofition, and by which he palles by eafy tranfitiops from one fcene of action to another; another and while he purfues this courfe, he is at pains to fhew all the refources of Britain on the one hand, and the means by which Europeans were, and may be oppofed by Afiatic enemies on the other. Manners, characters, cuftoms, opinions, and political interefts and intrigues, fill up the interfices between the great outlines of treaties and of actions, and give variety and relief to details which would otherwife be fomewhat dry and barren. The author has been enabled, by communications and intercourfe, not only with English officers, but certain gentlemen in the French regiments in the fervice of Hyder Ally, to bring to light a great number of facts highly interefting and important. And he has been faithful to his defign, of specifying the merit and the fuffering of individuals, and of relating the valour and addrefs of our enemies, as well as thofe of our friends and countrymen. While the difficulties with which the English had to ftruggle, and the means by which they furmounted them, form the general chair. of affociation among the facts that enter into the Memoirs, the end or upper link of that chain is Mr. Haftings. His great mind is the centre, around which other agents appear in action. He, amidst the changes, the confufion, and the alarms of war, rides in the whirlwind, and directs the storm. Having ftated the troubles of Great Britain in 1780, and traced them, without the least regard to the favour or frown of any, to errors and mifcondu& in all parties, our author proceeds to give an account of the country, the manners, the bif tory and the refources of the Marrattas,the moit powerful of the affociates that had entered into a confederate war against the English. He goes over the firft and the cond Marratta war with a clearness that thews a full comprehenfion of the fubject. He gives an account of the fuccefsful expedition, and of the political as well as military talents of General Goddard. The exertions of Major Abington at Tellicherry are alfo particularly defcribed: "Had a detachment, the author obferves, "been formed in Gohud, previously to "the reduction of Gualier by Major "Popham, as General Goddard had re 61 peatedly advifed, and Mr. Haftings "had propofed in the Supreme Council, "a divertion of the troops under Scin"diah from Guzzarat, might have been "effected by an invafion of the province "of Malva, and the chiefs with whom "we contended, reduced to the neceffity "of accepting terms of accommodation. "But this opportunity of humbling the "Marrattas being loft, their hoftility to 66 our countrymen was confirmed by the "fucceffes of Hyder Ally's arms in the "Carnatic; and the exertions of Mr. "Haftings were called from fucceffes "which he had not been permitted to "improve, to the reparation of misfor"tunes which he had not occafioned." This leads the writer to the hiftory of the war with Hyder- Ally-Cawn. As this extraordinary perfonage and his fon Tippoo Saib have rendered them felves interesting objects to the English nation, the reader will perhaps be entertained by the following extract. Hyder-Ally-Cawn was regent of the kingdom of Myfore, a dignity to which he had raifed himfelf by abilities and by crimes; by valour and policy in arms, by intrigue, by treachery, and by blood. He was the fon of a Mahommedan foldier of fortune, who commanded a fort on the confines of Myfore, and followed, of course, the profeffion of arms. When he first entered into the Rajah of Myfore's fervice, he was diftinguished by the name of Hyder Naig, or Corporal Hyder. He rofe by degrees to the command of the Rajah's army; and, on the death of that Prince, he feized the reins of government, under the title of Guardian to the young prince, whom he confined in Seringapatam, together with the whole royal family; exhibiting them only at certain ftated feafons, in order to foothe and pleafe the people. He poffeffed great vigour of body and mind: but his manners were favage and cruel; and be frequently inflamed the natural ferocity of his temper by intoxication. Like many other chiefs in India, with whom it is not accounted any difgrace to be ignorant of letters, he could not either read or write; fo that he was obliged to make ufe of interpreters and fecre taries. The method he contrived for afcertaining whether his interpreters made faithful reports of the letters they read, and if his fecretaries expreffed in writing the full and the precife meaning of what he communicated, difplays, at once, that fufpicion which was natural to his fituation, and that fubtlety which belonged to his nature. He confined three different interpreters in feparate aport • ments, who made their respective reports in their turns. If all the three fhould make different reports, then he would punish them by a cruel death. If two thould coincide an their report, and one differ from thefe two, then that one would fuffer death, But the interpreters, knowing their fate if they fhould depart in one fingle inftance from the truth, explained, as might be expected, the letters committed to their inspection with the utmost fidelity. As to the method by which he difcovered whether his amanuenfes were faithful or no, he placed three of them, in like manner, in three feparate places of confinement, and to each of them apart he dictated his orders. Their manufcripts he put into the hands of any of thofe that were about him who could read, from whom he learned whether his clerks had faithfully expreffed his meaning. When he paffed fentence of death, he was on fome occafions, like the Dey of Algiers and other barbarian defpots, himself the executioner: for though he affected to confider his army as his guards, he well knew that he reigned in their hearts not from love, but fear, mixed indeed with an admiration of his fingular addrefs and intrepidity. The force of this man's mind, fuch is the advantage of nature over art! burst through the prejudices of education and the restraints of habit, and opened his mind to whatever European improvements he deemed the most fitted to fecure his government, to extend his empire, and to render his name immortal. He invited and encouraged every useful and ingenious manufacturer and artifan to fettle in his dominions; he introduced the European difcipline in his army'; and laboured, not altogether without fuccefs, for the formation of dock-yards, and the establishment of a navy. At the fame time that he was fublime in his views, he was capable of all that minute attention which was neceffary for their accomplishment. His ends were great; his means prudent. A regular œconomy fupplied a fource of liberality, which he never tailed to exercise, whenever an object, which he could render in any fhape fubfervient to his ambition, folicited his bounty. He rewarded merit of every kind, but he was particularly munificent to all who could bring important intelligence. He had his eyes open on the movements of his neighbours, as well as on every part. and almost on every perfon within his dominions.-Hence he knew where to anticipate hoftile designs, and where to take advantages; where to impose contributions without drying up the fprings of induftry; and where to find the most proper inftruments for his purposes, whether of policy or war. He inspected, in perfon, every ho feman or Sepoy that offered himself to his fervice; but with every offcer of any note, he was intimately acquainted. He made a regular distribution of his time: and, although he facrificed to the pleasures of lite, as well as to the pomp of ftate, in bufinefs be was equally decifive and perfevering. With regard to the perfon of HyderAlly, for every circumftance relating to fo diftinguished a character becomes interefting, he was of a middling ftature, inclined to corpulency, his vifage quite black, the traits of his countenance manly, bold, and expressive; and, as he looked himself with a keen and piercing eye into every human face that approached him, fo he judged of men very much from their phyfiognomy, connecting in his imagination a bashful, timid, and wandering eye, with internal confciousness of guilty actions, or pravity of intention; but a bold and undaunted look, on the other hand, with confcious innocence and integrity. With fuch qualities, and by fuch arts as thefe, Hyder-Ally-Cawn raised a small state into a powerful empire; and converted into a race of warriors, an obscure, peaceable, and timid people. By alluring to his standard military adventurers, of all nations and tribes, but chiefly Europeans, whenever it was in his power, and by training through their means his Mysorean fubjects to the use of arms, be extended his dominions, which were bounded on the east and the fouth by the Carnatic, and the plains of Combitore, and on the weft and north by the Malabar regions, and the country of Ghutta and Bednore, across the peninsula to the territories of Pal. naud and Ganjam, on the coast of Coroman. del, and on the Malabar fea as far north as Goa. The population of Hyder's dominions has not been calculated on any principles, by which it could be afcertained with any tolerable precifion. It is computed, that he could raife an army of three hundred thoufand men, and that his annual revenue was not less than five millions of British pounds. Emboldened by internal profperity, as well as continued fucceffes in the field, Hyder ventured to encounter not only the Marrattas, but the English; his wars with whom, though not so productive of advantage and triumph as his contefts with other Indian powers of inferior confequence, yet improved him in the art of war, and nourished in his breast a paffion for conquest. Of the military fpirit and abilities of Tippoo Saib, the reader will be enabled to form fome estimate from the fubfequent quotation. In the year 1780. Hyder, influenced by the reprefentations, and encouraged by the hopes of military fuccours from the French, was not unwilling to avail himself of the fcattered state of the Company's troops, the reduction of the Nabob of Arcot's army, and the impoverished fate of his finances and country, in order to gratify his inveterate refentment against the Nabob, revenge former holti hoftilities and infractions of treaties, and recent injuries as well as acts of contempt on the part of the Prefidency of Madras. But ftill there was room for hesitation. The English government in India, inftead of fhrinking from the dangers of war, had attacked the French among their other enemies in that quarter, even before hoftilities, though announced, had actually commenced in Europe. Chandernagore had yielded to the English arms in Bengal; Mahee on the coast of Malabar; and Pondi cherry, notwithstanding the exertions of Mr. Bellecombe, in the Carnatic. The fhips of the French were feized, and their fleet, under Moní de Tronjolly, put to flight by the British squadron commanded by Sir Edward Vernon. The difgrace at Worgaum had been effaced by fubfequent fucceffes, and the English name was yet an object of dread to moft nations in India. In fuch circumftances as thefe, HyderAlly, whofe characteristical caution, may reasonably be prefumed, was not diminished by his advancement in years, was divided between doubt and inclination. But in this ftate of mind he liftened with fond partiality and pride to the conftant fuggeftions of his eldeft fon Tippoo, into whofe breaft Hyder had infpired an early love of glory, and hatred of the English. The ardour of this youth, who had affumed the title of Warrior, re-acted with energy and with fuccefs on the foil from whence it originally fprung, and restored the vigour of fading nature.— Prudence was quickened by courage, and courage was tempered with prudere.— Whether the quadruple alliance, mentioned above, was firit propofed by Nizam-AllyLawn, Soubah of the Deccan, as has been here stated, on that prince's own authority, or that it originated, as has been affirmed by others, in the court of Hyder-Ally; cerrain it is, that a negociation for that purpose began to be carried on fo early as the fiege of Pondicherry. At this time it was generally believed throughout India, that Hyder meditated an attack on the Carnatic. that political warrior suspended the execution of his defign until a treaty was framed and ratified, by which, at the fame time that he fhould invade the Carnatic, the Nizam should attack the northern Circars; Moodajee Boolah, Bengal; and the Marrattis, commanded by Madajee Scindah and Tuka, jee Holkar, continue the war againit the English. But In the month of May 1779, an invaSon of the Carnatic was determined, and, at Hyder's Durbar, became the fubject of common converfation. An army was affembled in June 1780, lorfe and foot, to the VOL. XIII, number, as has been computed, of an hun. dred thoufand. Hyder now made no fecret of their deftination, but endeavoured to infpire into the breafts of his officers and fol. diers the fame vengeance which fired his own breast: he talked of the pride and the perfidy of the English, expariated on the diffentions by which they were torn, and the dangers with which they were threatened, and vowed that against the next monfoon there should not be a white face in the Carnatic. Breathing fuch fentiments, and ufing fuch expreffions as thefe, he moved onward, with his troops, to the Ghauts, or Paffes, that open a com munication, on either hand, between the high lands that divide the peninfula of Hindoftan and the Low Countries, here and there indenting the hills on the courfes of great rivers, and expanded and united in vaft plains towards the ocean.-The boundary by which nature had marked the land, recalled to the mind of Hyder all the dangers attending an expedition into the country of fuch an enemy as the English. He halted for feveral days, and held frequent councils with his chiefs, or cawns, in which he deliberated whether he fhould enter the Carnatic now, or wait till another feafon, when he should be strengthened by additional forces from France. The chiefs attempted to diffuade him from war at that time, mixing with the conclufions of reafon many fentiments of fuperftition. But Tippoo Saib conftantly urged, in this military fenate, the fpirit of the troops, the courage that animates offenfive operations, the advantages of furprize, the defenceless ftate of the Carnatic, the difficulties which the English would find in affemb'ing their army, the power of the Marrattas and their other allies, and the obligation of a facred treaty. With regard to the fuccours promised and expected from France, that advantage would, in all probability, be balanced by fuccours fent from Great Britain to the Englith. That there was difficulty and danger in the paths they were about to tread, he readily allowed; "But when," he asked, "were they to wage war with their ene"mies if they avoided danger?" At this fentiment, expreffed by Tippoo with a noble and fafcinating air, which touched every heart, and transfufed his ardent zeal into the minds of all who faw and heard him, Hyder embraced his fon with tears of joy, in the prefence of the whole affembly. He now ordered the last letters which he had received from his Vakeel at Madras to be read aloud in the hearing of his chiefs and principal officers, in which he confirmed, with many additional circumstances, what he had before reported: the difcordant fentiments that preyailed among the English, the rapacity of M m their |