tonments on the coast of Malabar, during the rains, and until the proper feafon should return for re-commencing our ope

rations.

The effects of feveral circumftances, from which we had already fuffered many inconveniencies, preffed upon us particularly hard at this juncture; and none more than the conduct of the Nizam's cavalry, who were now, if poffible, more inactive and more inattentive to my requisitions than ever.

Far from rendering the fervices that I had expected from fo numerous and powerful a body of horse, in facilitating our foraging, and in covering extenfive tracts of country, from which our followers, as well as themselves, might have obtained confiderable fupplies of provifions, they had, regardless of my remonftrances, fince the commencement of our march from Bangalore, hardly ever fent a detachment beyond the picquets of our infantry, and had perfevered in exhaufting the small stock of forage and provifions, which, in fpite of the devaftation made by the enemy, was generally found within the bounds of the encampment, and which, if we had not been encumbered with them, we could have commanded for the use of our own army.

By this extraordinary degree of obftinate fupineness, that large body of men, with their horses and numerous followers, about this time, experienced the severest diftreffes from scarcity; and the vaft multitude of people belonging to our army, for whom it is impoffible for the public to carry a flock of provifions, were reduced to nearly the fame fituation. Rice became fo dear in the buzars, that either the preffure of hunger, or the temptation of the extravagant prices, proved too powerful against all precautions that could be taken, and occafioned depredations of the grain that had been provided and brought with us, to fupply the fighting men of the army, to fo alarming an extent, that the apprehenfion that there would be a want of grain for the foldiers, long before the ftores that had been provided for them ought to have been expended, operated powerfully, with other reafons, to force me to fall back to Bangalore.

Urgent, however, as our own neceffities were to move nearer to our fupplies, I could not leave Tippoo at liberty to employ his whole force against general Abercromby; and, therefore, refolved to remain in my position near the Ford, which heid the main body of the enemy's army

in check at Seringapatam, until I should have reafon to believe that general Abercromby was out of all danger of being interrupted in his retreat by Tippoo's either marching in perfon, or confiderably reinforcing the corps which I knew he had detached against him, but which alone was not of fufficient ftrength to make me apprehend that it could give general Abercromby any material moleftation.

In the mean time I gave directions to burst eleven heavy guns, eight eighteen and three twenty-four pounders, to bury or destroy the military ftores that could not be carried with us, and to deliver nearly the whole of the rice in our poffeffion to the troops, which, on a calculation of eafy marches, would have been fufficient to fubfift them until they should arrive at Bangalore; meafures which had now become the more indifpenfably neceffary, as, in addition to the loffes of public cattle that we had suffered from the causes that I have mentioned, an epidemical diforder, not uncommon in this country, had broke out among them, and had carried off feveral thousands in a few days.

Having remained long enough to give ample time to general Abercromby to fall back from Periapatam, I moved from my encampment near the Ford on the morning of the 26th, with the intention to proceed to Bangalore, and to employ a few months in refreshing and refitting the army, and to make every other neceffary preparation for refuming our operations against the enemy's capital, as foon as the rivers fhould fubfide, unlefs Tippoo, in the mean time, fhould agree to make fuch conceffions as the confederates might reafonably think they had a right to exact from him.

Upon reaching the ground that had been fixed upon for the first day's encampment, I was told, to my great furprife, that fome Mahratta meffengers had arrived to inform me that the two Mahratta armies, under the command of Hurry Punt and Perieram Bhow, were at no great distance from us, and that their advanced corps under Appa Saheb, Perferam Bhow's fon, was almoft in fight.

I had for fome weeks before given up all hopes of being joined by the Mahrattas, with whofe dilatory condut I was much diffatis fied; and although I faw that their junction at this critical time would be attended with many advantages to the common caufe, I could not help lamenting, as not only our heavy guns were now deftroyed, but general Abercrombie's corps

had

had actually defcended the Ghauts, that, by their tardinets in commencing their march, and from my having even been deprived of all knowledge of their approach by the vigilance of the enemy's light troops, and the inactivity of the Nizam's cavalry, an opportunity was loft which could not now be recalled, to drive the enemy's whole army, that had fo recently been humbled by a defeat, and would not have dared to keep the field, into the island of Seringapatam; where its diftresses must foon have reduced Tippoo to the neceflity of fubmitting to the terms of peace that we might have prefcribed to him.

I took meafures, however, immediately for fixing as early a day as poffible for an interview with the chiefs, which, by a movement of both armies, took place three days after; and as it was of great confequence to cultivate a good underftanding with them, I faid very little on the juft grounds which I had to complain of the latenefs of their arrival, and contented myfelf, at the firft meeting, with btaining a knowledge of the nature of their instructions, and of their future intentions.

They made me the most explicit declarations, that they were ordered by the Peshwa, and that it was equally their own inclination, to act entirely in concert with me; and in the courfe of two or three conferences, it was not only fettled that all the confederate forces fhould keep the field in the Myfore country during the rains, but they also acquiefced in a general arrangement that I propofed for the difpofition of the armies, the principal objects of which were, to give me an ealy and fafe communication with the Carnatic; to enable me to draw from thence the fupplies of artillery and ftores that would be neceffary for profecuting the operations of the enfuing campaign; to fubfift the allied armies, as much as might be poffible, at the expence of the enemy; and to endeavour to deprive him of the revenues and refources of all the northern parts of his dominions.

Having frated to the Mahratta chiefs the danger of attempting to maintain the communication with their own country by the route to the weftward of Chittledroog, by which Perferam Bhow had marched from Durwar, they agreed to relinquith it, and to be fatisfied with that by Sera and Roydroog, which I recommend as preferable, on condition that I would delay my march to the eastward until all

the detachments, which Perferam Bhow had left upon his route, could join the army, or be sent back across the Zumbuddra; to which, upon their affurances that we should be able to purchase from the grain dealers attached to them a fufficient quantity of grain to fubfift our troops and followers for fome time to come, I confented.

In order, therefore, to affect thefe purpofes, we halted frequently; and having, foon after the junction of the Mahrattas, fent back to the Nizam all those of his troops that had, either from the loff or the weakness of their horfes, become unfit for fervice, the confederate force moved together gradually, though flowly, toward Bangalore; and upon our arrival within about 20 miles of that place, it was thought advifeable to acquiefce in Perferam Bhow's wishes to move with the army under his own immediate command toward Sera, to fecure that communication, and to poffefs himself of the adjoining country, according to the plan that had been arranged, Hurry Punt, with his divifion and the Nizam's cavalry, remaining with our army.

After drawing from Bangalore four heavy guns and a fupply of provifions, I marched from the neighbourhood of that place, on the 15th of July toward Ouffore, a

fortrefs upon which Tippoo has bestowed much labour and expence, but which, though in a very defenfible state, was not completely finished. The garrison abandoned the place on the approach of a detachment that I had fent forward to invest and fummon it; but they at the fame tiure fprung a mine under one of the bastions that did confiderable damage, and attempted, though unfuccefsfully, by a train, to blow up the powder magazine.

Conformable to my plan, I placed the heavy guns and the ipare ftores and proviions in the fort of Ouffore, with a good garrifon, and the damage occafioned by the explosion was ordered to be repaired with all poffible expedition; a strong escort was at the fame time fent to bring a large convoy of various kinds of supplies from Amboor.

On the 18th of July, the army marched to fupport a brigade that I had detached to endeavour to reduce the hill forts adjoining to the Polycode pafs (by far the easiest and beft in the whole range of mountains that divide the Myfore country from the Carnatic); and in a few days we were fortunate enough, by the fpirited be haviour of our troops, and the pufillanimity of the garrifons, to obtain poffethion

tributed to awe the enemy, and was otherwife of value, as being a proof of the ftrong connection of the confederacy; and I faw no ground to impute blame to his highness on their account, in any other hape than that of want of judgment in placing at the head of fo large a portion of his forces, fuch a man as Rajah Teigewunt, who is deftitute, to an uncommon degree, of almoft every quality which a military commander ought to poffefs; and in employing feveral chiefs under him, who, from their rank and fuperior military experience, muft naturally become his advifers, or have great influence with him, but on whofe honour and fidelity his highnefs fhould not have placed a dependence.

I have, from time to time, conveyed thefe fentiments to the Nizam and his minifter, in the most explicit terms, and I have every reafon to be fatisfied with the impreffion that my reprefentations have made upon them; for, in order to remedy the defects of which I have complained, and render the fervices of his troops more efficacious in future, he has promifed to fend his fecond fon, Secunder Jah, with the minifter, Azeem ul Omrah, to command them; and he has given me the frongeft affurances, through Meer Allum, who lately arrived in camp, that the prince and the minifter, with all the intended reinforcements, in which the two company's battalions in his pay will be included, fhall, conformable to my defire, join me before the end of the month of October.

Reduced as Tippoo's forces now are, and diminished and difpirited as his army must be by our repeated fucceffes, there can be little doubt of his being defirous of peace; but I have not yet difcovered any clear fymptoms of his haughty mind being prepared to fubmit to the terms which the allies, from a confideration of their future fafety, and of their right to expect some compenfation for their icles and expences, will think it neceffary to impofe upon him. After having been equally unfuccefsful with the Pefhwa and the Nizam, as with nyfelf, in frequent attempts, during the last three or four months, to create jealoufes among the confederates, by propofing to open feparate negociations with them, without admitting his knowledge of the nature of the confederacy, he at Taft thought proper to comply with my recommendation to addrefs himfelf, at the fame time, to the three powers, and to requeft permiflion to fend a vackeel to treat with them collectively.

Permiffion was accordingly granted; but as the vackeel preferred claims refpecting the forms of his public reception, and the mode of opening the negociation, which could not, without the greatest impropriety, be complied with, and from which he declared his inftructions did not authorize him to recede, it was thought moft advifable by Hurry Punt and Meer Allum (who are invested with full powers from their refpective governments) as well as myfelf, that he fhould be requested, after having given him a few days for confideration, to return to his mafter; and he accordingly proceeded to him, from Bangalore, on the 24th of last month.

We have not yet received any further meflage from Tippoo; but think it highly probable that he will foon renew his propofitions for opening a negociation; and thould he at any time appear to be seriously difpofed to acquiefce in terms of accommodation, with a regard for your honour and interefts, as well as those of the allies, will render it incumbent upon us to demand the strongest confiderations, botk public and private, will infure my moft cordial exertions to bring this contest to a fpeedy conclufion.

I must however confefs, that although it may be poffible that, in cafe of his other fcheines being unsuccessful, he may fee the neceffity of fubmitting to our demands, before the confederate forces fhall be completely ready to move again toward his capital, yet I fee no good reason to believe that he has any other defign, at prefent, than that of endeavouring to dif unite the confederates by underhand intrigues among them; and I fhall certainly, therefore, not relax, in the finallest degree, in forwarding the neceffary preparations, to enable me, as foon as the feafon will permit, to refume the most vigorous profecution of offenfive operations.

You are fo well informed, by our own records, cf the characters and difpofitions of our allies, that I need hardly ftate to you, that in tranfacting business with people differing fo much from ourselves in language, manners, and cuftoms, many difficulties are unavoidably experienced; and I fall only affure you, that neither temper nor perfeverance fhall be wanting, on my part, to preferve union among the different members of the confederacy, and to draw the utmolt exertion that may be pra&icable from them, for promoting the general profperity.

I have thought it my duty to give you the above general statement of the occur

rences