as most of those who were acquainted with the Sultaun's disposition accommo dated their disposition to his wishes. Some, who had his welfare at heart, liated freely what they thought most beneficial, without paying any regard to his prejudices; but on those occafions the Sultaun never failed to manifeft great reSentment, which he expreffed to others, whose sentiments were fimilar to his own, by saying contemptuously, "What are thefe fellows about? Are they in their senses? Do give them a little common understanding?" In confequence of this, his real friends, finding their advice had

no other effect but to be injurious to themselves or families, were compelled at length to regulate their opinions by his whims and prejudices.

The Sultaun was extremely averse to spirituous liquors, and to all kinds of exhilirating drugs, the sale of which he prohibited throughout his dominions. When Meer Sadduc, his Minifter, represented to him the extent of the lofs which he had fustained in the course of a few years, by his edicts against the fale of these articles, the Sultaun replied, "That Kings should be inflexible in their orders -that God had forbidden the use of wines and that he should perfift in exacting a strict obedience to his edicts on that fubject.”

Though careful of the morals of his people in this and some other particulars, his general nature was decisive and fanguinary, and particularly to his prisoners. Beside the cruelty which he committed during the fiege, of putting to death, in cold, blood, leveral European foldiers, who were his prifoners, there was the following paper found in the Sultaun's own hand-writing, and faithfully trant lated from the original by Colonel Kirkpatrick; where amongst other things he Jays, "There ar 500 Coorg prifoners, who must be thrown, in parties of fifty, into ten forts, where they must be dealt with in fuch a manner, as thall inture their death in the course of a month or twenty days-such of the women as are young must be given to Muffelmauns; and the reft, together with their children, must be removed to, and kept in confinement at Seringapatam on a small allow

ance.

He was passionately fond of new inven. tions, on which he lavished immense sums, without reaping any adequate advantage. In his palacewas found a great variety of curious swords, daggers, tufils, piftols, and blunderbuffes; fome were of exqui

fite workmanship, mounted with gold or filver, and beautifully inlaid, and ornamented with tigers heads and stripes, or with Perfian and Arabic verses.>

After the peace of 1792, fome of his Counsellors strongly, urged him to dif charge the fuperfluous perfons attached to the different departments of his go verr.ment. To which he replied, "Thefe people are fed by God, not me; therefore I must not difcharge them."

He was fond of riding, and particularly excelled in horsemanship. He ditapproved of palanquins, hackeries, and all tuch conveyances, as proper only for women. In his ordinary dress he was very plain, wearing ufually a fword flung across his body, with a dagger in his girdle. Whenever he went abroad, either on horfeback or otherwife, he was accompanied by a numerous body of attendants, carrying muiquets and fowling pieces; and with this retinue he appeared fometimes on the ramparts during the fiege.

During the last fourteen days of the siege, the Sultaun took up his refidence in the Culally Dudy, which was formerly a water-gate, through the outer rampart of the north face of the fort, which he closed up about the year 1793. Here he occupied a finall stone choultry within. the gate, inclosed by curtains, forming an apartment, wherein he eat and flept. He had now less the appearance of ftate than ever; his time was taken up in ordering the detail and distribution of his troops, or in giving directions for the defence of the fort.

He appeared from some of his expref. fions, as well as the whole of his conduct, to be refolved on defending the fort to the last extremity. He had been often heard to fay," As a man could only die once, it was of little confequence when the period of his existence might terminate :" and whilft buckling on his fword (on the morning of the very day in which he himfelf tell), a meffenger having announced to him that his friend and Counsellor Syed Goffar was killed, he replied, with great compofure, " Syed Goffar was never afraid of death; let Mahommed Caffim take charge of Syed Goffar's divilion.".

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1

Such was the character of Tippog Sultaun, a Prince of magnanimity in the field, fome regularity in the arrangement of his affairs, and abstemiousness in refpect to his mode of living; bat these qualities were more than balanced by an overbearing ambition, dictated by reverge, which could not accommodate itself to the unavoidable events of life. Owing to this (ever fince his treaty with Lord Corn wallis in the year 1792), his whole con duct has been a continued scene of rachness, caprice, and weakness. The exter mination of the English from India was - the continual object of his meditations and actions: and in the folly of undertaking this, and the rasiness of conduct-. ing it, he loft his own life and dominions. May this terrible example (though its effects upon an unoffending family cannot be contemplated without strong emotions

of compaffion) prove the more falutary to the Princes of India, by impreffing on their minds a deeper sense of the danger of violating public engagements, and of inviting foreign eign invaders to affitt them in schemes for the destruction of British power in that quarter!

[The translation of fix of the dreams of Tippoo Sultaun (alluded to in these Memoirs) with memoranda found in his pocket book after his death, in our next.]

THIS important place, which connects two quarters of the Globe, is situated on the extremity of Africa, in 81.23. East long. and 34. 29. South lat. and was discovered by the Portuguese in 1493. It is a neat well-built town, which has all the regularity and neatness usual amongst the Dutch, to whom it formerly belonged. The ftreets are all parallel to each other; and there is one large fquare with trees planted round, and a canal of water from fprings running down: the houses are very good, and have a neat appearance on the outfide, which altoge. ther make it a very pretty town, and, some few circumstances excepted, equal in neatness and convenience to any of our fea ports in England. The town stands under the shelter of three steep lofty hills, which extend a confiderable way into the country: these hills, from their shape, are called the Table Land, the Sugar Loaf, and the Lion's Rump; the firit of which, before a gale of wind, is always covered with a thick cloud, which the people call the Devil's Table Cloth; it is an intallible sign that within twelve hours, at most, the wind will blow strong off the land; the wind lasts perhaps for two or three days, when it ceases for a day or two, and then after the same sign begins to blow again: it is almost a continual high wind; not however so turbulent but that ships ride very fafe at anchor nine months in the year in the bay; which is formed by a little itland opposite, called Penguin Island.

In the winter months, which are June, July, and August, any ship which arrives is obliged to put into another bay about eight miles to the eastward of the Cape, called Cape Falfo, or False Bay.

The inhabitants are of opinion, that the high winds are a great blessing; for say they, the climate is hot, and we stand so very low, that a common breeze could not reach us, and the place would be very unhealthy. As it is they enjoy a competent share of health, having but few fickly people amongst them; and yet, as a voyager asserts, what is very extraordinary, their lives in general do not exceed fifty years, and vast numbers die between forty and fifty; fo that a very old man or woman is really a wonder.

Conftantia, a place visited by all strangers, is a neat farm about eight miles from the Cape, remarkable for making very rich wines, both red and white, which are much efteemed every where, both on account of their richness and scarcity. The grapes, it seems, of this vineyard, owing to fome particular in the foil, are fuperior to any other in the country.

On the breaking out of the war with the Dutch, Admiral Sir G. K. Elphinstone, with Generals Clarke and Craig, attacked the Cape; and on the 16th of September 1795, the colony and caftle furrendered to the British troops: a full account of which may be seen in our Magazine for December 1795, р. 418.

WILLIAM

Littus Saxonicum per Britanniam.

By this, Mr. Selden (Mare claufum, li.2. c. 7.) vnderitands the oppofite tranf marine thore or coaft to that of the South and East parts of Britaine: and writes that whole chapter in confutation of the contrary opinion, delivered by Ortelius, Camden, Merula, Cluverius, and the whole Colledge of learned Geographers. Manifestius nihil eft (faith he there) quam tranfmarinum Britannice Australis Orientali adverfum litus, at fuperius defignatum eft, Saxonicum in ea dignitate dictum.

If we may examine his reasons, (from which the renowned gentleman's great parts of learning and judgment, hereby fomewhat called in question, much diffwade me, whileft my love to truth feeming to me to fuffer by my filence more prevailes with me:) we shall find his assertion and opinion chiefly supported by these 2 arguments: the former drawne from the dominion and charge of the wardens or keepers of the adverse Saxon shore, as not extended nor exercised so much on the fea, or shore, as on the continent and inland parts. Ceterum il maximè beic obfervandum est, Duces bofce transmarinos non tàm litus aut mare, quàm continentem ex ipfa dignitatis natura curaffe; atque inde tantum nomina, ut vides, fortivos. So he, adding by and by, that there was not in those parts (as in Britaine) one diftinct Count or Duke set over the mid. land or inland parts, and another over the shore or fea coast. Neque alium fuisse Mediterraneorum, alium litoris aut mari. timi tractus in Galliüs five Comitem five Ducem. Thus he, and to have we his former argument.

His ad or latter refults and may be drawne from the confounding of Litus and Limes; he being willing, and indeed endeavouring to make them here, or in this cafe, fynonyma: Non alio certè modo (faith he) Comes litoris Saxonici per Brisanniam, litoris feu limitis transmarini adeoque totius interfluentis maris, ut Magiftratus in Britanniarum adminiftratione conftitutus, Comes babendus eft. On these two pillars stands his argument, which VOL. XXXVII. JUNE 1800.

:

(being as the premisses), if taken away, his conclusion must neceffarily fall and vanish.

Now as to the former, what is or can be more notorious, than that (fift) there was on the opposite or tranfmarine fide, coaft, or tract, a Litus Saxonicum, extending and stretching out (by his owne confeffion) from the Cimbrick Cherfonefus as farre as the Wetterne Gaul? a Cim

trica Chersoneso (faith he) in Galliam Occidentalem. Secondly, nor is it lesse certaine and notorious, that there were Præfidia, Forts, or Garrisons, to the number of 13, fill'd and mann'd with foldiers, on purpose to fecure and guard that coast against the inroads, incurfions, and depredations of the Saxons, as on the cismarine adverse coast, 9. For which fee the Notitia, fol. 174. a. 175. b. and 184.2. Thirdly, it is as cleare and evident, that as on the British side there was a Gount; fo on the opposite there was a double Duke, set over those 13 Præfidia: the one intitled Dux tractus Armoricani, having under him ten Præfidia; the other, Dux Belgicæ fecundæ, having 3. (whereof in the Notitia, fol. 174, 175.) whose severall charges respected onely those Præfidia, (saving that the latter had to do at sea also, having the charge of a Classis, or Navy :) not extending to the Mediterranea, the midland or inland parts, which the whilest were under the Vicarius Galliarum, or 17 Provinciarum, (as he, with the Vicarius Britanniarum, under the Præfellus Prætorio Galliarum:) who had the very fame offices (both for number and quality) vnder him, as the Vicarius Britanniarum. See for this the Notitia, fol. 156. b. and 158. b. So much for the first argument.

Now as to the ad or latter, nothing can with more warrantable confidence be denied, than that there ever was any Limes Saxonicus, especially in the Romans time, during whose empire here the Saxons had no footing at all as inhabitants in Britaine, nor occupied any part of it, as Mr. Selden himfelte, in confutation of Pancirollus, otherwise it feems perswaded, rightly observes.