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fered a discharge to any native soldier, who, from mistaken ideas of the enemy's prowess, should be so base as to request it; promising

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at the same time to any non-commissioned officer or private a handsome reward who detected a coward deserting his colours ; the commandant being determined to punish such an act by every degree of severity, and in the most ignominious manner. It being suspected the sultaun's people were employed in seducing the sepoys from their allegiance, and encouraging them to enter into the enemy's service, Mr. Cruso represented these suspicions to Mirza, adding, that even if they were unjust, the deserters must either be entertained by him, or suffered to pass through his therefore if he did not in future return them, the comcamp: manding officer, for his own preservation, must put a stop to all communication between the fort and the sultaun's trenches. this Mirza solemnly declared he had himself taken no measures to induce the British troops to desert, nor did he know of such practice in others. He confessed that a few deserters had been brought before him, who so far from being fit persons to entertain as soldiers, were miserable spectacles, famished with hunger, and sinking under disease. They laid their little all at his feet, and declared they only fled for the preservation of life, which they implored his leave to seek in a more healthy atmosphere. To these wretched beings he had granted a passage through his camp; but that in future these, and deserters of every description, should be restored; and his officers prohibited, by the strictest orders, from suffering the smallest intercourse between the sultaun's troops and the garrison of Onore.

Desertions and death at length became so frequent, that it ap

pears necessary to relate them a little more particularly, to form a judgment of the state of the garrison, and the anxiety of the commanding officer. On the 11th of January three veteran sepoys, two recruits, six artificers, with many inhabitants deserted, and six sepoys died. On the following day nearly as many more followed their example. A Malawar recruit being taken in the act, was condemned to death, and a proclamation issued through the corps, that if no more deserted their comrade should be pardoned; but the sentence would most certainly be executed on the first desertion. This compassionate intention was frustrated the very night the gibbet was erected, by the escape of two regulars, three of the Onore corps, and another Malwar, who carried off the sentry with them. The strong ties of caste and consanguinity were thus dissolved by general misery, and all social considerations gave way to self-preservation. Discase was now so prevalent, that hardly one man in the fort remained untainted; eight or ten died daily, and so soon became offensive, that a number of graves were constantly kept in readiness; but the dogs, savage with hunger, generally tore up the dead bodies at night, and strewed the outworks with their mangled remains.

Two days afterwards a jemautdar deserted with two regulars from the sepoy corps, followed by four officers and three privates of the Malwars. The fate of their comrade, confined under sentence of execution, had been hitherto suspended from motives of clemency. Stern necessity now dictated the severe example. In such a trying situation, that discipline, whose perfection lies equally distant from wanton cruelty, and more destructive compassion, compelled the unfortunate wretch to be hanged in front of the Malwar bat

tery, attended by a jemautdar's party from each sepoy corps. Notwithstanding his ignominious exit, another desertion followed the same evening.

One of Tippoo Sultaun's battalions employed against Onore was commanded by Ramchunder, who had formerly been an officer in the Company's service. Captain Torriano had frequently received presents of fruit and vegetables, with other kind attentions, from this subahdar, and an officer named Jehan Caun; which, although trifling in themselves, were very refreshing, and doubly acceptable from being the result of gratitude. They prove that benevolent actions even to an enemy seldom go unrewarded; for Jehan Caun and Ramchunder both acknowledged their friendship arose from a just sense of the tender treatment shewn the sultaun's subjects on the defeat of Saduk Caun at Tellicherry, and at the capture of Onore. The commandant receiving intelligence that Ramchunder would that night pass Onore in his way to Ancola, sent a trusty messenger to request a conference: this was not deemed prudent by Ramchunder; but by the same messenger he returned a friendly farewell, with much cautionary advice; intimating that the native officers who had deserted the British colours, had given Mirza full information of the distressed and reduced state of the garrison, and especially of those hours when the works were most practicable. Although Ramchunder did not absolutely say treachery was intended, he proceeded so far as to advise the strictest vigilance, particularly at the hours of three and six in the morning.

At day-break some ships appearing in the offing, application was made to Mirza for permission to send off a person, should they

lay to this he peremptorily refused; alleging it was positively prohibited by the sultaun; but he promised to send one of his own people on board, with an open letter from Captain Torriano, if he thought proper. He accordingly prepared two letters, interlined with lime juice, and sent them to Mirza. The contents written with ink were calculated by their ambiguity to perplex Mirza's European interpreters, and by exciting curiosity for the answer, might impel them to be sent off in hopes of obtaining further intelligence. The part written with lime-juice pointed out the distresses of the garrison, and the urgent necessity of relief. One letter was from Captain Torriano to the commander in chief, the other from Mr. Cruso to the ship's surgeon. While anxiously waiting the success of these epistles, the garrison ramparts had the mortification to see the ships bear away and steer to the southward. The letters, after being first copied, and sent by an express to the sultaun, were returned to the fort.

On the 21st a Naique and nine sepoys deserted, followed by several more within a few days. One night five regular sepoys, six of the Onore corps, and six volunteers, went off with their family connexions, amounting to thirty persons. Their example was soon followed by a Havaldar, with some other officers and privates, one of whom was shot in the attempt. So great was the distress of the garrison, that the commandant resolved once more to adopt the plan of sending private intelligence through an open intercourse with Mangulore, by the sultaun's halcarrahs; the secret information being interlined with lime-juice. But all these schemes were frustrated by the infamous conduct of a British ensign, who on the 24th of January deserted his colours, went over to the ene

my, and communicated to Mirza every intelligence he could desire. This was the severest blow yet sustained!

It being reported to the commanding officer, that a sepoy on the preceding day had been guilty of some mutinous expressions, he immediately rode to the parade with pistols, and assuring the whole corps he would no more appear without them, threatened with instant death the very next man who should utter one word of a similar tendency.

On the second of February 1784, a confidential messenger from Mirza, brought Captain Torriano the intelligence that Mangulore had capitulated to Tippoo Sultaun; at the same time informing him he had received an order from his master to summon the fort of Onore to surrender, accompanied by some other papers from his highness, which Mirza wishing the commandant to be acquainted with, desired Mr. Cruso might immediately be sent to head-quarters for that purpose. On his arrival he found one of the papers really contained the articles of capitulation at Mangulore, and was shewn another, written in the Mahratta language, said to be the sultaun's purwannah; which, at Mirza's desire, Mr. Cruso carried to the fort. The purwannah contained the following particulars :

Translation of the Purwannah from Tippoo Sultaun, accompanying the Articles of Capitulation at Mangulore, enclosed to his Officer Mirza, in command of the forces before Onore.

"MANGULORE is surrendered; the killidar applied to me, acquainting me he was desirous to give up the fort, with

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