liberty to retire. I observed in reply, that as the treaty of peace drew near to a conclusion, and the gentlemen employed in the negociation were hourly expected, he had better wait four or five days, in which time they would certainly arrive. He informed me he had so often heard of their coming, and had so long expected them, that his patience was exhausted; and therefore should he wait any longer he might possibly die in the vain expectation. He was therefore determined not to remain within the walls an hour longer. You will therefore,' says he, please to take the fort, and give me a receipt for it, and all such things in it as were formerly your property.' I complied with this request, and granted him such an acknowledgment. After which he proposed to me some certain articles, in number twelve, soliciting my accession to them as a particular favour. To these I agreed also; in consequence the fort was delivered up, boats were furnished, agreeably to the stipulation, and the garrison went away. When Colonel Campbell embarked, he informed me that if I forwarded a copy of the articles to the killidar of Onore, he would capitulate on similar conditions. You will therefore submit what I now transmit to you, to the killidar's consideration; and if he is desirous to surrender, you will offer him the same terms, and provide for him accordingly. Should he in that case be in want of provisions for his people, you will supply him properly."

Mirza having sent many fruitless requests to surrender the fort, Mr. Cruso went by appointment to his durbar on the 4th of February, when he apologized for the trouble he had given him, assuring him he had been induced to send these messages entirely

from friendship to Captain Torriano, and his good wishes for the garrison in general.

Being unable to procure cattle from the neighbouring country, and no fresh provision being supplied from Mirza, the commanding officer and gentlemen in the garrison caused the few bullocks they had reserved for their own occasions to be killed, and distributed in equal proportions among themselves and the private Europeans. Such of the garrison as ate flesh, had now lived for some time upon salted buffalo and horse flesh, of which there was constantly a dish at the commandant's table. Roasted rats were esteemed a dainty; and, upon the report of a cavalry horse being at the point of death, his throat was cut, and the flesh given to the Mahomedan sepoys and lascars, (native artillerymen) who flocked greedily to receive it. Notwithstanding tobacco had been purchased at an extravagant price by the commanding officer, and occasionally given to the European and native troops, several who had cautiously saved this necessary article, sold it to those who had been less provident for its weight in silver.

About this period the fortress exhibited a dreadful scene; the hospitals overflowed with patients in every stage of the horrid disorder already mentioned; such of the remaining inhabitants ascould possibly be attended, were placed under care of the surgeons in their own hovels; many, from necessity, were left to more casual assistance at the village in the out-works. The bodies of the diseased were for the most part so distended by putrid air, as scarcely to leave a trace of the human frame; and it was with difficulty a feature could be distinguished in the countenance; while their laborious breathing indicated every appearance of

strangulation. The ear could nowhere escape the groans of the dying, nor the eye avoid these shocking spectacles; but why should language attempt to describe distress, which the conduct of the sufferers paints in more vivid colours? These poor wretches, formerly subjects of a sovereign whose soul never knew mercy, nor felt for human woe when the victorious flag of Britain first waved on the ramparts of Onore, fled to it as an asylum from the sultaun's oppressions, and received protection: yet now did these devoted beings, snatching a transient degree of strength from despair, crawl into the public road, and waiting there until the commanding officer went his evening rounds, prostrated themselves at his feet, imploring permission to quit this dreadful scene, and, as a lighter evil, meet the vengeance of an incensed tyrant. Their prayer was granted, and the same principle of national honour, which originally insured them protection, was now extended for their safety. Proper persons were appointed to see them go out in small parties, after it was dark, hoping by this precaution, that such as were not too much exhausted to reach the enemy's lines unperceived, might from their deplorable condition excite the commiseration of the centinels at the out-posts, and ultimately reach the distant villages.

The following morning presented a dreadful spectacle. On the preceding evening eighty-eight of the inhabitants, men, women, and children, had been permitted to leave the fort; but were so entirely exhausted, that their route to the sultaun's trenches was traced by a line of dead bodies, with the more aggravated spectacle of living infants sucking the breasts of their dead mothers. A venerable Portugueze priest, who had for many years been vicar of

the Roman Catholic church at Onore, being dangerously ill of the same distemper, now desired permission to leave the fort. Captain Torriano immediately accommodated him with his palanquin, wrote a suitable letter to Maw Mirza, and sent him properly attended to the saultaun's army; where, to the honour of Mirza, he was kindly received and treated with great humanity, until in a few days death happily released him from his sufferings.

On the 18th of February, the moody, or native commissary, who had been sent into the enemy's camp, returned with a complimentary messsage to the commanding officer from the rajah of Zeremullee mentioning his illness, and requesting Mr. Cruso might visit him in camp. This Hindoo rajah was one of the tributary princes dependent on Tippoo Sultaun; he then commanded a thousand men in that army, and was much in the confidence of Maw Mirza. On Mr. Cruso's arrival he found the rajah's indisposition very slight, and more a pretence to procure an interview, than any real disorder. He accordingly desired him to remonstrate in his name with captain Torriano, on the folly of not accepting the terms of capitulation now offered, as the garrison must from necessity fall in a very short time; and the sultaun, being minutely informed of their wretched situation, had directed Mirza no more to summon the fort to surrender, nor to recommence hostilities; but when the English chose to evacuate it, to suffer them to do so unmolested. The rajah further added, that the commissioners expected from Madras to settle the terms of peace had not yet descended the ghauts; and the hostages, wearied by their irksome delay, had requested the sultaun's leave to proceed to Tellicherry, which would be granted in a few days. Mr. Cruso

thanked the rajah for his friendly communication; assuring him that he had been authorised by captain Torriano, should such a conversation take place, to inform him his sentiments on that subject remained the same as expressed in his answer to the sultaun's first summons; nor would he surrender the fort while a man adhered to his colours, unless by command of his superiors.

A few days afterwards a havaldar from the sepoy guard posted in the enemy's trenches reported to captain Torriano a rumour that the fort was to be stormed on the 22d, about four o'clock in the morning. This information was not to be entirely slighted, especially as it was soon after confirmed by Jehan Caun's halcarra, who came with a similar message to that sent by the rajah of Zeremullee, and received the same answer. The breach in the fort, being cleared and scarped, with a thick and formidable abbatis in its front, it was not supposed they would have the temerity to attack it; especially as the native troops are not expert at general assaults; but in the reduced state of the garrison every prudent measure was to be adopted, and the commissary's men, with their stores, were all ordered within the walls.

By the fort adjutant's report, the whole number of Europeans, sepoys, and recruits at this time in the garrison, including black officers, and the sick and wounded in the hospital, amounted only to two hundred and fifteen. Many desertions had lately taken place among the native troops of every description; during the preceding night, although a sepoy was shot in the attempt, five others deserted before morning; one of them, a havaldar and orderly to an English officer, carried off with him the gentleman's sword, silver plates, and other articles. Every hour's experience