receive a relation of his fuccefs from the general himself, as we foon understood that a treaty of a particular nature had been concluded with Hyat Saib, the governor of Bednure under Hyder Ally, and that he was continued in the government of that city with an authority, little inferior to what he held before we had become mafters of the place.

On February 26th, Colonels Macleod and Humberton, and Major Shaw, the principal officers of his majefty's troops, arrived here from the army, which they left fome days after the furrender of Bednure, but we had ftill no letters from Brigadier General Matthews. Thefe gentlemen on their arrival each gave in memorials, ftating their reafons for quitting the army.

Mangalore furrendered by capitulation the 9th of March, after a practicable breach had been nearly effected. Carwar and other forts in the Soundah country, had been likewife reduced by a feparate detachment under Captain Carpenter; and fome forts inland, a confiderable distance to the eastward of Bednure, by other detachments.

In a letter from the general, dated the 4th of March, he taxes the whole army in terms the most severe and unqualified, but altogether general and indifcriminate, with offences of the highest criminality. He fays,

that after the furrender of Bed

nure, the flame of difcontent broke out amongst the officers, which rapidly fpread from thofe in the immediate fervice of his majefty to the honourable company's fervants, and that this

flame being blown by a few zealots for plunder and booty, he was apt to think was one caufe of depriving him at that critical time of the fervice of Lieutenant Colonels Macleod and Humberston.. He mentioned in very concife terms, fome points of difference between himself and Colonel Macleod, refpecting a claim of rank, and the mode of fupplying his majefty's troops. That the agents for the captors had been loud in their reprefentations of the fuppofed right of the army, and they and the officers had done every thing that was difrefpectful and injurious to him; which circumftances, fo contrary to good order and difcipline, could not fail to increase the spirit for plunder in the foldiery, who, encouraged by the practice of the officers, were become loofe and unfeeling as the moft licentious freebooters.

The general further faid, he fappofed Colonel Macleod would deliver the papers on the fubje& of thefe difputes, and called upon us to take measures to prevent fuch dangerous proceedings; that the troops in Bednure were almost in a ftate of mutiny; the enemy collecting a force within thirty miles; the profpect of refettling the city every moment more diftant, owing to the dejection of the Jemautdar Hyat Saib, who, from the illiberal and indecent expreffions of officers, was filled with apprehenfions that made him utterly defpond, and rendered him incapable of any exertion.

Such was the accufation against the army; and fuch the materials afforded by the general as grounds upon which government were to take their measures in fo delicate ·

and

Co

and critical an emergency. lonel Macleod had not delivered the papers, as fuppofed by the general; he had only on his arrival, as mentioned in a former paragraph, given in a memorial, afligning his reafons for quitting the army, and ftating, with candour and moderation, the circumftances of his own rank and services, and the complaints of his majefty's troops, which had rendered it impoffible for him to continue to ferve under the command of Brigadier General Matthews. Thefe circumstances, as well as our refolutions in confequence, will be communicated by a future conveyance, only deeming it material to mention at prefent, that being of opinion the fervices of an officer of the colonel's ability and experience were abfolutely requifite at fo critical a period, we had made a requeft to him on the 7th of March, to continue to ferve on this coaft till we could receive the determination of the governor general and council, or General Coote, regarding his cafe; giving him affurances that we would endeavour in the mean time to place him on a footing that might be fatisfactory, in any practicable manner he could point

out.

Colonel Macleod fhewed a readinefs in complying with our fequeft that entitled him to every mark of attention from the company. He recalled to our attention his difficulties in ferving with General Matthews; ftill, however, offering to ferve wherever and in whatever fhape we might command; but in order to avoid all difputes relating to the king's and company's troops, and to

enable him to ferve with more ef ficacy, he fuggefted the neceffity of beftowing company's rank upon him.

In confequence of the general's reference, we called upon Colonel Macleod the 18th of March, for the papers alluded to, who in return demanded from our justice an extract of the general's letter, in which thofe difputes on his conduct were mentioned.

Colonel Macleod being furnished with the defired extract, delivered the papers required, accompanied with a letter from himself in vindication of his own charafter, and of the other officers involved in one general accufation. Thefe papers are of too great, a length to be fent by an overland difpatch; but they contain imputations against the general of a very ferious nature, and fupported by strong teftimony.

Our want of information from General Matthews laid us under the neceffity of applying to Colonel Macleod to furnifh us with a detail of the operations of the army from their leaving Cundapore to the furrender of Bednure, and any information he could afford refpecting the nature of the treaty with Hyat Saib, and the proceedings in confequence.

Colonel Macleod in confequence fent in the journals kept by himfelf and Colonel Humberstone, and gave us all the information in his power relative to the furrender of Bednure and the treaty with Hyat Saib. When the refpective details of thefe gentlemen and General Matthews of the same event fhall come before you, you will doubtlefs make due comparifon.

We

We are informed the general, notwithstanding the capitulation, immediately on getting poffeffion of Bednure, confined Hyat Saib a close prifoner, and that many bad confequences refulted, from the alarm and impreffion given by this proceeding. That very great treasures were found in the Durbar, amounting to fourteen lacks and upwards, befides much other treafure and jewels not expofed, which were at firft publicly fhewn to the officers by the general, and declared to be the property of the army. That the breach between the general and Hyat Saib was foon after made up; and in a few days the army were aftonished to hear that Hyat Saib had claimed all this money, which evidently belonged to the government of the country, as his private property, and that the ge. neral had reftored it to him on that plea. Colonel Macleod had been detached at this time; but this tranfaction reviving a difcontent and fufpicion occafioned by a former affair at Onore, fome of the other principal officers were carried to Hyat Saib by the general, who prevailed upon him to make a donation to the army of half a lack of pagodas.

We took the general's condu&t and the ftate of the army under confideration, on the 27th of March, and now tranfmit a copy of our proceedings on this very difficult and difagreeable occafion. Feeling the ftrongeft conviction that the fervice could not profper in his hands, we thought it our indifpenfible duty not to continue him any longer in command of the army in the Bednure counVOL. XXVI.

try; and we accordingly came to a refolution to remove him therefrom, and to fufpend him from the honourable company's fervice until he can clear up the feveral charges against him.

We appointed Lieutenant Colonel Macleod, of his majesty's forces, the officer firft in rank upon this coaft, and who had diftinguished himself by the defeat of Tippo Saib at Panany, to fucceed General Matthews in the command of the army in the Bednure country; and we alfo defired Lieutenant Colonel Humberftone and Major Shaw to rejoin the army.

We had fome days before, on the 17th of March, received advice from Mr. Anderfon, in a letter dated the 20th of February, of the Mahratta treaty having arrived at Pocnah.

The peace had been duly proclaimed at Bombay, and every neceffary ftep taken on our part for the performance of the treaty. The Ranger had failed the 5th of April with Colonels Macleod and Humberstone, Major Shaw, and other officers, to join the army. Lieutenant Pruen, the commander of the veffel, having been previously apprized of the peace, and furnished with the fame orders as had been circulated to all the marine, not to commit hoftilities against the Mahrattas; when on the 18th of April we were alarmed by an account given by a Lafcar, who had efcaped, that the Ranger had been attacked on the 8th, three days after leaving Bombay, by the Mahratta fleet, and after a moft defperate refiftance of near five hours, was obliged to [7]

fubmit

fubmit to fuperior force, and, with the whole convoy of boats, had been carried in to Gheriah. We were under great anxiety and uncertainty for a confiderable time regarding the fate of Colonel Macleod and the other officers, which was not entirely removed till the 23d of May, when the prefident received a letter from him, dated at Gheriah the 5th of that month. In this letter the colonel mentions he had made feveral un fuccefsful attempts to convey advice of his misfortune, and then relates fome circumftances of the engagement, referring for a more particular account to Lieutenant Pruen. The account Colonel Macleod gives is, that on the morning of the 8th of April, they found themfelves near the Mahratta fleet belonging to Gheriah, which, without fpeaking or ceremony, attacked the Ranger with great fury. Lieutenant Pruen fought his veffel with the greatest courage. Their defence was defperate, and ceafed not till they were almost all killed or wounded. Major Shaw was fhot dead: Colonel Humbertone was fhot through the lungs: Lieutenant Stuart of the Icoth regiment, was almoft cut to pieces on boarding: Lieutenant John Taylor, of the Bombay troops, was fhot through the body: Lieutenant Seton, of the Bombay artillery, and Lieutenant Pruen, commander of the yeffel, were wounded with fwords on boarding. In the beginning of the action Colonel Macleod received two wounds in his left hand and fhoulder; and, a little before it was over, a mufket ball

paffed through his body, which pierced his lungs and fpleen. Lieutenant Pruen's account like. wife proves, that the Mahrattas began the attack, and that he received a number of fhot before he returned a gun. Their force confifted of two large fhips, a ketch, and eight gallivats, with which the Ranger, carrying only twelve guns twelve pounders, fuftained a clofe engagement of four hours and a half; and for the last half hour the two fhips and the ketch were lafhed along fide of the Ranger, in which fituation the engagement was continued with mufketry only; and the brave defence of the officers and crew prevented the enemy from entering the veffel, till, from the number of killed and wounded, and most of the mufkets being rendered unferviceable, the fire of the Ranger was fo much reduced, that the commander was under the neceffity of ftriking; and the inftant the colours were down, the enemy rushed on board, and cruelly cut and wounded feveral of the officers and men, while others jumped overboard, to avoid immediate death. The fame night the Ranger was carried into Gheriah, where the Subedar and officers difowning all knowledge of the peace, had refufed to release the veffel and officers without orders from Poonah.

We are concerned to add, that Colonel Humberstone died at Gheriah the 30th of April, of the wound he received in the action. Colonel Macleod's recovery was long thought impoffible, but he is now perfectly restored to health. Lieutenants Stuart,

Taylor,

Taylor, Seton, and Pruen, are alfo recovered.

The Ranger, with Colonel Macleod and the other furviving officers arrived here the 29th of May, having been releafed from Gheriah the 27th, in too difabled and defpoiled condition to make her way to the southward.

Our laft letter from Mr. Anderfon is dated the 18th of May, upon receipt of the intelligence of the capture of the Ranger, which he immediately communicated to Mhadajee Scindia, and required him in ftrong terms to give fome explanation with regard to this outrage, and the meafures he intended to pursue in vindication of his own honour, which was thus brought into question; Scindia declared, that none of his late letters from the minifter gave him the least reafon to apprehend any finifter intentions of the Mahratta government, and he affured Mr. Anderson, that he had written in ftrong terms to the minifter to punish with death the perfon who committed this act of hoftility, and to make full reftitution of the ftores and effects taken; that if they complied with thefe requifitions, he would undertake to reconcile the English government; but if they refufed, they muft take the confequences: that for his part, fince fo enormous an outrage had been committed after the conclufion of the treaty, he muft confult and adopt the inclinations of the English.

So far from punishing the officer who committed the act of hoftility, we are affured by Colonel Macleod that he received from the minifter public marks of approbation and honorary rewards for

his conduct. Colonel Macleod was invited to the ceremony held upon this occafion, and fome of the officers were actually prefent when the Subedar exhibited in public durbar, according to the cuftom of the country, the hohorary ornaments which had been fent to him from Poonah.

By this time matters to the fouthward had taken a very unfavourable turn. The latter end of April we received advice from the Select Committee at Madras, in a letter dated the 12th of March, that Tippo had fent the greatest part of his army out of the Carnatic through Changamah Pafs, and that they concluded he himfelf would foon follow, in order to ufe his utmoft efforts to endea vour to recover his valuable poffeffions in the Bednure country.

General Matthews fent repeated advice of the enemy's approach in force, and requifitions for reinforcement. Under the 20th of March he writes from Mangalore of a body of 25,000 men, with 25 pieces of cannon, being to the eastward of Bednure, and that he fhould fet off for that place next day, where he faid he inay poffibly collect 12,000 Sepoys, 400 Europeans, with five pieces of cannon to meet the enemy in the field. His next letter is dated the 27th, at Cundapore, in which he repeats his intelligence, and requests for a reinforcement, without which he obferves it will be next to a miracle if he can keep his footing. He then mentions as a certainty, that a very large force was arrived within 35 miles of Bednure. His next letter and the laft we have received from him, was dated