was conveyed in a palanquin to the palace, where it was recog nised by the eunuchs and other servants of the family.

When the Sultaun was first brought from under the gateway, his eyes were open, and the body was so warm that for a few moments Colonel Wellesley, who, with his accustomed activity, was then on the spot, was doubtful whether he was not alive; but, on feeling his pulse and heart, that doubt was removed. The countenance was no way distorted, but had an appearance of calm composure. His turban, jacket, and sword-belt, were gone; but the body was recognised by his people; and an officer who was present, with the leave of General Baird, tore off from his right arm the talisman which contained, sewed up in pieces of fine flowered silk, an amulet of a brittle metallic substance of the colour of silver, and some manuscripts in magic Arabic, and Persian characters. The body was placed in his palanquin, and conveyed to the court of the palace, showing him, who had left that palace in the morning a mighty prince, now brought back a lump of clay, and his kingdom overthrown!*

Tippoo Sultaun, at the time of his downfall, was about fifty-two years of age. His constitution was much impaired, and he was subject to two dis orders, the frequent return of which kept him under a constant course of medicine. In person he was from five feet eight to nine inches high, and rather inclined to fat, although formerly very thin; his face was round, with large full eyes; and there was much animation and fire in his countenance; he wore whiskers, but no beard; was very active, and sometimes took very long walks. He had eleven children; but only two of these were born in marriage, a girl and boy.

His disposition was naturally cruel; his temper was passionate and revenge. ful; he was prone to be abusive, but his words were often false and hypocritical, as best suited his purposes. He professed himself to be a Naib, or forerunner to one of the Twelve Prophets whom the Mahometans believe are yet to come; and under this pretence he persecuted all other casts, forcing numbers to become Mussulmen. In the war of 1790, in particular, when he had ravaged the country of the Nairs on the Malabar coast, it was computed that upwards of twenty thousand persons had suffered under his persecutions in the short space of about four months. The men who refused to submit to cir cumcision were hanged on the trees surrounding the villages; and the women of the cast, the noblest in India, on refusing to adopt the Mahometan custom of rovering their bosoms, which they consider as a mark of degradation and

Every delicacy was shown to the remains of the unfortunate chief; and the preparations for his funeral were superintended by the principal Canzee of Seringapatam, every article which he thought proper to order being provided, in order that the ce

slavery, had their breasts cut off, and suffered many other insults and indig. nities. Shortly after this, he had nearly lost his life in an attack on the lines of Travancore, where he was forced to leave his palanquin behind him, together with his pistols, and a small signet or seal ring which he usually wore, and which the editor of these sheets has seen, and so very small that the finger on which it was worn must have been delicate in the extreme. His wealth, after the conclusion of the first war with England, was very great. In an inventory which he caused to be taken of it, there were enumerated 700 elephants 6,000 camels, 11,000 horses, 400,000 bullocks and cows, 100,000 buffaloes, 600,000 sheep, 300,000 firelocks, 300,000 matchlocks, 200,000 swords and éresses, or daggers, and 2,000 guns of different calibres in Seringapatam and his other fortresses: and his total revenue amounted to five crores and ninetytwo lacks of pagodas, worth three rupees each.

His policy, however, arising from his prejudices, was inimical to his in. terest; for the revenues diminished greatly after his father's death, partly from his removing all the Brachmans and others of the Hindoo cast, who were well versed in country business, from the offices of collection, and partly from his forbidding the sale of arrack and gunja throughout his dominions, which had formerly produced a very considerable revenue.

Upon the whole, though this man was certainly a very extraordinary character, yet his abilities have been undoubtedly overrated: and it is now considered that he was neither so good a statesman, nor so able a general, as has often been represented. Selfish, cunning, and rapacious, he acted upon narrow principles, both in government and war; and was greatly deficient in that comprehension and vigour of mind which are essential ingredients in the composition of all true greatness; though it must be confessed that he possessed a considerable share of prudence, and was not wanting either in promptitude or judgment.

The consequence of all this was, that his revenue regulations, though framed with great ability, and apparently well ealculated to enrich both the prince and people, were frustrated in their operations by his shifting and narrow policy; and the same contrast ran through all his conduct and all his character, both political and military.

His revengeful disposition may be easily conceived from the following curious extract from one of his own MSS.

"The means I have taken to keep in remembrance the misfortunes I experienced six years ago (alluding to the war with Lord Cornwallis) from the malice of my enemies, are to discontinue sleeping on a cotton bed, and to

remony might be performed with as much pomp as circumstances would admit of. Indeed Colonel Wellesley, who was then appointed commandant, gave directions not only that four flank companies of Europeans should attend, but also that minute guns should be fired during the interval, a mark of respect which the Prince Abdul Khalie at first declined the acceptance of, until he was convinced of its true intent.

On the morning of the 5th of May, Colonel Wellesley relieved General Baird; and on the following day was appointed to the permanent command of Seringapatam, as noticed above, on which occasion he with the greatest promptitude used every means in

make use of a cloth one; when I am victorious, I shall resume the bed of cotton."

His thoughts were constantly bent on war and military preparations. He has been frequently heard to say, that in this world he would rather live twe days like a tiger, than two hundred years like a sheep; and, something on this principle, he adopted the figure of the royal tiger as a species of ar morial bearing, and as the emblem of his state. His father had chosen the

elephant.

The title of "Lion of God" was formerly given by Mahomet to his sonîn-law, Ali, to denote the prowess and valour by which he signalized himself in fighting under the prophet's banners. Innumerable, indeed, are the tra ditions and records of the deeds of this celebrated warrior; and he seems to have been a second Jack the Giant Killer, as many of the romantic tales of the Moor men have him as their hero. On his example Tippoo was anxious to form himself; and him he adopted as the guardian genius, or tutelary saint, of his dominions. It was natural, therefore, for him to assume his name; and accordingly upon his sabres and other arms he had a cipher cut in Arabic characters, signifying "the Lion of God is the conqueror;" and these letters were so artfully arranged as to bear some resemblance to & tiger's face; and it is perhaps likely that the assumption of the tiger as his own emblem was as much in honour of Ali as boastfully indicative of his own disposition, for the natives of Hindoostan make no distinction between the tiger and the lion.

It was a favourite maxim with him that kings should be inflexible in their orders; that God had forbidden the use of wine; and that he should persist in exacting a strict obedience to his edicts on that subject. Yet, with all this inflexibility, his conversation was remarkably lively, entertaining, and instruc tive; and, during his meals, he was fond of reciting passages of the most admired historians and poets; and sometimes amused himself with sarcasm* upon the infidels, and the enemies of his government.

his power to prevent every kind of excess. Public notice was given that severe examples would be made of any persons detected in the act of plundering the houses, or molesting the inhabitants; four men were in consequence executed for plundering, and the most perfect tranquillity was immediately restored. These examplés, and the personal activity of the colonel himself, who went into all the houses of the principal inhabitants to establish safeguards, scoa produced a general confidence; the inhabitants, who had fled on the night of the storm, returned to their habitations, and resumed their usual occupations; in a few days the bazars were stored with all kinds of merchandise and provisions, for which there was a ready and advantageous sale; and an eyewitness declares that three days after the storm, the principal streets were so crowded as to be almost impassable, presenting rather the appearance of a fair than of a captured city.

The first important duty which fell upon Colonel Wellesley after the capture, he being one of the commissioners* appointed for the final regulation and establishment of the new conquest, was the removal of the families of Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sultaun from Seringapatam to the Carnatic. The details of this delicte office, of this painful but indispensable measure, fell to his lot as commandant; and though his conduct and regulations were considered as subject to such suggestions as might be offered by the other members of the commission, yet it has been well said, that to his prudential precautions, which the occasion re

In detailing the steps necessary for this delicate business, the governor general in his instructions observed, that it could not be intrusted to any person more likely to combine every office of humanity, with the prudential precautions required, than Colonel Wellesley; and he therefore committed to his discretion, activity, and humanity, the whole arrangement; but subject always to such suggestions as might be offered by the other commissioners. He added that Colonel Wellesley, in his name, would give the most unequivocal assurances of protection and indulgence to every part of the family; and that he was persuaded that the humanity of General Harris would induce him to exert every effort to mitigate all the rigorous parts of th necessary and most expedient revolution, so loudly called for by a due regard to British interest, and the welfare of the natives themselves.

quired to prevent the possibility of commotion or escape, to his discretion, activity, and humanity, throughout the whole of this arduous and difficult task, is justly ascribed the facility with which it was accomplished.

Information having been given that a quantity of jewels were concealed in the seraglio, application was made to Colonel Wellesley, the commandant, for permission to search, which he readily granted; and the proper notice being given to remove the women from the apartments which it was intended to examine, the gentlemen deputed for that service proceeded to the task. They were disappointed, however, in their object, for they did not find any thing of value; and it was ascertained afterwards, that Tippoo never intrusted his women with the care of his jewels, or even of their own.

On this examination it appeared that there were in all, including some of the wives and other ladies of the late Hyder's family, six hundred and fifty females in the seraglio and palace; a number almost equalling those of Solomon himself.

This business at first made some noise; and the governor general, in a subsequent despatch, observed, that he had heard, with the utmost degree of surprise and concern, that the zenina, or women's apartment, in the palace of the Sultaun, was searched; and added that he could have wished, for the honour of the British name, that the apartments of the women had not been disturb ed. He acknowledged that in the heat and confusion of an assault, such excesses are no doubt frequently unavoidable; but that he should ever lament that this scene should have been acted long after the contest had subsided, and when the whole place had submitted to the superiority of our victorious arms. He then observed that if any personal ornaments, or other articles of value, were taken from the women in that unfortunate moment, he trusted that the commander in chief would make it his business to vindicate the humanity of the British character, by using the most zealous exertions to obtain a full restitution of the property in question. After this observation, he hinted that he thought it superfluous to add his most anxions expectation that