PREFACE.

THE manner in which our first volume has been received by the Public, whilst it forbids us to recur to it, except to signify our thanks, gives us reason to hope, that as the present volume has been composed with no less diligence, it may afford as much satisfaction.

Experience has confirmed our opinion of the convenience, as well as utility of the general plan of the REGISTER; but, in

one or two of the departments, some alterations have been introduced, which it seems proper to explain. Finding, as we proceeded in our investigation of the HisTORY OF BRITISH INDIA, that it necessarily embraced the views and interests of various Nations, we thought it requisite to take up more extensive grounds, and, instead of confining ourselves to an Historical Memoir of the British Possessions in Hindustan, to give a GENERAL HISTORY of the Connection between that Empire, and the different European Powers that formed settlements in it. We have accordingly altered the title of our History; and have, in our second Chapter, taken a view of the Rise, Progress and Decline of the Portugueze Establishments in India.

In the arrangement of the CHRONICLE, we have made some alterations, of which

those

those who are interested in that department will, we trust, approve. The different articles of intelligence have been either abridged, or detailed, as the subjects of them appeared to us to require, and regularly inserted according to the order of time: And the Gentlemen belonging to the Company's Civil and Military Establishments will observe, that we have attended to their suggestions, in regard to the ANNUAL LIST of PROMOTIONS.

The other departments of the Work have been executed in the same manner as in our last volume; but the MISCELLANEOUS TRACTS will be found to contain a greater variety of original matter.

With respect to the lateness of the publication of this volume, we solicit the indulgence of the Public. It was owing,