lingly consent to any partition of Territory tending to enlarge the Mahratta Dominion, and therefore the Peishwa should feel that he must rely on me exclusively for any such consideration and favour. Under such circumstances his wisest policy would be to be guided by your suggestions, and to make no attempt which can serve to confirm my late suspicions of his disaffection to the interests of the Company.

Previously to the cession of any portion of Territory to the Peishwa, I should wish to endeavour to accomplish the whole of the arrangement contained in my instructions to you of the 8th of July 1798.* And I desire to learn from you, without delay, whether a renewal of those propositions under the present circumstances of affairs would prove acceptable to the court of Poonah.

On some parts of these propositions I shall absolutely insist, as indispensable preliminaries to any cession of territory to the Peishwa.

The establishment of a Subsidiary British force at Poonah still appears to me to be a most desirable measure, although its importance has been much diminished by the reduction of Mysore; but a complete adjustment, under my arbitration, of every point now at issue between the courts of Poonah and Hyderabad, as well as an engagement to abide by the arbitration of the Company on all future points of difference which may arise between the two courts; the perpetual exclusion of the French from the territories and armies of the Peishwa, and a defensive alliance against any French invasion of India, must be made indispensable preliminaries of whatever cession of territory I may deem it expedient to make to the Peishwa. This general outline of my views will enable you to take such steps as may tend to favour their success; and I shall hope to receive from you, as early as possible, such reflections as shall occur to you upon the suggestions contained in this letter.

I enclose copies of two French papers found in the Palace of Tippoo Sultaun after the capture of Seringapatam. The originals are attested by the Sultan's Byze or usual form of abbreviated signature. You will communicate these papers to the Peishwa and to Nana; and you will not fail to enforce the arguments which arise from the evident design of the late

* See Vol. I. p. 94.

Sultan to employ the French arms for the purpose of recovering from the Mahrattas, and the Nizam, as well as from the Company the territories ceded to each of them under the treaty of Seringapatam.

No. VII.

I am, &c.
MORNINGTON.

SIR,

The Earl of Mornington to the Resident at Hyderabad.

Fort St. George, 23rd May, 1799. I am apprehensive that the extraordinary tide of success which attends us in Mysore may so elate Azim ul Omrah as to raise the pretensions of his court beyond all bounds of discretion. I rely on you to correct every appearance of such a disposition as well as every symptom of an inclination to hostilities against Scindiah, or the Peishwa. My wish is that the whole arrangement of our conquests should be left implicitly to the Company's government, but I should be glad to be furnished with a general outline of the views and pretensions of the Nizam, which his Highness may be assured will form an anxious object of my attention in framing any new distribution of territory or power.

I am, &c.

MORNINGTON.

No. VIII.

The Honourable Henry Wellesley to the Earl of Mornington.

MY DEAR MORNINGTON,

Camp near Anicul, 25th May, 1799.

No part of the Carnatic is in a more tranquil state than the country we passed through last night and this morning; and there can be little doubt that if the Commissioners of Malabar were to use proper exertions, that the same state of tranquillity and obedience to our Government might be produced in Canara. I am told that the inhabitants of all the villages between this place and Seringapatam express the greatest satisfaction at the fall of Tippoo, and at the prospect of living under the Company's Government. Ever your's,

H. WELLESLEY,

No. IX.

Lieut.-General Sir Alured Clarke to the Earl of Mornington.

MY DEAR LORD,

Fort William, May 28, 1799. Thanks to the expeditious passage of the Success Galley, I have been honoured with your letter of the 22nd instant, by which I was happy to find you had been dissuaded from undertaking the journey to Seringapatam at this inclement season. The heat here has been intense, and I am told it is so much worse in the Amboor Valley and Baramahl at this time of the year, that you would have found it insupportable, and probably have suffered much ill health in consequence; and as I see a great deal still to be done, that must depend on your strength of mind and active exertions, I should have been sorry that the benefit we may expect from the full operation of both, should have been hazarded by an overzeal for the public good. The more I reflect on the events of the last twelve months the greater surprise and gratification I feel; and the wider view I take of their probable consequences, the more satisfied I am of the wisdom of those measures, and the merit of those persevering exertions that have ensured, so far, a prospect of long peace and general stability to the interests of the British Empire in India. I am aware this is something like a repetition of what I said before, but it presses so heavily on my mind, that I cannot restrain it. I shall wait with much impatience to know the outlines of the plan you may determine on with respect to the possessions of every description that have fallen under our controul, which is a matter of no easy arrangement; but will, I am persuaded, be brought to the most favourable issue that enlightened policy and sound judgment can devise.

No evidence was wanting to corroborate the justice of the war against Tippoo; but if there had, nothing could have proved more satisfactory and complete than the papers you have been good enough to send me copies of. They are such as one would be desirous of recording immediately and every where.

I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect and esteem, my dear Lord, your Lordship's obedient,

And most faithful humble Servant,

ALURED CLARKE.

No. X.

SIR,

The Earl of Mornington to Lieut.-General Harris.

Fort St. George, 28th May, 1799. I think it necessary to apprise you, without delay, that it is my most earnest desire to avoid hostilities with the Mahrattas, and, therefore, although their army should actually have entered the Mysore Country, I do not wish that measures of force should be taken to repel them. I approve the letter which you have written to Purseram Bhow for the purpose of preventing the advance of his army into Mysore, or of inducing him to withdraw it, if already advanced.

If

It will be advisable to lose no time in taking possession of the Forts of Simogu, Bednore, Chitteldroog, and any others on the northern Frontier of Mysore, which may appear important for the purpose of checking the advance of the Mahrattas. You will judge how far such detachments may be practicable consistently with the essential object of maintain ing your main army in a formidable and efficient state. the Mahrattas, however, should have occupied any forts in that quarter, I desire that no measures of force may be taken to dislodge them; representations may be made to the several Commanders and Killahdars, but no hostility must, on any account, be undertaken against the Mahratta army, unless in the case stated, "that the safety of your own army or their aggression should absolutely demand the use of force."

Whatever forts may actually be in our possession must be maintained, even at the hazard of hostility'; but I do not sup pose that the Mahrattas will venture to become the aggressors, although it would be conformable to their policy to pre-occupy the northern parts of the country with a view of reducing me to the alternative either of ceding them to the Peishwa, or of engaging in a war for the purpose of expelling his army.

I further think it necessary to apprise you that upon principles of policy too obvious to require explanation, it is my determination to allow the state of Poonah to participate in the division of the country now at the disposal of the Allies. I have, &c.

MORNINGTON.

VOL. II.

No. XI.

SIR,

The Earl of Mornington to Lieut.-General Steuart.

Fort St. George, 1st June, 1799. I learnt with much satisfaction the important intelligence of the safe arrival of the army of Bombay on the frontier of the Province of Canara.

From your several communications it appears that the season is too far advanced to admit of an attempt to reduce the Province of Canara in the event of any resistance being offered to the introduction of our government; but I flatter myself that the orders transmitted from Seringapatam to the Killahdars of the several forts in Canara may enable you to take possession of the country even during the monsoon. I rely on you to make the best distribution of your present force for that purpose.

I now proceed to add such general directions as occur to me with respect to the first settlement of the country if it should fall into our hands. With respect to the policy to be observed upon our entrance into the Government of Canara, our great object should be to reconcile the inhabitants to our authority by the utmost degree of indulgence to their prejudices and customs, and by refraining from any other changes of system than such as evidently tend to alleviate oppression, if oppression were felt by the people under the former government. With this view I empower you to establish such a temporary system of administration of revenue and justice as may appear best calculated to maintain order and tranquillity, and to conciliate the affections of the people. I am, &c. MORNINGTON.

No. XII.

The Earl of Mornington to Lieut.-General Harris, Colonel Arthur Wellesley, Honourable Henry Wellesley, Lieut.-Colonels William Kirkpatrick, and Barry Close-Commissioners for the Affairs of Mysore.

GENTLEMEN,

Fort St. George, 4th June, 1799. The Commission which accompanies this Letter* will apprize you of the nature and extent of the powers which I

* See page 23.