view of the nature of the command to which I have appointed you; as well as of the various objects to which the force to be assembled at Trincomalé may be applicable, according to the state of circumstances and events towards the close of the month of December.

In order to assist you in the consideration of these despatches, I will, in this place, shortly recapitulate the general purport of my orders and intentions.

First, In consequence of the state of the war in Europe, and of the strength of the French power in Egypt, I have determined to suspend the intended expedition against Batavia.

Secondly, I have ordered the force noted in the margin,* to assemble at Trincomalé, where I trust it will be collected by the middle of December, and I have desired the Admiral to repair to the same station with the strength of his squadron. Thirdly, This force is to be applied to either of the following objects if required.

To proceed up the Red Sea, in order to co-operate with the British force, which may be employed in Egypt from the side of the Mediterranean.

To proceed to any point which the French may menace in India, especially on the western side of the Peninsula. The Governments of Fort St. George and Bombay, are ordered to hold in readiness whatever troops they can spare, to act in concert with the force assembled at Trincomalé, either in Egypt or in any part of India, and the forces holden in readiness at each of those Presidencies respectively, will be subject to your command, and will repair to such position, as you may eventually point out with a view to either of the stated objects.

Fourthly, Intelligence which I have received has satisfied me, that a blow might now be struck with every prospect of success against the Isle of France. If the state of my accounts from Europe and Egypt should leave me at liberty to make such an attempt at the close of the month of December,

The King's 10th, 19th, and 80th, regiments of foot. Bengal volunteers, 1 battalion consisting of 1000 firelocks. Artillery from Bengal 38 Europeans (exclusive of commanding officers) and 46 Golandauzes. The remaining proportion of artillery to be furnished from Ceylon.

my anxious wish is, that you should proceed on, or about the 25th of December, from Trincomalé directly to the Isle of France, and carry into execution the plan contained in the papers enclosed in my letter B of this date, provided you and the Admiral, after full consideration, should judge the plan to be practicable, with the means which I can enable you to command, and within the period of the season stated in the plan.

The enclosure of this letter, and of my letter B of this date, contain such ample details as to require no farther explanation from me; you will meet the Admiral and Mr. Stokes at Trincomalé; in the meanwhile I shall furnish you with such information as I possess respecting the expedition formerly projected against the Isle of France, directing your attention to the various changes of circumstances which appear to me to favour the plan of Mr. Stokes; and also stating such observations as occur to me on the general principles of that plan. The particular details of the project involve many questions purely naval or military, on which the Admiral and you must be more competent to decide.

It is necessary to apprize you, that I have observed the strictest secresy with regard to my views against the Isle of France. I have not communicated them even to Lord Clive. If I should judge it advisable to disclose them to him, I will give you timely notice.

Ever my

dear Arthur,
Yours most affectionately,

WELLESLEY.

No. CIV.

From Lord Elgin to the Marquess Wellesley.

MY DEAR LORD,

Constantinople, November 11th, 1800. [Received 20th February, 1801.]

At the moment of my Brother's setting out, a messenger from England has brought me the communication of government having ordered Sir R. Abercrombie, and Lord Keith, to undertake seriously the conquest of Egypt. I have ex

* They are very voluminous, and as the expedition did not take place during Lord Wellesley's government, their insertion is not absolutely requisite.

tracted for you, the substance of the principal paper sent me. And most sincerely do I now trust you may have executed your plan of sending a force into the Red Sea, the co-operation of which will be so beneficial to the operations from the Mediterranean.

Believe me, ever, in great haste,

My dear Lord,

Yours most faithfully,

ELGIN.

Extracted from an Extract of a Letter from Mr. Secretary Dundas to Sir Ralph Abercrombie, October, 1800.

Sir Ralph Abercrombie is ordered (in concert with the commanding naval officer at Gibraltar) to complete all the troop ships, and coppered transports, for the purpose of conveying 15000 infantry to the Coast of Egypt.

He is to make the best of his way up the Mediterranean, and proceed to such port as shall be named the rendezvous, either on the Coast of Syria, Cyprus, Rhodes, or Candia, to procure refreshments, and to concert on the plans of operation with such officers as the Porte may appoint for that service.

The first material point appears to be the reduction of Alexandria, and the occupation of the other ports of Egypt on the Mediterranean.

Supposing these posts secured, it is thought expedient that he should move forward into the country, and open a passage for such forces as the Turks may wish to send that way, to co-operate with their main body in Syria. This is to be determined by Sir R. Abercrombie's more accurate knowledge of the country.

As the French soldiers are supposed to wish to return home, Alexandria is to be summoned, and an offer made to the garrison to return to France, on condition of not serving till exchanged. The same offer is to be made to the French Commander-in-Chief as soon as the Coast is secured; and in case he refuses, it is to be made as public as possible to the enemy's troops. As it is known that the French Government has sent positive orders to the Commander-in-Chief to maintain himself in Egypt; in order to ensure the success of this British force, 5,000 men are ordered to co-operate from India, and to possess themselves of the French posts on the Red Sea.

(Enclosure to Lord Elgin's Letter, 11th November, 1800.)

Mr. Wickham to the Right Hon. Lord Grenville.

MY LORD, Crems-Munster, 13th November, 1800. I have received certain information from Paris, that an expedition is now preparing at Brest, and nearly ready to sail for the Islands of France and Bourbon.* It is to be composed of several ships of war and frigates, and is to be commanded by Admiral Villaret Joyeuse, and Mr. Magon is to sail with it, who is appointed Governor of these colonies, and CommissaryGeneral for the affairs of India. Both are furnished with their commissions, and I am given to understand that they are detained only on account of the want of money, necessary for the carrying such an enterprize into effect, and the difficulty and danger of clearing the Bay of Biscay, in the present station of the British fleets.

I have not been able to learn the extent of the force to be sent out, but I am inclined to think, that it is intended to be considerable.

I have the honour to be, &c.
WILLIAM WICKHAM.

No. CV.

The Marquess Wellesley to The Hon. Frederick North.

MY DEAR NORTH,

Fort William, November 28th, 1800. I have this moment received your official despatch of the 22nd October, and I lose not a moment in acknowledging it in this private form, for the purpose of urging you in the most earnest manner, to avoid by all possible means, any rupture with the Court of Candy. You will perceive by my late communication to you, the great importance, and indeed absolute necessity, of our guarding against every circumstance which may in any degree tend to embarrass the general measures of defence, which are of such indispensable urgency in the present exigency; I wish you, therefore, for the present, to suspend all your views at Candy, and to look to no other object than the speedy completion of the armament ordered to assemble at Trincomalé.

I am, &c.

WELLESLEY.

The Marquess Wellesley had not of course received this intelligence when he stated to Admirals Rainier and Curtis [see p. 399.] his views respecting the intentions of the enemy.-ED.

No. CVI.

The Marquess Wellesley to the Right Hon. Lord Clive.

MY LORD, Fort William, 1st December, 1800. I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship, a copy of a letter from Sir Sidney Smith, to Mr. Manesty, dated the 12th of September, and extract of a letter from Mr. Tooke, the agent of the Company at Constantinople, to Mr. Harford Jones, dated the 18th of September, enclosing copy of a letter from Lord Minto to Mr. Tooke, dated the 2nd of September, 1800.

These advices were brought by an overland despatch, which reached Fort William this morning, and although they may have been forwarded to your Lordship from Bombay, I think it advisable to transmit copies of them by this despatch.

The intelligence contained in these advices, affords every ground of belief, that a renewal of hostilities between the Emperor of Germany, and the French Government has taken place; while on the other hand it appears probable, that during the continuance of the renewed war, the Emperor of Germany may have opened negotiations for a peace, on terms to which Great Britain cannot accede. These circumstances added to the state of the French power in Egypt, demand with additional urgency the execution of the measure communicated to your Lordship in my late despatches.

But the event to which I particularly desire to call your Lordship's attention, is the capture of the two Danish frigates as stated in Lord Minto's letter, which under all the circumstances of the case, appears to me to indicate a probability of an early rupture between England and Denmark. In the event of hostilities taking place, it will be of the greatest importance that we should be prepared to act with promptitude and effect against the Danish power in India.

to

With a view to this event, I request that your Lordship will be pleased to take with all practicable secrecy, such measures as may appear to you best calculated to enable you possess yourself of the Danish settlement of Tranquebar, at the first moment after you shall have received authentic ad