a moment of temporary anxiety and vexation, but after the most deliberate reflection" that your mind was utterly withdrawn from the government of a people who were neither pleased with you, nor you with them; and with whose evil disposition, enmity, disobedience, and negligence you were completely disgusted."

This resolution, adopted with so much deliberation, was suddenly abandoned. I should have rejoiced if the sudden change of your Highness's resolution could have been traced to any improvement in the general administration of your af fairs, to any augmentation of your means of conducting the government, and to the consequent establishment of reciprocal confidence and attachment between your Excellency and your people. But this hope is precluded by your Excellency's own recent statement of the condition of your revenues, and by renewed and aggravated symptoms of the most alarming disaffection towards your Excellency's person and government. Your Excellency's life has been lately attempted under circumstances of the most formidable nature; active and general support has been afforded by your subjects to an impostor who recently assumed the name of Vizier Ali, and the acknowledged temper of your people combined with the state your Government expose your situation every hour to increased hazard, anxiety, and embarrassment.

of

Having maturely considered the state and condition of Oude with all the attention and deliberation due to the importance of the subject, I am satisfied that no effectual security can be taken against the ruin of that country until your Excellency shall transfer to the exclusive management of the Company the civil and military government of your Excellency's dominions, under such conditions as may effectually secure the affluence and honour of your Excellency and of your illustrious family. I am convinced that no other remedy can materially or permanently improve the resources of the State, or ultimately secure its external safety and internal peace and order. Under the Company's management your subjects would enjoy the rights of property, the honest and vigorous administration of justice, and the security of life; the benefits of a provident and just government now diffused from Bengal to the frontier of Oude, might be extended over that declining country, and the resources of the State would

revive with the vigour of the government, and with the happiness of the people.

Under this conviction, I have communicated to Lieut.-Colonel Scott, in detail, my ideas relative to the measures necessary to be immediately adopted with a view to the preservation of the common interests of your Excellency and of the Company; and I earnestly exhort your Excellency, as you value the happiness and prosperity of your people, the permanent tranquillity of your mind, and your security from the disaffection of a suffering people, to consider the propositions which Lieut.-Colonel Scott will state to you, with calm deliberation.

If your Excellency should be unfortunately persuaded by the interested views of evil advisers to reject the proposals which will be made to you by Lieut.-Colonel Scott, it is my duty to inform your Excellency, that the funds for the regular payment of subsidy, to the full extent of the augmented force, must be placed, without a moment of delay, beyond the hazard of failure. I must, therefore, immediately represent to your Excellency the absolute necessity of making a perpetual cession to the Company of such portion of your Excellency's territories as shall be adequate to defray those indispensable charges.

His Highness the Soubahdar of the Deccan has lately ceded to the Company in full sovereignty a country yielding an annual revenue of sixty-two lacs of rupees, in commutation for subsidy. A similar arrangement with your Excellency is absolutely unavoidable, unless you should prefer my first proposition, under any modification, which Lieut.-Colonel Scott may be authorized to make to you for the security, honour, and affluence of your family.

I have furnished Lieut.-Colonel Scott with my instructions relative to the line of territory which it will be desirable that your Excellency should relinquish to the Company in the event of your preferring such an arrangement.

I request your Excellency to be satisfied that the whole course of events in Oude, since your accession, has rendered it my indispensable duty to adhere with firmness to the tenor of this letter, as containing principles from which the British Government never can depart, nor can your Excellency receive, with surprize or concern, a resolution naturally re

sulting from your own reiterated representations of the confusion of your affairs, and of your inability either to reduce them to order, or to conciliate the alienated affections of your discontented people.

No. CXI.

WELLESLEY.

The Right Hon. Henry Dundas to the Marquess Wellesley.

MY LORD,

Downing Street, 6th October, 1800. [Received 6th February, 1801.]

By the private letter I received from your Lordship, No. 25, dated the 5th of March* last, and the communications I have since had with Major-General Stuart, I am apprized that the subject of annoying the French army in Egypt, from the Red Sea, has been under your consideration. For that reason, and because I concur in your Lordship's sentiments, as stated in the letter above-mentioned, I feel it the less necessary to enter into any details in this despatch, which cannot indeed be extended to any great length, as it is to be forwarded overland. I shall, therefore, confine myself to shortly stating to your Lordship, that Sir Ralph Abercromby has received his Majesty's orders to proceed up the Mediterranean, and by an attack on Alexandria, and the coast, to co-operate with the Turkish army, assembling in Syria, in whatever plan may be concerted with them for expelling the French from Egypt, and that it is thought expedient that a force should also be sent from India to act in such manner as may appear conducive to that essential object from the side of the Red Sea; with this view, Captain Sir Home Popham, with a proper squadron, will be immediately sent into that Sea, taking with him a regiment from the Cape. His first rendezvous, after leaving that settlement, will be the port of Bombay.

I enclose for your information, the letter I have written to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on the subject of the expedition under his command, and I am to signify to your Lordship his Majesty's pleasure, that a force of about 1,000 European, and 2,000 native infantry is to be sent from India,

* See p. 225

to the proposed place of rendezvous in the Red Sea, with as little delay as possible, to co-operate with Sir Home Popham, in the object of his instructions. The command of these troops should be given to some active and intelligent officer, and care should be taken that they be furnished with every necessary requisite for such a service. I have thought it right to send a copy of this despatch to the Governments of Madras and Bombay. To the latter it is necessary, because Bombay is the most proper place from whence to send the proposed force; but I have thought it likewise proper to send it to Madras, in case upon a full consideration of the places where the force upon the two coasts is at present stationed, it should appear to that Presidency, expedient to make any new arrangement of any part of the army under their Presidency, in order to enable the Bombay Government to detach the requisite force from their coast, without any real inconvenience to the territories under their own immediate charge.

I have directed those two Presidencies to proceed in making those preparations without delay, and even to carry these orders into execution without waiting for your Lordship's directions if they are ready in other respects.

If nothing unforeseen occurs to prevent or retard it, I hope that the armament under Sir Ralph Abercromby, will reach the coast of Egypt, in the month of December, and that Sir Home Popham may arrive in the Gulph of Arabia, in the month of February. It is, therefore, earnestly recommended, that the forces from India may join them, as soon after as possible; for this reason it will be desirable that you should not wait till the troops are all collected, if it will save time to forward them in two or three distinct detachments.

I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your Lordship's

most obedient, humble servant,

HENRY DUNDAS.

(Enclosure in the foregoing Letter.)

To the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

MY LORDS, Downing Street, 6th October, 1800. It being judged expedient, that measures should forthwith be taken for dispossessing the French of Cosheir, Suez, and any other ports and places they may now occupy upon the coast of the Red Sea, and to encourage the inhabitants of the countries bordering on that part of Egypt, to assist in expelling them from the whole of that province. I am commanded to signify to your Lordships, his Majesty's pleasure that a ship of war, of not less than fifty guns, together with such armed troop-ships, as may be competent to the accommodation and conveyance of a regiment of not less than 800 men destined to assist in this service, are forthwith to be fitted for foreign service and sent to the Cape, where the said regiment is to be embarked.

It will also be necessary that the troop-ships in question, should in the first instance, convey another regiment, amounting to at least the same number of men from this country to the Cape; and it is, therefore, his Majesty's pleasure that your Lordships should give directions, and make the necessary arrangements accordingly,

Your Lordships will not fail to select for this service, an officer of acknowledged enterprize and ability. And with respect to the instructions with which he is to be furnished from your Lordships, it is his Majesty's pleasure, that after receiving on board the regiment, which the commanding officer at the Cape will be ordered to embark, he should be directed to make the best of his way into the Red Sea; and on his arrival there, to endeavour to procure intelligence respecting the number of the enemy at Coshier and Suez, and the state of defence of each of those places. Should the reports he may receive on these points be such as, in his judgment, and that of the officer commanding the land forces, to warrant an immediate landing and attack on one or both of these places, no time is to be lost in making the attempt, and should it prove successful, they are to make the best arrangements in their power for retaining possession of the same. As soon as in this, or in any other manner, a secure footing shall have been obtained in the country, or sooner if possible, every proper method is to be used to conciliate the inhabitants to our interests, and to induce them to make a common cause with us against the enemy. In order to enable them to do this with more effect, it will probably be necessary to supply them with arms and ammunition, and I shall, therefore, give orders, that a certain proportion of side-arms, muskets and cartridges, shall be sent on board the ships of the squadron with a view to this object.

Supposing the enemy to be driven from Suez, Coshier, and the whole coast, it will then remain for the respective commanding officers, of the land and sea forces, to take every method in their power for harrassing and annoying them in any other posts they may retain in Upper Egypt, and to prevail upon the Arabs, the Mamelukes and other troops, in that part of the country, to act against the French (wherever they may take post,) with union and vigour, until they can be finally expelled from Cairo, and