high character which the great Duke had achieved at that early period in India :— LORD CLIVE TO MARQUESS WELLESLEY. "MY DEAR LORD, (Private.) "Fort St. George, 29th May, 1800. "I have been honoured with your letter of the 13th instant, and am truly concerned to learn you have been so seriously indisposed with boils; for although they are deemed to be the prognostics of future health, I know them to be a most painful means of acquiring that advantage. "Immediately upon receiving your commands, and after communicating with Vice-Admiral Rainier, who has informed me that the detachment of his Majesty's ships destined by him for the Eastern expedition, will be in readiness to put to sea in three weeks at the furthest from Tuesday next, the 27th instant, I wrote to Colonel Wellesley, apprising him of this circumstance, and tendering to him, according to your Lordship's wish, the option of the command of the military force preparing to embark with the Vice-Admiral. 66 Having in my official dispatch of the 24th instant, so strongly expressed my opinion of the absolute detriment which must result to the affairs of Mysore from even the temporary absence of Colonel Wellesley, your Lordship will not be surprised that in my communication with him I have not only recommended, but requested in the strongest terms, that he will continue in his present situation, in which it would be not only difficult but impossible to replace him to my satisfaction. "Although I entirely agree with your Lordship that Colonel Wellesley is the fittest person to command the land forces on the proposed expedition, and though your Lordship's zeal induces you to suggest his being employed wherever his talents may be useful to the public, yet as I am decidedly of opinion, upon public grounds, that Colonel Wellesley's services are beyond all comparison of greater importance in Mysore than they can be to the eastward; and as from his honourable and judicious conduct, as well as from that of Colonel Close in their respective spheres, we are now deriving more advantages beyond the calculation of all those who did not intimately know the two characters, -I cannot help mingling a sentiment of private feeling with public views, and deprecating the exposure, without absolute necessity, of a life so valuable to us all, and so justly dear to your Lordship, to the baneful climate of Batavia. I am always, my dear Lord, most faithfully yours, "CLIVE." "The Earl of Mornington." This digression has caused us to lose sight of the events which followed the fall of Seringapatam. The consideration of these circumstances must, therefore, be deferred to the next chapter. CHAPTER XVI. Division of Mysore.-Political Arrangements.-Importance of the Conquered Territory to Great Britain.-The News received in England with universal Satisfaction and Delight.-The Thanks of both Houses of Parliament and of the East India Company voted to Lord Mornington, Lord Clive, and Mr. Duncan, and to General Harris, &c., and the Army.-Buonaparte quits Egypt.-Series of Private Letters, written from Fort William by Sir Alured Clarke to Lord Mornington at Madras.-Letters of Lord Mornington to Sir Alured Clarke and Hon. F. North (afterwards Earl Guilford).—Note respecting Mr. North. LORD MORNINGTON's arrangements in reconstructing the kingdom of Mysore, and partitioning the conquered provinces, it is universally admitted, exhibited the utmost address and the soundest judgment. The wife of the Hindoo sovereign of Mysore, who had been thrust from his throne by Hyder Ally's usurpation, was alive ; for it had been Hyder's policy not to assume the style of a monarch, though he exercised with undisputed authority the sovereign power; and it was his custom annually to exhibit to the people some member of the ancient royal family. The surviving representative of the royal line of Mysore was found to be a boy five years old; and Lord Mornington resolved to invest him, under certain limitations, with the Rajahship, or kingly authority. By the partition treaty, the kingdom of Mysore was reduced to the extent, and nearly to the exact condition, in which it was before Hyder Ali commenced his career of aggression on surrounding states. On the principle of indemnification for the expense of past operations, and as a security against aggression from the sea, it was determined that the English should assume the sovereignty of, and permanently occupy, the territory possessed by the Sultaun on the coast of Malabar; together with the fortress, city, and island of Seringapatam and other valuable and important districts. An equal portion of territory was assigned to the Nizam, as a reward for his fidelity. A portion of the territory was also allotted to the Mahrattas. According to the partition treaty, the new Rajah of Mysore was to maintain a British force, and annually pay for its support seven lacs of pagodas, and to place himself, in political affairs, under the direction of the English Government. Lord Mornington by these measures added to the annual revenues of the Company in the peninsula of India a sum of not less than twelve lacs of pagodas, and secured the advantage of strengthening the British frontier, by establishing a continuity of territory from sea to sea-from the coast of Coromandel to that of Malabar. The news of the fall of Seringapatam and its Sultaun was received in every part of the British empire with unbounded delight and exultation. Addresses from the presidencies of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras were presented to the Governor-General. The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were unanimously voted to Lord Mornington, Lord Clive, Mr. Duncan, and the army engaged in the war; and the East India Company passed resolutions expressive of their admiration of the important services rendered to them by their servants in the East; while his Majesty testified his approbation of the Earl of Mornington's conduct by raising him to the dignity of Marquess in the peerage of Ireland, and granting him an honourable augmentation to his family arms. The effect of the intelligence upon Buonaparte in Egypt, can easily be imagined. Seringapatam was stormed on the 4th of May; Napoleon quitted Egypt on the 23rd of August. The following private letters were written after the intelligence reached Calcutta: they will contribute to throw a light upon the posture of affairs in India at that crisis, and convey an idea of the innumerable subjects which pressed upon the attention of the GovernorGeneral at this period. SIR ALURED CLARKE TO THE EARL MORNINGTON. (Private.) "MY DEAR LORD, "Fort William, May 26th, 1799. "On the 17th I, with heart-felt satisfaction, wrote you a congratulatory letter on the glorious and most important news from Seringapatam:* and on the 23rd, I, with equal concern, acquainted your Lordship of the death of our valuable and ever-to-be-lamented friend Cooke, whose remains were attended to the grave by a very numerous and respectable part of this community on the evening of that day. The * The Commander-in-Chief, writing to Lord Mornington, May 17th, 1799, remarks, "I remember your observation of humbling Tippoo before the anniversary of your entering upon the duties of this government, which took place precisely this day twelve months.” |