lier, which flood in the center of the Ranna's country, in their own hands; and with fuch a bridle in his mouth, could not fail to keep him under continual apprehenfion, if not abfolute command. The furprize of this fort may be ranked with the first actions of the fame nature, whether ancient or modern. The fortifications enelofed the fummit of a very high hill, walled round by rocks, and guarded on all fides by the most dreadful precipices. The enclofed ground was fo extenfive, and fo fertile, as to be fully equal to the conftant maintenance of any gar Fifon which could be neceffary for its defence. We cannot avoid recalling to memory on this occafron, the extraordinary agility, boldness, and dexterity, of the young mountaineers and shepherdfoldiers, who were employed by Alexander the Great in climbing up fimilar precipices, and the furprize of fuch a hill. Nothing but the too confident fecurity, natuTally incident to fuch à fituation, could expofe it to danger. In a word, the fortrefs of Gualier had in all ages been deemed impregnable. Some individuals of a native tribe of freebooters, called Mewattes, had, from fome motives which do not appear, difcovered a way, by which they repeatedly climbed up the precipices, and entered the place with fafety in the night. During the leffure from all military fervice induced by the ramy feafon, the hope of reward prompted thefe men to communicate the difcovery to Major Popham. This vigilant and diftinguished officer immediately employed fome perfons of judg. ment, on whom he could firmly rely, to attend the Mewattes by night, and ftrictly to examine the track by which they entered the place. He could gather no more from their report, than that it was barely poffible to fucceed. He, however, confidered the reduction of the fortress to be of such importance, that he boldly determined to rique all the perfonal confequences of a failure. The defign was conducted with fuch admirable fecrecy, and fuch ability difplayed in the execution, that the fuppofed impregnable fort of Gualier was taken with the lofs of Aug. 4th. a very few fepoys. We are now to direct our attention to the ftorm which was gathering to the fouthward, and which was not only destined to the ruin of the Carnatic, but feemed doomed to the extinction of the English name in that vaft peninfula. We have already noticed the cold civility of intercourfe which Hyder Ally Caun maintained, but the real jealoufy and diflike which he nurtured, with refpect to the government of Madras. It feemed no lefs fingular than unfortunate, that while that prefidency loudly condemned the continued caufes of offence given to and the repeated wars forced upon the Marattas by Bombay and Calcutta, and most pathetically complained of and pointed out the dangerous confequences to the Company's interefts at large, and the particular rain to themfelves, which thofe meafares must neceffarily produce, they were at the very fame time in the 'exercife of a conduct no lefs capable of producing jealoufy and mifunder standing, with their old ally, and very powerful neighbour, the Nizam, Soubah of the Deccan; thus increafing the very evils, and adding to that danger, of which they complained fo much in others, and were fo extremely apprehenfive of with refpect to them felves. franding, if not actual hoftility, fent and approbation; and the Company were equally reftrained, by the treaties of 1766 and 1768, with the Nizam, by which the provinces were conveyed and confirmed to them, from all attempts by negociation or bargain, excepting directly through himself, to obtain poffeffion of the Guntoor before the time allotted. As That prefidency had, in the a farther part of the fervice first instance, fuffered a long ar- which the Company owed for these rear to rife upon the very mode- provinces, they were bound, by rate annual pehcufh, or tribute, the treaties we have mentioned, in the payment of which the Com- to affift the Nizam with their pany was bound to the Nizam, forces, and to protect his domifor the five large and valuable nions in all cafes of war or innorthern circars or provinces: a vasion; and were even conftituted neglect which feems the lefs ex- a check upon the refractoriness culable in fuch cafes, from the of Bazalet Jung himself, being Small proportion which that kind authorized to difpoffefs him of of chief-rent bears to the real the jaghire, if he fhould enter value of the poffeflion. Of thefe into meatures dangerous to his provinces, however, the Company brother, or fubverfive of the peace were yet only in the immediate and fecurity of his country. poffeflion of four; the Guntoor another article, Bazalet Jung's circar (which is the most fouth- entering into alliance with ог ern, and confequently the nearest giving any affistance to the eneto the Carnatic) being fettled for mies of the Company, would renlife, as a jaghire, upon Bazalet der him liable to a forfeiture of his Jung, the Nizam's brother, and jaghire. forming no inconfiderable part of the appendage allotted for the fupport of that prince's dignity. Upon his death, the Guntoor was immediately to revert to the Company; and during the intermediate time, a proportional (pecified deduction was to be made, on that account, from the annual tribute, which would afterwards rife to the amount fettled for the whole. Bazalet Jung was fpecially bound, by articles, to his brother, not to alienate or difpofe of the jaghire in any manner, or to any perfon, without his con By The fituation of the Guntoor circar rendered it of great importance to the Company. It lay on the fame fide of the Kriston with their own poffeffions, and thofe of the Nabob of Arcot; being bounded by the latter to the fouthward, as it was by that great river on the north. Thus it afforded a direct intercourfe with the four other provinces, which, ftretching in fucceffion to a great extent along the coaft to the northward, are only feparated on the fouth from the Guntoor by the Kriftna. But what rendered it of still greater importance than fued in his favour, as they left no room to doubt of his difpofition in that refpect, afforded too much reafon for being apprehenfive that he would now take a part to the prejudice of the Company. They farther ftate, that as their northern circars are entirely open to invafion from the Nizam's dominions, and his friendship extremely doubtful, it was highly expedient that they fhould have the best intelligence of his defigns, and the earlieft notice of any movements he might make indicating danger to thofe provinces. That for that purpose, and the fettlement of every thing relative to the Guntoor province, and the difmiffion of the French troops, they had appointed Mr. Hollond, their refident at Hyderabad, with inftructions to correfpond with the fupreme council, and to communicate to them all intelligence from that quarter. Hollond's inftructions went to feveral matters which were not included in this letter, nor held out in the first propofals to the council. The treaty with Bazalet Jung was now nearly concluded; and the ground which he was to take on that tender fubject was much laboured. He was to declare the determination of the presidency to adhere inviolably to the treaty of 1766, and to cultivate the friendfhip thereby established. He was to endeavour to fhew, that the measures now in act with respect to the Guntoor, though apparently affecting the terms of that treaty, were in reality no infringement of it; that they had hitherto made all their applications to the Nizam, as confidering him refponfible for the conduct of his brother; he was to expatiate largely on the danger to be apprehended from the French troops in Bazalet's fervice, and to ftate that circumftance as the cause of their opening a negociation directly with him; and he was to hint, that they confidered that meafure as an infringement of the treaty, and that it was on that account they had retained the Nizam's pefhcufh, or tribute; but this latter part of the bufinefs he was to manage cautiously, and to give fuch explanations as fhould prevent the Nizam from entertaining any doubts relative to the future regular payment of the pefcufh. Mr. Hollond was received with great honour by the Nizam, who affured him of his determination to live upon terms of the most perfect friendship with the Company, and to adhere inviolably to the treaties between them; that he had ever religiously obferved that conduct, had refited all the folicitations made to induce him to fupport the French intereft, had caufed his brother to difmifs Lally and his troops, and had taken them into his own fervice merely to prevent their going either into that of Hyder, or of the Marattas. He confirmed and repeated thefe difpofitions in a letter written directly to the prefidency, expreffing at the fame time his fatisfaction at Hollond's appointment to his court. The grand affair of the Guntoor was yet held back. But when, at a fubfequent audience, it was opened by Hollond, who likewife informed the Nizam that the prefidency had ordered a body of troops to the Guntoor, for the protec protection of Bazalet Jung and that country against the defigns of Hyder Ally, and urging him to join his own forces with theirs for the accomplishment of that purpofe, his countenance was at once exceedingly changed, being equally expreflive of aftonishment, and of the greateft diftrefs of mind. After fome time, being preffed for an anfwer, the Nizam faid, that the affair was of a nature which might be attended with very serious confequences, and which required the moft mature deliberation. He, however, flated feveral caufes which prevented his fupplying either troops or provifions. In another conference that prince obferved, that it was very extraordinary, when the Company fent a perfon to ftrengthen the friend fhip fubfiting between them, they fhould in the fame inftant engage in measures which were fo little likely to produce that effect:That he had read over the treaty of 1768, and that entering into engagements with his brother was a direct violation of it:-That the prefidency had no right to interfere in his family concerns; and that he ought to have been confulted. Upon Mr. Hollond's endeavouring to excufe the measure, from the urgency of the cafe, which did not admit of time for a communication with the Nizam, as Hyder Ally intended an immediate attack upon his brother's country, that prince totally denied that Hyder had any fuch in tention; and conftantly reverting to the treaty, faid, that nothing could be urged in vindication of the fteps which had been taken; and that if the treaty was to be obferved, or confidered as at all binding, the troops should be stopped from marching into the Guntoor; but if the treaty was not to be regarded, he fhould himself op pofe them. He informed Hollond, at the fame time, that Hyder intended fpeedily to fall on the Carnatic, in his former manner of overrunning the country, plundering and burning every thing before him, and cautiously avoiding pitched battles. From this time the Nizam appeared to be much diffatisfied with refpect to the conduct and views of the Company, and particularly greatly offended with the prefidency of Madras. But another matter was foon to come forward, of a nature fo much more vexatious and provoking, that the former could feem in comparifon only trivial. For the better comprehenfion of this bufinefs it will be neceffary :- to take notice, that at the time the poor prince, Sha Allum, the reprefentative of the Mogul family, and generally called the King, had put himself into the hands of the Company, hoping to derive fome fignal benefit, from making them grants of countries into which he would not be permitted to enter, and of revenues which he could not touch, he paffed a phirmaund, or grant, by which he affigned to them, in the year 1765, thofe five northern circars, which were then in the poffeffion of the Nizam, and which the prefidency of Madras afterwards obtained from him by treaty. The value of fuch a grant as that of Sha Allum's, it is eafily feen, mufl depend entirely upon the ability of the party to enforce it; and, even in that cafe, is worth no . more the farming out of the Guntoor which could even be hoped for to The Nizam had ever been jealous of the Nabob's defigns upon the Deccan; and this jealoufy was undoubtedly not leffened by his connections. And he faw him now, under a very alarming af pect of public affairs, and the impreffions of feveral late tranfactions not lefs fo, at once pufhed forward into a fituation fo near and fo critical, that no moderation could prevent difputes if they were fought for, nor vigilance guard against danger if it was intended. But the double offence thus given to the Nizam, was by no means fo dangerous in its confequences as that with which the measure of the farm was clogged with refpect to Hyder Ally. In either cafe, it was well to be doubted, whether any advantages doubtful claims, or to conteft difputed boundaries with Hyder Ally; but he was confidered as the willing and forward inftrument, if not the immediate inftigator, of a much greater and more dangerous power. Another measure which arufe from this, and immediately related to Hyder, was scarcely better calculated to promote good temper. Bazalet fung, who feems to have been originally very apprehenfive of the confequences of the meafure he adopted, foon became exceedingly terrified through the menaces he received, and the dangers which he forefaw; and not thinking the troops within reach of the Guntoor at all equal to his protection, urged the prefidency to fend a strong reinforcement for that purpose. Col. Harper being accordingly deftined with a confiderable detachment to this fervice, was, it must be faid, without any apparent neceffity, and without leave being obtained or applied for, ordered to take his route through a part |