would have been closely besieged in his capital, and the reduction of it would probably have been soon accomplished.'-Although the Marattas, when compared with a well-ordered and well-disciplined European army, were little better than an immense banditti of marauders, yet they proved, at this time, very useful allies; their foraging parties ranging to a vast distance and bringing in large supplies of cattle; whilst the nizam's troops, who were inactive as well as disorderly, instead of providing for themselves, broke into the Maratta camp, and bought the grain and provisions which should have subsisted the whole army." m As the confederates became more formidable, the sultan became more desirous to avert their vengeance by conciliatory expedients. He, at this time,† sent a flag of truce, accompanied with a present of vegetables to lord Cornwallis. But this was considered as an insidious artifice to sow divisions among the allies; the present was rejected; and he was told that no negotiation would be entered upon, unless the proposals were addressed to the whole confederacy." And, whilst he was thus rejecting his adversary's overtures, that he might disable him from obstructing his operations when he should renew the siege of Seringapatam, the general made himself master of several forts, which guarded the passes to the friendly countries. ‡ Tippoo Sultan, in the mean-time, although he had found it necessary to act defensively with his grand army, had undertaken one enterprise with success.-Coimbatore, though not of so much importance as in the late campaign, when the invasion was made from the south, was a place of considerable value as the capital of a fertile district. He, therefore, dispatched a body of forces to gain possession of it. The garrison was weak: yet captain Chambers, who commanded in it, with the aid of a detachment of Travancorean troops, obliged the besiegers to retire.-Sensible of the disgrace of such a repulse, Tippoo dispatched Cummer ul Dien Cawn with a larger force against it. The siege was then resumed, with a fairer prospect of success: and, after it had continued above four weeks, the governor was constrained to capitulate by the want of ammunition; and received 1791 1791 received a promise of favourable terms, which was immediately broken through,P This event, though of importance in the ultimate result of the war, had no immediate influence on the operations at the principal seat of hostilities. -The commander in chief had gained possession of the forts which guarded the passes to the Carnatic: but it was deemed essential to a successful prosecution of his design to open a communication with the nizam's territories by the reduction of several strong fortresses near their frontiers. The first of these was Nundydroog, seated on a rock of vast height, " inaccessible all round, except by one steep and rugged passage, "which is fortified with two strong walls and a number of towers."The siege of such a fortress was an undertaking of the most arduous nature: but the value of it was deemed adequate to the difficulties and perils which were expected to attend it.-Major Gowdie, assisted by the engineers under major Montagu and lieutenant Mackenzie, was detached on this service: and, having with extreme difficulty gained a spot whereon to erect their batteries, they succeeded in making a breach in the walls. The progress of their operations being reported to lord Cornwallis, general Meadows was sent with a detachment to give an assault; and executed his commission with great success. His troops intrepidly ascending the mountain, by night, in the face of the garrison, who were firing on them incessantly with their artillery and musquetry, and rolling down large stones on them from the rocks, stormed the breach, and made themselves master of the place, after a siege of near five weeks.†' The British forces were not equally successful in an enterprise which immediately ensued.-On intelligence that a detachment of Cummer ul Dien's army was ravaging the Barahmaul valley, and threatened to intercept our convoys from the Carnatic, lord Cornwallis dispatched colonel Maxwell with a body of troops to clear the country of them. In the execution of his commission, he possessed himself of Penagra, a mud fort which guarded one of the passes to it. He then proceeded to an attack on the strong fortress of Kistnaghery, which was of importance for the preserving a free communication with the Carnatic. But here that active and gallant officer was destined to be foiled in an attempt, which, perhaps, nothing but the confidence inspired by success would have emboldened him to make. He was repulsed with considerable loss, but had the satisfaction of having accomplished his particular object before he rejoined the grand army.' 66 Savendroog was now the only fortress from which the allies were apprehensive of molestation during the intended siege. The site of this major Dirom describes "as a vast mountain of rock, which is reckoned to rise above "nine hundred yards in perpendicular height, from a base of eight or ten "miles in circumference. Embraced by walls on every side, and defended by cross walls and barriers wherever it was deemed accessible, this huge mountain," says that officer," has the further advantage of being divided "above by a chasm, which separates the upper part into two hills, which, "having each their defences, form two citadels, capable of being main"tained independent of the lower works, and, affording a secure retreat, "should encourage the garrison to hold out to the last extremity."— This rock and fortress was rendered still less accessible by a thicket of great extent, which encircled its base in every direction, covering a rugged surface. So secure did the sultan deem this place, that he was said to have rejoiced on hearing that his enemy was engaging in an enterprise, in which he would waste his strength in efforts that would terminate in disgrace. But the result proved that he was not aware of the powers of his adversary. The allied army being reinforced with 2500 Europeans and 5000 men sent by the rajah of Berar, the commander in chief proceeded to the attack; the command of the forces employed in it being vested in colonel Stuart, assisted by major Montagu as engineer.-The garrison having, in the confidence of security, left an immense rock adjoining to that of Savendroog unoccupied, the piquets of the detachment, climbing up the side of it, made a lodgment on a spot whereon to erect their first batteries. But, before these could be formed, it was necessary to cut a way through the thicket. This being effected by extreme hard labour, the ground was 1791 ‡ November 7. Mackenzie. 2. 153. December 10. t Idem. 157. 62. 1791 was cleared, and two batteries were erected; by the well-directed fire from which a breach was soon made in the walls.-The assault was then conducted with admirable skill by colonel Nesbit, under cover of a thick fog, which hung round the side of the rock. To their astonishment, scarcely any resistance was made to them at the breach. The garrison, who had relied on the natural strength of the place, were panic-struck at the sight of their enemy: and, instantly giving way, they left the assailants in possession of one of the strongest fortresses in Indostan without the loss of a single man.-This exploit was followed by an attack on the fortress of Outredroog; and the reduction of that fortress closed the operations of the grand army, but not of the campaign. On this occasion, the prospect of individual emolument was seen to interfere with the general interests of the confederacy. Purseram Bhow, who had promised to form a junction with general Abercrombie, being tempted by the spoils of the rich province of Bednore, disregarded his engagement, and advanced towards that country, with his own army and captain Little's detachment, late in the autumn. They easily possessed themselves of several intervening forts and small towns: and when a Mysorean army under Reza Sahib would have obstructed the siege of the strong fortress of Simoga, they came to an action with him; and, having defeated him, they reduced the fortress. The Bhow then advanced towards Bednore, his chief object. Here, however, he was destined to be foiled. Tippoo Sultan, determined, if possible, to save the province from the ravages of this army, dispatched Cummer ul Dien with a strong force to its defence. And the Bhow, finding so powerful an antagonist, desisted from his enterprise, and retreated towards the grand army, then employed before Seringapatam; but did not effect his junction till the operations of the siege were completed." + WEST + December 21. December 29. Little's Narrative, and Mackenzie. 2. 179. WEST INDIES. THE affairs of St. Domingo began at this period to claim the attention of the French government. The inhabitants of this island and other West India settlements, according to Mr. Bryan Edwards, are of three descriptions, (1.) Pure whites.-(2.) People of colour, who are a mixture of the whites and blacks, and blacks of free condition.-(3.) Negroes in a state of slavery.-Of these the whites were estimated in 1789, at 30,000. The people of colour at 24,000. And the negroes in a state of slavery at 480,000." There were causes of dissatisfaction in the condition and circumstances of all these descriptions. Of these they became more sensible when the works of the French philosophers, which were industriously dispersed through the islands, had awakened the people to a sense of their grievances: and they became more restless when the revolution in the English. provinces had afforded an example of colonists who had rendered themselves independent of the parent state.-But it was the French revolution which had the greatest influence in exciting the insurrection in this country. -When the inhabitants of St. Domingo were informed of the successful revolt of the advocates of freedom in the mother country, they began immediately to be desirous to participate with them in their enjoyments. And when the white people were informed that the French nation had assumed, in effect, almost the whole of that authority which had been formerly exercised by the crown, they became impatient of a government in which the whole power, even that of enacting laws, was vested in the governor general and the intendant.-When the people of colour were told," that it had been declared by a solemn decree that all men are born " and continue free and equal as to rights," they no longer submitted. patiently to a disparity of privileges from the whites, to deprivations which reduced them to a condition little preferable to that of slaves.—And the negroes heard with avidity the sentiments and exhortations of those who told 1791 |