3. Under all the circumstances of the case, I entirely approve of the alacrity which Colonel Wellesley has manifested in moving the troops towards the place of rendezvous, and I trust that this measure will accelerate their arrival at the ultimate point of their destination, and will enable you to assume the command under additional advantages.

4. With a view to give the earliest intimation to Colonel Wellesley of the measures which I have adopted for carrying his Majesty's orders into effect, I directed a copy of my instructions addressed to you on the 10th of February, to be dispatched to him by Bombay on the 3rd instant. He will consequently be prepared to receive you either on your arrival at Bombay (to which place I conclude you will have proceeded from Ceylon at the earliest opportunity) or at Mocha.

5. I enclose for your information a copy of the letter addressed, by my directions, to Colonel Wellesley by the chief secretary.

6. By a letter from the Right Honourable Lord Clive, under date the 2nd instant, I understand that his lordship has determined to send six companies of his Majesty's 74th regiment to Bombay by the ships under dispatch at Fort St. George, for the purpose of supplying the place of the 19th regiment left by Colonel Wellesley at Ceylon. The 19th regiment will therefore remain at Ceylon for the defence of that island. This arrangement appears to be judicious, as, in the approaching season, it would require a considerably longer time to transport the 19th regiment from Ceylon to Bombay, than will be occupied in conveying the six companies of the 74th directly to that place from Fort St. George.

7. Advices have recently reached me which induce me to apprehend that the French may have reinforced Mauritius, with a view to hostile operations against India;

I have therefore judged it expedient to leave the governor in council of Bombay the option of detaining the companies of the 74th for the garrison of Bombay, if he should judge it necessary.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,
WELLESLEY.

Fort William, 18th March, 1801.

If this despatch to General Baird contains an ample justification of Colonel Wellesley's proceeding, the following letter, addressed to Colonel Wellesley by the governor-general in council, in answer to his communication of the 3rd of May, entirely warrants what he did subsequent to its receipt, but before the arrival of General Baird at Bombay.

SIR,

To the Honourable Colonel Wellesley.

I AM commanded by the most noble the governorgeneral in council, to inform you that I have received, through the chief secretary to the government at Fort St. George, and have laid before his excellency in council, copies of your letters to the chief secretary at Fort St. George, and to the governor of Bombay, dated the 7th ultimo.

2. I am further directed by his excellency to enclose a copy of his instructions to Major-General Baird, and of his letter to you under date the 10th of February, which documents will furnish you with the plan which his excellency has adopted for the execution of his Majesty's commands of the 6th October, 1800.

3. As soon as this despatch shall reach you, his excel

lency in council directs you to proceedi mmediately to Mocha.

4. If Major-General Baird should not have arrived at that place, you will act as chief in command of the whole force directed to assemble at Mocha, and you will carry into execution, with every practicable degree of dispatch, the plan stated in his excellency's instructions to General Baird, dated the 10th of February.

5. When Major-General Baird shall join the forces destined to be employed on the coasts of the Red Sea, you will act as second in command, according to the tenor of the same instructions.

6. Adverting to your letters to the chief secretary to the government at Fort St. George, and to the governor of Bombay, of the 7th ultimo, the governor-general in council directs me to remark, that under his excellency's orders of the month of October (adverted to in the 11th paragraph of the instructions to you from the most noble the governor-general in council, dated the 11th November, 1800), the government of Bombay were directed to hold in readiness a considerable force of native troops for the purpose of co-operating, in Egypt or elsewhere, with the armament assembled at Ceylon; and that a force of sixteen hundred Sepoys has accordingly been ready for embarkation for some time past at Bombay.

7. His excellency also directs me to remark that the stores embarked on the ships Shah Byramgow,* Cecilia, and Anstruther, contain provisions which, in most articles, appear more than sufficient to meet the demand transmitted by you to the governor of Bombay.

* Shah Byramgow left the pilot on the 14th ultimo.

Candidate

...

20th ditto.

Cecilia and Anstruther expected to leave the pilot on the

5th instant.

8. Major-General Baird embarked for the port of Trincomalee in the Honourable Company's ship Phoenix, which ship parted with the pilot off the Sand Heads at the entrance of the river Hoogly on the 14th ultimo.

Fort William,

3rd March, 1801.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) G. H. BARLOW, Chief Secretary to the Government.

On the 31st of March, General Baird reached Bombay in the Wasp gun-vessel, on board of which he embarked on the 23rd, a little to the southward of Goa, in hopes of arriving a few days before the Phoenix, the whole anxiety of his mind being directed to expediting the departure of the transports as much as possible.

BAIRD

LESLEY-HIS CONTINUED ANXIETY CONCERNING THE FRENCH ISLANDS COLONEL MONTRESOR'S ARRIVAL — GENERAL PROCEEDS TO JEDDAH-NEGOCIATIONS WITH THE SHERIFF OF MECCA -THEIR RESULT ARRIVAL OF SIR HOME POPHAM-VOYAGE TO KOSSEIR COLONEL MURRAY-ADMIRAL BLANKETT-DESPATCHES FOR GENERAL HUTCHINSON-COMMENCEMENT OF THE MARCH-ORDERS-COLONEL BERESFORD-DIFFICULTIES WHICH ARISE

GENERAL BAIRD ACCOMPANIES THE DIVISION ON ITS MARCHACCOUNT OF KOSSEIR-GENERAL BAIRD RETURNS TO KOSSEIR.

WHEN General Baird reached Bombay, he found that owing to the activity of Governor Duncan and Colonel Wellesley, several of the transports were nearly ready, and before the 3d of April six of them had actually sailed, under the command of Colonel Beresford, with sealed orders.

General Baird, whose zeal was indefatigable, reached Bombay several days before the Phoenix; and when she arrived, having calculated the