1st of August 1779. The men-of-war, and the other Indiamen, stood round for Simon's Bay, in False Bay, the usual naval rendezvous and anchorage, where the dockyard and other marine departments are established; some of them, it appears, did not get to anchor until three weeks after the arrival of the two companion ships in Table Bay.

At the Cape, however, which at that period was a Dutch colony, the fleet remained for three months a period little less than that which is now occupied by a whole voyage from England to India; and during this unaccountably long detention, a homeward bound India fleet arrived.

It was not until November, 1779, that the outward-bound fleet was again on its way to India; and it was not until January, 1780, that Lord Macleod and his gallant Highlanders landed at Madras; an entire year having been consumed in the completion of the voyage from the date of their first embarkation at Portsmouth.

CHAPTER II.

STATE OF AFFAIRS AT MADRAS-CONDUCT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF FORT ST. GEORGE-HYDER ALY-HIS WAR WITH THE MAHRATTAS -APPEAL TO THE EAST INDIA COMPANY-THEIR REFUSAL-HIS JUNCTION WITH THE FRENCH-IMPROVEMENT OF HIS ARMY-COALESCES WITH THE MAHRATTAS-ADVANCES TO THE MOUNT-DIFFERENCES OF OPINION IN THE COUNCIL-LORD MACLEOD REFUSES THE COMMAND OF THE ARMY - SIR HECTOR MUNRO TAKES THE COMMAND-CAPTAIN BAIRD MARCHES WITH COLONEL FLETCHER TO CONJEVERAM-JOINS COLONEL BAILLIE-ATTACK OF HYDER AND TIPPOO-SANGUINARY BATTLE-TREACHERY AND BARBARITY OF TIPPO0-THE ENGLISH FORCE BETRAYED AND CUT TO PIECES -CAPTAIN BAIRD DESPERATELY WOUNDED.

AT the time of the arrival of the 73rd at Madras, the general appearance of affairs was favourable to tranquillity; but those to whom the administration of the government was entrusted should have penetrated below the surface, aware, as they ought to have been, of the hatred-not perhaps altogether unjustified-which Hyder Aly Cawn bore the English, and more especially the presidency of Fort St. George.

In order to understand the causes of this peculiar animosity, it may be necessary to state, that in the year 1769, eleven years before the period to which we are now referring, Hyder Aly, after

having been engaged with varying success against the English, had suddenly appeared within a few miles of Madras, greatly to the embarrassment of the government of that presidency, which, besides being extremely reduced in point of revenue, had been for some time divided and distracted by dissensions among the council and superior officers, and driven to expedients which, it must be confessed, reflect no great credit upon the integrity of those who devised them, or upon the wisdom of those who put them into execution.

Matters, however, pressed, and with the enemy almost at their gates, they found it necessary to check his farther proceedings by negociation, into which he, on his part, was equally ready to enter; and accordingly a treaty, offensive and defensive, was concluded between Hyder and the British government, on the 3rd of April, 1769, the principal condition of which was understood to be, that the forts and places taken on either side should be restored to their original possessors, and each party sit down contented. But in point of fact there was another article in the treaty which was still more important-it was specially agreed, that in case either party was attacked by its enemies, the other should lend the party so attacked its aid and assistance; and to make this compact more binding, the actual number of troops to be supplied for the purpose was distinctly stated. Whether from forgetfulness of that to which they had pledged themselves, or from carelessness of

a distant enemy, at whom they had trembled when near at hand, it is not our province to determine; but certain it is, that when Hyder Aly, a short time after the ratification of this treaty, became involved in a war with the Mahrattas, and applied to the Madras government for the guaranteed assistance, the Madras government flatly refused to afford it, because, as they alleged, if they took a decided part with Hyder against the Mahrattas, they should in all probability become involved in a Mahratta war themselves.

Stung by the flagrant injustice of this paltry evasion, in a case all the difficulties of which the Madras government should have considered before they pledged themselves; Hyder, after numerous applications, which were constantly refused, resolved upon making up his differences with the Mahrattas as soon as he could, and revenging himself upon his faithless allies, the English. Painful it is, indeed, to think that the English name should have been so sullied in the presidencies of the Honourable East India Company and councils.

To this shameless breach of faith may fairly be traced the combination of miseries and misfortunes which subsequently involved and overwhelmed thousands of our countrymen, and amongst them, the gallant and distinguished subject of this memoir; for the course taken by Hyder to satisfy his thirst for revenge upon the English, was one which led to a chain of events, the extent and magnitude of which were not in the slightest de

gree anticipated by the Madras government, when, upon a cool calculating principle of self-preservation, they resolved to violate the faith of their engagements, and outrage the sanctity of their

treaties.

Hyder knew by experience, and by the common course of events, that the French, if made acquainted with the facts of the case, and the feelings of our discarded ally, would not hesitate for a moment in affording him any means that he might require for reducing his Indian enemies, as the first important step towards wreaking a future vengeance on his English friends. Hyder's anticipations with respect to succour and support from this quarter were fully justified by the event: the French supplied him liberally with arms and ammunition and French officers were permitted, if not encouraged, to enter into his service, to train and organize his armies, and to form a powerful force of artillery upon the European system.

;

The effect of this improvement upon the discipline of his troops was sensibly and rapidly felt; and in a much shorter space of time than even he himself could have hoped or expected, he found himself enabled to take the field against the Mahrattas, and the result of his brilliant campaign was a treaty in the highest degree advantageous to his interests.

But, as if to shew in more glowing colours the real character of the evasion with which the Madras government met Hyder's requisition, on