ing of a very fpacious fquare, with a fhade along the wall, not unlike what is commonly termed a caravanfary. Numbers were, at the time of my arrival, afflicted with epidemical diftempers, but neither care nor affiftance was bestowed on them; a kind of dropfical fwelling, in particular, killed many. I afcribe the prefervation of my life to a fingular contrivance; having made a small ball of wax as hard as I could, I applied it to my leg, and tied one of my coat-buttons fo tight over it, that the ball forced a hole through the skin into the leg, in which fituation I fuffered it to remain for feveral months, preferving a kind of

conftant iffue.

In the month of September 1781, about fix months after my imprisonment, the nyar, a bramin, and the commander of our guards, entered the prifon early in the morning, and felected fifteen of the prifoners, among whom were two young boys, drummers of the 73d regiment; ftruck off their irons, and, without deigning to utter a word, carried them away, for the purpose, as I foon after understood, of circumcifing them. They refisted a long while, and bore very cruel treatment before they fubmitted to this operation; nor did they fubmit at lalt until they were ftupified with a strong opiate, which they had been forced to fwallow.

This incident fpread general terror amongst the rest of the prifoners, every one apprehending that he might be the next victim devoted to Mahometism; nor were our fears groundlefs, for, early in January 1782, the fame perfons re-entered our prison, and made a fecond felection of fourteen, in which number I had the misfortune to be included. The treatment the first victims had undergone ferved in fome degree to apprize us of the inutility of refiftance. With horror and indignation we swallowed the narcotic potion, and thofe whom the dofe had no effect upon were forcibly feized and pinioned by ftout caffres, whilft the operation was performed, having previously fhaved the hair off the privities in the cuftomary manner, a ceremony which they continued to obferve for three years. After the operation, our right ears were

perforated, and small filver rings with round knobs fixed in them, this being a mark of flavery amongst the Mahometans. As foon as we had recovered from this diabolical ceremony, we were transferred to what is termed the tyrant's chaylah battalions (that is, slaves;) these are composed of such of his own fubjects as have been condemned to perpetual flavery, and fuch unfortunate captives as he takes in war. The prefent confifted chiefly of boys furprised in the Carnatic, whom he accustomed to military exercife, with large flicks, cut in the fhape of mufquets. The tafk impofed upon us (thofe who refufed being cruelly flogged) was to inftruct these chaylahs in the manual exercife.

After we had been made what was termed Muffulmen, we neglected no opportunity of evincing our contempt for the religion of our tormentors, and the cruel force they had employed against

us.

Lieutenants Speediman and Rutledge were brought to prifon this year, in the month of July. Having been left wounded at Vellore, in the beginning of the year, they remained in that garrifon until the month of June, when an efcort of fepoys, three three-pounders, and a number of polygars, arrived with fupplies for the fort. Stimulated by military ardour, they had determined, being pretty well recovered of their wounds, to feize this opportu nity of rejoining the army, to share in the active fervice of the campaign; but on the fecond day's march from Vellore, Tippoo, with his whole army, came down upon them. It was not until most of the company's fepoys were wounded, their ammunition expended, and the polygars had deferted them, that this fmall detachment furrendered to Tippoo's whole force, by hoisting a white handkerchief for quarter, which was granted. They received tolerable good ufage in Tippoo's camp, but met with quite the reverfe from Hyder himfelf, who detained them five days, then mixed them with a number of Carna

tic boys, and difpatched them to Seringapatam. On their arrival there, they were confiderably furprised not to be confined in the prifon with the other officers, but were almoft rendered fpeechless,

fpeechless, when the horrid defign of circumcifing them became evident. They were furprised on the 27th of Auguft by a dozen ftout fellows with chawbucks and ropes, who feized them without ceremony, tied them, cut off the hair, and then walked away. On the first of September following, the fame villains returned again, feized and tied them, and then compelled them to fwallow a dofe of majum, which divested them of fenfation whilft the operation was performed.

Soon after the arrival of these gentlemen, seven of thofe that had already been circumcifed, amongst which number I was included, were carried again into the fort to difcipline fome hun dreds of Carnatic boys, lately torn away from their native foil. I had not been many days in the fort before fifty feamen arrived from Bangalore, being a part of thofe given up to Hyder by admiral Suffrein at Cuddelore in June. These were all chofen young men, picked out from about three hundred that the admiral gave up, and deftined for Hyder's army. Meffrs. Wilfon, Edimon, Auftine, Whiteway, Drake, Cardman, and Lefage, midfhipmen, were of the number. The youngest and handsomest of these unfortunate men underwent a fecond selection at Seringapatam, and were lodged in the palace, as part of the tyrant's household, where they received tolerable good treatment, were inftructed in the language of the east, and taught different arts and exercises according to the stations they were intended to fill about his perfon; and whenever their tutor went abroad they attended him. Some of thefe, after the peace, were intended for dancing-boys, and fent among the notch people to be inftructed in the manoeuvres belonging to that art. Mr. Cadman was one of those to whom the latter choice had fallen, but, on account of what they thought refractory behaviour, he was returned to the chaylahs, and was of the party who made their escape with me, and has fince, I am very happy to hear, got safe to Madras. Meffrs. Wilfon, Edimon, Auftine, and Whiteway, loft their lives in the tyrant's dominions fome years ago. Thefe unfortunate and basely-facrificed seamen had all been circumcised, and

were confidered as the unquestionable property of Hyder, which no treaty fhould induce him to give up, having received them from an ally and friend, whofe bufinefs it would be to answer for them fhould they ever become the fubject of an enquiry. It was the opinion of the wretched fufferers that Suffrein had fold them to the tyrant; they all declared that the admiral had offered them each a hat-full of dollars, if they would do duty on-board the French fleet, it being reduced to great shifts for want of hands, and they univerfally feemed to think that their firm refusal provoked the admiral to give them up to Hyder; nay, that he had threatened them with doing fo in cafe of non-compliance. Thirty of them were fortunate enough to escape from Arnee immediately after the furrender, without even being miffed; and many more, no doubt, would have got off the fame way, as they had found means, when they were mustered, to deceive by counting twice for thofe miffing in the evening, a trick that could not easily be discovered as long as their faces were not known; but fome that were retaken by Hyder's people roufed the fuspicion of the guards. Two, however, contrived to get away after this, but one of them fillily returned the next day, having miffed his road, and brought the account of his companion's death, who was drowned in attempting to pass a river.

Towards the end of the year 1782, tidings of Hyder's demife reached Seringapatam. His fon Tippoo, fince called Tippoo Sultan, took undisturbed poffeffion of all his father's territories, and the command of vast armies, at a time when many difaffected individuals filled both the camp and city. This must be esteemed no contempti ble proof of his abilities as a politician as well as a foldier; fuch authority, at leaft, did his known character carry with it, that no open attempts were made to oppose his acceffion, or divide and circumfcribe his power. Tippoo was with his army, at a confiderable diftance from Hyder when he died; but, when the information reached him, he hafted to his father's camp, and made fuch difpofitions and arrangements as he judged prudent and necessary, with

out

out relaxing, in any degree, the vigour with which he carried on the war againft the English.

The lofs of Bedanore, and the first of Tippoo's conquefts, was one of the heavy difafters which fignalized the beginning of this year. Early in the month of May the whole of Tippoo's capital rang with fhouts and rejoicings in confequence of this re-capture; fugar and fweetmeats were carried about the town in baskets, and delivered to the inhabitants under the discharge of cannon. I do not recollect the fpirits of the prifoners to be fo much depreffed at any one time during my captivity as on this mournful occafion. To add acuteness to our distress, we were defired, or rather compelled, to partake of the fweetmeats prepared for the rejoicings, and our politive refufal was conftrued into a stubbornness which deferved correction; accordingly the killadar determined to make us feel the effects of his difpleasure. He ordered us in future into the ranks with the chaylahs, (hitherto having only fuperintended them ;) prohibited every fpecies of intercourfe and communication with each other, even that of converf ing together in public; and configned us to the charge of fentries, who confined us in a fquare building the whole day without any food. Terrified at this unprovoked and fudden change of treat ment, and very fenfible that paffive fub. miffion would only ferve to render our enemies more oppreffive and inexorable, we refolved, towards the evening, to be informed of our destiny. Having forced the fentries placed over us, we proceeded in a body to the killadar's quarters, and remonftrated in the most fubmiflive terms against the cruelty of ftarving and tormenting us without any real caufe. He took not the fmalleft notice of our complaint, but ordered a party of fepoys to furround us, and tie us with ropes; after which he ordered us, one by one, to be fcourged in his prefence, until his favage difpofition was glutted with the groans extorted from us. Enfign Clark, who had flood our fpeaker on this occation, being well verfed in the Hindottan or Moorish language, was firft on the lift, and most inhumanly flogged; a few only efcaped by the unmerciful barbarian's growing

tired of the fport. We were kept the whole of this night and the fucceeding day in the open air, bound and expofed to the burning fun. On the fecond evening fome victuals were distributed amongst us, when we were dispersed in different places amongst the flaves, and treated with uncommon rigour for a long time afterwards.

A fingular fpecies of cruelty occurred about this time. Four European women, with their husbands, belonging to the Bedanore garrison, were brought to Seringapatam, where they were torn from their husbands, and allotted to four of the black flaves. Two became the property of the natives of Mysore, and the other two were given to a couple of Abyffinians, with whom they were compelled to live. I faw thefe women myself, they were good-looking females, but pity was all the affistance I was able to afford them.

A confpiracy against the ufurper was difcovered in the month of Auguft this year. The project was planned with much precaution and judgment, and it was intended that the European prisoners fhould be admitted to a fhare in the enterprise, which had nothing less in view than to restore the reins of government to the ancient race of Myfore, and emancipate the prefent king from the fhackles of the regency. One of the confpirators betrayed the plot, on the very eve of its execution, by which he faved himself, and brought his affociates to the most excruciating tortures, fuch as being dragged to death at the heels of elephants, &c.

The month of September 1783 was diftinguished by the inhuman murder of general Matthews, who was certainly poifoned in a very barbarous manner, being ftarved until he had confented to eat of the food which he had difcovered contained poifon. He refufed for feveral days to tafte nourishment, but hunger furmounted at last the defire of protracting a miserable exiftence: he fwallowed a plentiful portion of the victuals prepared for him, and in a few hours after expired in violent convulsions.

In the month of December following, all the circumcifed Europeans in Seringapatam were removed to Myfore, the ancient capital of the kingdom, but

at that time an infignificant little fort, about seven miles to the fouthward of Seringapatam, which Tippoo has fince demolished, and erected a new and ftronger one a little to the eastward of the former, called Sultan Killah. After four months confinement at Myfore, we were marched back to Seringapatam. Tippoo had then returned to his capital, and peace with the English was concluded.

It is difficult for those who never experienced fimilar calamities to form any adequate or jult conception of our defpondence in finding ourfelves, when peace was restored, for ever fecluded from our country and friends. The hopes of one day rejoining thofe to whom we might relate our adverfities in fafety, and enjoy the pleafing reflections of having furmounted fufferings incurred in the cause and service of our country, had hitherto fupported us against every misfortune. A general restoration of prisoners had been the bafis of the peace; but our rulers found themselves reduced to connive at the most flagrant infringement of this article.

We were now pofted to the different chaylah battalions in the capacity of havildars, and received seven rupees per month. Lieutenants Speediman and Rutledge were appointed fubadars. Lieutenant Brumpton, who came up to Seringapatam at the fame time with myself, and enlign Gordon, a gentleman who had been a long time confined at Chittledroog, were liberated.

Our confinement was ftill continued with its former rigour and circumfpection; we were scarcely allowed to look out of our prifon, and for near three years fucceeding the peace our flavery suffered little or no relaxation. We were not, in general, allowed to ftir, even on the most prefling occafions, without a fentry to accompany us; nor fhould we at any time during that period have been permitted to walk about freely, if the officers who were entrusted with the charge of us, and responsible for our appearance, had not at times indulged us with fome liberty, trufting, I fuppofe, to the impoffibility of our getting away.

We were now transferred from the shaylahs to the Malabar Roman Ca

tholic Chriftians, confifting originally of about forty thousand unfortunate. wretches, men, women, and children, forced away from the Bedanore and Mangalore countries in 1784, and compelled to embrace Mahometifin, not, however, without exhibiting several martyrs in fupport of a doctrine with which they had no farther acquaintance than what confifted in counting a row of beads, and performing genuflexions before a crucified image. The corps, or battalion of these wretches, to which I had been posted, was soon afterwards fent to Myfore, where it remained five months, and then returned. These marches had nothing in view but to keep the unfortunate enflaved foldiers in employ, and to break any combinations which might have been formed.

In the beginning of 1789, fix men, whom we had not heard of before, were brought from Chittledroog to Seringapatam; this fufficiently evinces, that many more Europeans than what are fufpected are concealed in Tippoo's dominions. These men were, foon after their arrival, carried out of the fort, in irons into a wood, where they were hanged. They had belonged to the Bedanore garrifon which capitulated : what induced the barbarous conqueror to murder these men in cold blood I never was able to discover.

We heard nothing of Tippoo's movements for a confiderable time; when, at last, orders were received at the ca pital to prepare for the nuptials of his fon, a ftout boy about seventeen years of age, who was to espouse the daughter of the queen of Cannonore. Or ders were also received at the fame time to arrange matters preparatory to the father's inauguration as Sultaun of the East, the title which he in future intended to affume, and in which qua lity he meditated nothing lefs than the fubjection of all India. He likewife iffued a proclamation, prohibiting all marriages in the kingdom of Myfore until fuch time as the wedding of his fon fhould take place, being determined to celebrate that day by the confummation of twenty-five thousand marriages af his own charge.

His orders for the folemnization of this marriage created a general bustle and tumult throughout the city; every

individual

individual that could perform any thing curious or clever was employed. The palace of old Hyder was demolished, and in the rear of it was begun a more extenfive and magnificent one of a triangular form, and fronting a famous pagoda in the centre of the fort: in this the Myforean prince propofed to be inaugurated. Having been presented by the court of France with four large and curious cryftal pedestals, these were to fupport his throne. This royal feat was to be fuperbly decorated, and built by Europeans; but neither the palace nor the throne were finished when I left Seringapatam.

When Hyder had carried his long difputed point against Travancore, which took up about twice the time he had conjectured, he returned to his capital, and was received with all the fplendour of a conqueror; triumphal arches filled the streets through which he paffed, and the decorations which had been originally destined to grace the nuptials of his fon were displayed on this occafion. On his arrival he proceeded directly to his father's tomb, where he spent the whole day in folemn prayers. He entered the fort at night through a road brilliantly iliu

minated.

On his return from this expedition, he brought a number of different forts of guns, and a large quantity of fheet copper, of which he had ftripped the domes of the Roman Catholic churches on the Malabar coaft; with likewife three thousand of the captured Travancorians and the families of about three hundred of the Cochin people, whom he had been cruel enough to feize, and, after tying them in pairs, drove them into the fea.

Tippoo now fet very seriously about new modelling and muftering his troops. The artillery did not efcape his notice; his arsenal was well fupplied with warlike stores, and every preparation in his power was made for a war; the English prifoners were ordered into the fort again, and their capturer, at one of the reviews, obferving amongst the

ON CRIMES AND HE difcuffion and admeasurement

Tof crimes and punishments forms in every country the code of criminal

chaylahs fome prifoners that were fhaved, he remarked to one of his courtiers: "These men, I fee, have discovered a new bible and creed at last," meaning the Koran and Mahomedan doctrine. When he had infpected every thing in perfon, carried reform into every department, and provided against deficiencies and abufes, he at last iffued orders for a fecond campaign, and took the field. It was not, however, until we received the intelligence from an European taken prifoner at Caroor, where he had been ftraggling whilft intoxicated, and brought to Seringapatam, that the European prifoners heard for certain of war having actually broke out betwixt Tippoo and the English.

Upon this news, five men befides myfelf had actually refolved to trust our lives in a boat on the Coleroon, and let the current carry us where it would, though we had been informed that a cataract on the route rendered this enterprife extremely hazardous; but we were certain it would carry us from Seringapatam, and nothing which could befal us afterwards appeared half fo dreadful as remaining in flavery there. We had nearly conftructed a basketboat for our purpose, made of bamboos, which we got ready fplit from the dhomwallas, or basket-makers, and had fecured leather to cover it with. An old uninhabited house served to hide our materials and machine in; the fplit bamboos were concealed under the thatched roof, fo as not to be immediately discovered by any perfon looking accidentally into the house. The boat itself was buried in a large hole in the ground. Two of us ufed to fteal away for an hour or two in the night, and work by turns whenever we found it practicable. It came, however, to the knowledge of the reft, and alarmed them fo much, that we yield, ed to their fupplications, and abandoned the project, as it was impoffible to build, or even procure, boats to convey the whole of us at one trip. (To be continued.)

PUNISHMENT S. law; or, as it is more ufually denomi

mated in England, the doctrine of the pleas of the crown: fo called, because