ately visited him at Calcutta, at his special request afterwards accompanied his Lordship to Oude, and in the course of the journey pointed out, both in conversation and by memorials, the advantages that would accrue from a commercial intercourse between India and Arabia; which, among other advantages, would ensure such a connection with the coffee country, as promised an absolute monopoly of that article.

On the other hand, his Excellency had planned an expedition, in the nature of a coup de main, which was to be undertaken by the troops about to be embarked for the Red Sea. Of this, as well as the arrangement of every thing relative to the transports and supplies for the army in Egypt, the whole direction was to have been conferred on Sir Home; but in consequence of the intervention of some unexpected occurrences, the orders for this purpose were countermanded. This was announced to him in a very handsome letter, dated Burhampore, September 1, 1801, in which the Governor-General, after stating his reasons for abandoning the enterprise, expresses himself as follows:

"I cannot, however, relinquish the armament. which I had proposed to equip under your directions and with your assistance, without assuring you of the high sense which I retain of the zeal, talents, and knowledge, which you manifested in the communications which have passed between us, and of the confidence which I should have reposed in the suc cess of any operation conducted by an officer of such

acknowledged enterprize and skill. I shall take an early occasion to record these sentiments for the information of the Court of Directors, and to submit them to his Majesty's ministers, with whom I cor respond officially on all subjects of military detail.

"With respect to your political mission to the Arab States, I shall immediately transmit a letter to you through the political department. I have directed the nesessary orders to be sent to Fort William for providing you with tents and equipage for your journey from Mocha to Sennah. Under all the circumstances of the present crisis it appears to me that your most advisable course would be to return to the Red Sea as soon as the season will admit.

"Notwithstanding that the result of your proceeding to this port does not now appear likely to be precisely answerable to your expectations of active service, or to my wish of availing myself of your exertions against Batavia, I must repeat my most sincere thanks to you for having with so much promptitude taken a measure which has enabled me to obtain a more accurate view of the state of our army in Egypt, as well as of the affairs of Arabia, than I could possibly have acquired in any other mode. You may be assured," added his Lordship, " that I shall offer to you the tribute of my public acknowledgment of the judgment, alacrity, and zeal for the service, which dictated a proceeding not only expedient under any circumstances, but highly proper and prudent in the crisis which existed at the time your departure from the Red Sea."

of

On

On the 14th of November 1801 Sir Home accordingly repaired on board the Romney, with an intention of proceeding to the Red Sea immediately; but he was called back by an express from the vice-presi dent in council, in consequence of a dispatch from England, intimating a strong suspicion that the French had sent an expedition against the Portuguese settlement of Macao, with a view of intercepting the ships employed in the China trade.

The Commodore immediately suggested the necessity of sending an engineer thither. The works were supposed to be out of repair; and as some difficulty existed relating to the convoy of the transports, with a body of troops for its defence, he offered his services on this occasion, and also insisted on the propriety of attempting to gain possession of the Mauritius.

The necessary dispositions for the former measure were accordingly made; but having arrived at Prince of Wales's Island on the 20th of December 1802, he there found Admiral Rainier, who directed the Arrogant and the Orpheus to proceed to Macao with the Indiamen; and as his squadron was scantily supplied at that moment, part of the Romney's provisions and stores were taken out to enable the ships to perform this service.

On the 7th of January 1803, we find the Commodore in Madras Roads, whence he sailed once. more for the Red Sea, and in the month of March anchored in the harbour of Suez. From this port he proposed to have gone to Alexandria, for the ex

press purpose of conferring with General Baird relative to the embarkation of the troops, and other subjects of importance, but was prevented by the appearance of the plague in that city. On this, with a view of preventing any bad effects to the shipping in case it should reach Suez, measures were taken to remove the vessels from the roads, and to cut off all communication with the shore. In order to impress the commanders of such as had been chartered, with the necessity of the strictest attention, notice was given in general orders, that any ship catching the infection should be burnt; and if this event proved to have arisen from negligence, the loss was to-fall on the owners. All unnecessary communication with the Arabs was at the same time interdicted; the very sheep were shorn and washed on shore before they were suffered to be brought on board; while orders were given that even the poultry should be kept a certain time after it had been brought from any of the villages, before it was permitted to be embarked. These precautions, in addition to fumigation, and the appointment of a committce of health, no doubt proved eminently serviceable.

Having been nominated Ambassador to the States of Arabia by the Governor-General, the Commodore now entered into a regular correspondence with Houszer Mehmet Pacha, Vizier of three tails, Viceroy of Egitto, then residing at Grand Cairo, respecting an interchange of commodities with the Com-pany's settlements in Asia, across the Desert, on paying certain stipulated duties; but when he addressed

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himself

himself to the Sheriffe, who had just poisoned the Turkish Pacha at Mecca on his second visit to him, he was informed by his Vizier that an interview could not take place; and that if he had any thing to communicate he might write to him at Taaf, a district famous for its gardens, as his Holiness" was there eating fruit, and it was too much trouble to come to Juddah." It appears that this prince, who united both a religious and civil character in his own person, was greatly attached to the French, and considered all those who were attentive to the English as the "slaves of the hogs."

Soon after this Sir Home dispatched Mr. Elliott, Secretary to the Embassy, together with Dr. Pringle and Lieutenant Lamb, on a mission to the Imaum at Sunna, with a proper escort; while the Sultan of Aden deputed his son to wait on the Commodore at Mocha, and press an establishment in his dominions.

About this time also he himself accepted the invitation of the Pacha of Egypt to visit Cairo, on which occasion his Highness sent an officer of his household, with a troop of dromedaries and many led horses, to Suez; and they agreed to terms highly favourable to the British nation, respecting the tariff of customs to be paid in the dominions of the Sublime Porte, on the coasts of the Red Sea, so as, among other advantages, to secure a complete monopoly of the coffee-trade. He also with the same views made a journey to Tais, in the course of which be appears to have experienced many indignities, and