£.— ISITY OF CALIFORNI LOS ANGELES SERIES of LETTERS O N T H E PUBLIC SERVICE, O N T H E COAST of COROMANDEU .From Auguft 1778, to March 1779. 8423 10 A .f LETTER N T H E SERVICE, N T H E ^ OROMANDEU lyjBj to March 1779. r D O N t lMBERT, in the Strand. [.DCC.LXXX. .^.^^ .>*^ ,*,r-7 *kr-rv«^ -7 A SERIES of LETTERS ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE, O N T H E COAST of COROMANDEU From Augujl 1778, to March 1779. ^jfcj^^fcr— i^mmmmp^^ im * Jiff LONDON? Printed for L. LAMBERT, in the Strand. M.DCC.LXXX. X' .. ^ 1 ' ^. ce C5 H^ a Extract of Orders from Europe, as fettled by a General Court of Proprietors^ Oclober 14, 1778. J[ H A T all orders within the garrilbn of Fort William and Paragraph4j. town of Calcutta, except fuch as relate to regimental detail, and to military difcipline, or to the defence of the fort, be given in the name of the governor-general, who fhall keep the keys of the fort and give the parole ; but orders refpeding regimental detail and difcipline of the army in general, including the garrifon of fort William, and troops ftationed in the town of Calcutta, fliall be given in the name of the military commander in chief, or in his abfence, in the name of the fuperior military officer doing duty at fort William, for the time being, who fliall communicate all fuch orders to the governor-general, by his aid de camp, or other proper officer, for his approbation, before they be iffued to the troops in the faid garrifon, or in the town of Calcutta. That, in cafe of the attack of any fubordinate fadory in Bengal, Bahar, or Orifla, the keys be delivered to the commander in chief, m or in his abfence, to the fuperior military officer prefent at fuch fadory; the mode of defence left entirely to his judgment, and the whole executive military power be vefted in him, till the enemy B fliall [ 2 ] fhall be expelled, fubjedt, however, at all times, to the controul of the governor-general and council, or of the military commander in chief. 54- That the commander in chief, or fuperior military officer, in every diftridl, be expreflly ordered by the governor-general and council to comply with fuch requifitions as fhall be made by the company's chief civil fervants, for troops in all cafes where military affiftance may be neceffary ; and in every fuch requifition, the chief civil fer- vants fhall explain to the military officer, in writing, fo far as it may be pradticable, the nature of the fervice to be performed ; but the mode of carrying it into execution, and the number of troops and quantity of ftores requifite for that purpofe, fhall be determined by the chief and council, in all fubordinates where there fliall not be an eftablifliment of a chief and council, the fame fhall be left to the judgment of the military officer in whom the executive power is veiled. Orders from Madras, ifl. The keys of the fubordinate fettlement Ganjam, Vizagapa- tam, Mafulipatam and Cuddalorc, to be kept by the company's chief civil fervant, who is alfo to give out the parole, and to receive re- turns of the troops in fuch fettlements from the military comniand- ing officers, until the fettlement fhall be attacked, when the keys fhall be delivered to the commander in chief, or in his abfence, to the fuperior military officer prefent at fuch fettlement; the mode of defence left entirely to his judgment, and the whole executive military power vefted in him, till the enemy fhall be repelled, fub- jed, however, at all times, to the controul of the governor and council, or of the military commander in chief. 2dly, To make returns to the chief and council ; comply with re- quifitions ; and to correfpond with them. ^criis [ 3 ] Slutrles put by Sir Robert Fletcher to Genera/ Cms ting, 'with General Clavering'^ Anfwcrs. ^lery i. Can General Cla- vering remove any man or men from one corps to another, with- out the approbation of the chiefs and councils in dilbids under the fubordinates ? or, can he make fuch removals in the other corps in the army, without firfl: apply- ing to the board ? ^ery 2. Do General Clave- ring's orders from Calcutta, to the troops at Patna, and the other fubordinates, go thro' the chiefs and councils ? and do fuch orders receive any authority but that of general Clavering, before they go from the prelidency ? ^lery 3. If general Clavering were at or near a fubordinate, is he fubjedl to any orders but thofe of theGovernor general and coun- cil ? Anfwer. The commander in chief, by virtue of the 42d arti- cle of the company's inftrudtions, removes officers and foldiers from one corps to another, as he ima- gines it will he mofl conducive to military difciplinc and the good of the fervice, without either ap- plying to the chiefs of fubordi- nates, or to the board. This au- thority was exercifed before his arrival, either by the commander in chief or by the governor. Anfwer. When refolutions are taken in council, which regard the army, a tranfcript of thofc refolutions is fent to the military commander in chief by the fe- cretary, and he iffues them to every brigade, and to every Na- tion, including the refidences of of the chiefs and councils. — Ge- neral Clavering's orders never go through the chiefs and councils, nor do they receive any authority but that which is above-men- tioned. Anfwer. The commander in chief is not fubjedt to the orders of the chief and council, either at or near the fubordinate. He and all commanding officers are direfted by the 54th article of the inflrudtions, to comply with fuch requifitions as fliall be made by the company's chief civil fervants for troops. In drawing up this article, the court of directors have B 2 ftriaiy [ 4 J ^lery 4. Who grants leave of abfence to officers in and near to Patna, and other places, where there is a chief and council ? and can general Clavering grant fiich leave, independent of the chief and councils ? ^ery 5. This query and th» (injwer being the fame as Cafe \Ji, feems improper j but it is conform- able to the original. ^tery 6. Can the chiefs and council of fubordinates order court martials ? ftiidly conformed to the pradice in England, where all military officers are direfted to lend aflirt- ance, when required, to the civil officers. General Clavering thinks himfelf not fubjed to any other orders in Bengal, but thole of the Governor-general and council, ex- cepting fuch as he may receive from the honourable the court of Diredtors. Anfiver. The chief and coun- cil, at Patna, or at any other place within thefe provinces, do not grant leave of abfence to officers. Conformable to the 45th paragraph of the court of Diredors' inftrudions, tempora- ry leave of abfence is granted by the Governor-general to officers doing duty in the garrifon of fort William, or town of Calcutta, and by the military commander in chief of the company's forces in Bengal, Bahar, and OrilTa, to all other officers. No doubt can arife on the interpretation of this article. Anfmoer. By a warrant, dated March 30, 1763, the governor and council of each prefidency are impowered by the court of Di- redtors, by virtue of a warrant from the king, to authorife the commander in chief of each de- tachment of their forces, to hold courts martial : I conceive courts martial [ s ] ^icry 7. 'This query is twice repented in Sir Robert Flctchci V Minute. Slnery 8. Is it general Clavcr- ing, or the board, that grants leave of abfcnce to I'aymafters and furgeons ot corps Rationed out of Calcutta and fort William? martial held by any other autho- rity, to be illega!. Anpwer. The paymaners and furgeons are confidertd as form- ing part of the army. Vide an- fwer to Query (quoted on Cale 2d) beginning, *• Who grants leave of abfence, &c." A true Copy, taken from the authentic Records, publiflied by order of the Company. Wm. Sydenham. Fort St. George, Dec. 22, 1778. Whereas many and great inconveniences have arilen to the public Geneisi Or- fervice by difputes between the Company's chief, civil and military the Selea fervants, at the fubordinate fettlements, refpeding the feparate mi- litary powers vefted in each ; and whereas in the feveral conteds that have unhappily been raifed on this fubjeft, it appears evident, that the military fervants have, in general, not only exceeded the bounds of their jufl authority, but have thrown off the appearance of that refped, and deference, which the company's orders, and the necef- fity of the fervice require to be paid to the chief civil fervants, in- truded with the diredlions and management of their affairs, at the fubordinate fettlements j the honourable the Prefident and Seledl Committee, viewing thofe proceedings in a moff ferious and impor- tant light, and being extremely defirous of putting a ftop to the confufion that has already refulted from them, of reftoring the au- thority of the company's chief civil fervants, and tracing fuch a clear, and flrong line, as may be mofl: likely to prevent all future mifunderftandings, have thought proper to come to the following refolutions, which are to be implicitly obeyed, I ft. [ 6 ] I ft, The keys of the fubordinate fettlement;, Ganjam, Mafuli- patam, Vizagapatam, and in general all other places, where the company have chiefs and councils, or refidents, are to be kept by the chief civil fervant in thofe places refpedively, who is to give out the parole, and to receive returns of troops in fuch fettlements, from the military commanding officer : but in cafe fuch fettlement be at- tacked, then the keys Ihall be delivered to the fuperior military of- ficer prefent, at fuch fettlement, and the mode of defence left en- tirely to his judgment, and the whole executive power vefted in him, until the enemy fliall be repulfed, (fubjedt, however, at all times, to the controul of the prefident and feled: committee, or of the mi- litary commander in chief ) but when the enemy fliall be repelled, fuch power fliall ceafe, and the keys of the garrifon delivered back to the chief civil fervant. jdly, The chiefs, and councils, or refidents in thofe fettlements where troops are, or may be ftationed, are from henceforth to have the entire diredlion and controul of thofe troops, (fubjedl only to the authority of the feleft committee, and to the exceptions here- after mentioned, with refpeft to the powers of the commander in chief) they are to order and employ them upon any fervice they may find expedient, and to give them fuch inftruftions as they may think proper, relative to the mode of executing fuch fervice, which are to be implicitly obeyed. 3dly, The commander in chief of the army being vefted with authority to publifti, in his own name, all orders refpefling the re- gimental detail and difcipline of the troops in general. The com- pany's chief civil fervants, at the fubordinate fetrlements, are in no refpedl to interfere in matters of this nature, fuch order, however, as may be thus ifiued in the name of the commander in chief, are jCiot to be iflued in any of the fubordinate fettlements, until they fhall have [ 7 ] have been fiift counterfigned by the chief civil fervant ; nor {hall any garrifon order whatever, be published by or in the name of the commandant of the troops in fiich fubordinacies, without being firft approved and figned by the chief civil fervant. 4th, All refolutions pafTed by the feled committee, concerning the promotion, or difmiflion, of military officers, and, in general, all fuch as they may think proper to fignify in general orders to the army, are to be communicated as ufual to the commander in chief, and by him circulated to all the troops, except thofe within the gar- rifon of Fort St. George ; but with refpedl to the troops doing duty in the fubordinate fettlements, and their dependencies, copies of fuch general orders will be fent by the fecretary to the chiefs, and councils, or refidents, in fuch fettlements, for their information. 5thly, All military commanding officers of troops, within, and dependent upon, the fubordinate fettlements, are to make regular returns to the chiefs, and councils, or refidents, and to correfpond with them upon all matters refpedling the fervice, except fuch as relate to regimental detail, or military difcipline. 6thly, The commander in chief, being vefled with authority to grant temporary leave of abfence, in time of peace, to all officers doing duty out of the garrifon, of Fort St. George, fuch leave of abfence, with refpedl to the officers within, and dependent upon tlie feveral fubordinate fettlements, is in future to be fent by the com- mander in chief, under a flying feal, to the chiefs, and councils, or refidents, that they may know to whom fuch leave is given ; and every officer, within their refpedtive dependencies, who fliall avail himfelf of fuch leave of abfence, is to give notice to them, both at his departure and his return ; and if leave of abfence be given to any officer doing duty in the principal garrifons of a fubordinate fet- tlement. [ 8 ] tlement, he is not to avail liimfelf of if, without waiting upon the chief and reporting his departure to him ; he muft alfo, at his re- turn, immediately report himfelf to the chief. ythly. The prefident and feledl committee have refolved, that in fu- ture there fliall be no commanding officer whofe authority fliall extend to the troops within, and dependent upon, any fubordinate fettlement, unlets by fpecial appointment; but that each officer fliall command the batallion, or corps, to which he may be attached, and confine himfelf to that only, unlefs when the troops of different batallions, or corps, are doing duty together ; and then the fenior officer is of courfe to command. 8thly, No military officer in the Circars, is, on any account to correfpond with the country powers, or with any of the Rajahs, or Zemindars, except on fervice in the field j and in fuch cafes where it might be prejudicial to wait for applications through the regular channel of the chief and council ; but in thefe cafes, the correfpon- dence muft be confined to the particular fervice in which fuch of- ficer may be employed, and a copy of it muft be tranfmitted by the firft opportunity to the chief and council, under whofe orders he may be ading at the time. By order of the Prefident and Seledl Committee, Signed, Charles Oakley, Secretary. y. Burroives, Adjutant-general. ExtraSl [ 9 ] ExfraSi of the Company's General Letter to Fort St. George, dated ps^rzgr. ^\, Jcmuary 20, 177^' Se?it per OJlerly, Grofvenor, (^c. Although, in our advices of laft year, we found ourfelves under the necedity of promoting Mr. Alex. Maclellan to a Majority in your infantry eftablifliment, in confequence of his having been aid de camp to General Wedderburn, who unfortunately fell in our fervice on the Malabar coaft ; we, neverthelefs, feel an anxiety in having fo done, in prejudice to an officer of fo much real merit as captain Richard Mathews, whom we find has ferved us for upwards of eighteen years upon your eflablifhment. In order, therefore, to re- lieve, in fome degree, his feelings upon fuch a fuperceffion, it is our pofitive diredtion, that you take the earlieft opportunity of giving him a mark of our favour. ■Copy of a Letter from Generals fir 'Eyre Coote, fohn Caillaiid, and Jofeph Smith, to the Court of Dire^ors. Gentlemen, Refpedl to ourfelves, as well as the board we are addrefiing, would render the appearance of any interference in your refolutions very irkfome to us, were not the prefent application didtated by the prin- ciples with which we have always ferved the company, and have ftzn the good cffeft. The fortune. of an officer, who has long and continually ferved with fpirit, zeal, and adivity, muft be precious to thofe who, by the honour of commanding your troops, are convinced of his merit, by perfonal and im.mediate knowledge, we intercede for captain Mathews, who is in England, folliciting to recover the lofs of rank which he has fuftained by the appointment of captiin Maclellan froni that rank at Bombay, to a Majority on the coafl: of Coromandel. C The [ lo ] The private merits of Mr. Maclellan are not our obje6t. It is a rule to fuppofe that every ofiicer under equal circumftances might have rendered equal fervices. Captain Mathews has ferved under the one or the other of us, in a courfe of eighteen years, in the cavalry and infantry, and with fuch approbation, that, were the fame occafions to revert, we fliould give the preference over him to no officer of equal rank on your eflablifliment. It may be the boaft of the India Company, that the rotation of merit has in no military fervice in the world been preferved with more equity than in theirs ; We, therefore, flatter ourfelves that this cur reprefentation in favour of an q^cer fo dcferving of the com- pany's attention, will meet with due confideration from the honour- able the court of Diredlors, whom, we are fenfible, wifli to give every encouragement to oncers, meriting their countenance and pro- tedion. We have the honour to be, with great refped. Gentlemen, Your mofl: obedient, and much obliged humble fervants. Signed Eyre CooU, John Cail/aud, London, March lo, 177B. Jo/tph Sjuith. To The Selcd Committee, to Major Mathe-.vs. Sir, Having appointed you to command the troo]-)s in the Mafulipatam diftridr, you are to proceed thither with all polhble expedition ; and we inclofe you a letter for the chief and council, to be delivered on your arrival. In addition to the troops now in the Mafulipatam dillri^fl, we have ordered a battalion from Chicacole, and two companies from Ongole. We have alfo diredted, that the invalid?, which came with captain Collins from Mafulipatam, with one lieutenant fireworker, one fcr- jeant, and twelve artillery men, fliall be left at Ongole, and remain there until they receive your orders to march back to the Mafulipa- tam diftrid, when they are to be accompanied by the fepoys ordered from Ongole. We have recommended to the chief and council at Mafulipatam, to give you all the affiftance in their power, and direded captain Barclay at Ongole, and captain Philips, who commands for the Na- bob at Palnaud, to correfpond with you upon all matters relative to the fervice. We defire you particularly to watch the motions of Mr. Lally, who has a confiderable force in the Guntoor Circar, and to ad with the troops under your command in the beft manner poflible for the defence of the company's diftrids, or occaflonally on the offenfive againft the French troops with Mr. Lally, as the circumftances of affairs may render mod eligible, advifing us, and the chief and coun- cil of Mafulipatam regularly of your proceedings, and uf all mate- rial intelligence you may be able to procure. C 2 Having- [ 12 ] Having refolved to raife two more batalllons of fepoys for the Circars, we defire you will endeavour all in your power to procure recruits for them. We are, fir. Your moft obedient fervants, 'Thomas Rumbold, Fort St. George, John JVbitehill, Aug, J, 1778. Charles Smith. The Seledt Committee, to Major Mathews, commanding in the Mafulipatam diftridt. Sir, Should captain Collins's detachment be north of the Kiftna, on your arrival at Mafulipatam, we defire you will take the direiflion of it, until you fliall efteem it to be out of danger of any attempt, that might be made by Mr. Lally's party from the Guntoor Circar. We are, fir, Your moft obedient fervants, "Thomas Rumbold, Fort St. George, John Whit eh ill, Aug. 9, 1778. Charles Smith. The Seled Committee, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Circars. Sir, I am diredled by the prefident and feledt committee to fend you the accompanying warrant, empowering you to afiemble general courts martial, for the trial of offences committed in that part of the troops under your command. By a general order of the 4th ult. no fentence of a general court martial is to be carried into execution without the approbation of the board j but I am diredled to acquaint you, that the prefident and feledt committee, in confideration of the difi:ance between your ftation [ 13 ] ftation and the prefidency, and confiding in your judgment and dif- cretion, have granted you full power to carry into execution the fen- tence of any court martial that may be held by your appointment. I am, fir, your moft obedient fervant, D, Baine, dep. fee. Fort St. George, Aug. 16, 177S. The Seledl Committee, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Mafulipatam Circar. Sir, Our fquadron under the command of fir Edward Vernon having driven the French fleet out of the road of Pondicherry, they have failed northward, with intention, we apprehend, to make a diverfion on fome part of the coaft. We direcft, therefore, that you take proper meafures to fecure the company's poflefllons in the Circars from infult ; attending particularly to the fecurity of the fort of Ma- fulipatam and port of Coringy. We recommend it to you to take your meafures in fuch manner as may give as little alarm to the country as poffible. We are, fir, your moil obedient fervants, ' " ' Ti>omas Rumbold, 'John Whiteljill, Charles Smith. Fort St. George, Jug. 22, 1778. The Seledt Committee, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Mafulipatam Circars. Sir, Since writing to you lafl: night, we have received further intelli-' gence of the French fleet, which, for the prefent, removes the ap- prehenfion we expreflcd to you. It is, therefore, unnecefl'ary, un- til [ H ] til you hear further from us, to make any alteration in the arrange- ment before laid down for the troops under your command. We are, fir, your moft obedient fervants, Thomas Kumbold, 'John n'hUehdh Charles Smith, Fori SL Gecrge, Aug. 23, 1778. General Munro, to Major Mathews. Sir, I am favoured with your letter of the 4th of September. As the order of the 12th of Auguft was approved and iiTued by the feledt committee, I cannot, defer the promotion of ihe Jemadars, Haval- dars, Naikes, and fepoys, removed from other battalions ; but when the returns for promotion come to me, I fhall forward them : I do not expedl that the battalions that give men for promotion, will give the befl they have; but at the fame time I Cannot think they will recommend thofe that are unworthy. Your obfervations, relative to the improper ufe made of the fe- poys, is very juft; and unlefs proper means are ufed to, prevent this abufc, the Circar battalions will be effedtually ruined, infpite of every attention that ^the officers can pay to their duty. If this rupture had qot happened, I intended vifiting the Circars ; hot only to judge of the country, but to endeavour to abolifli the very abufes you mention ; and I hope ftill to have it in my power to purfue my intentions. No alteration can poffibly take place as to eflahliriiment of bat- talions, nor would I wiHi to fee fewer officers than the fepoy bat- talions, b^ayei;[ The European invalids wcreiformed-into a' battalion juft bc^forethis pxjDfidition took place, and, therefore, they wcrenot all toUcvled. It was intended to have purfued fome plan of the like :• nature r ^5 ] nature for the fepoys; and which will Aill be carried into execution, as foon as time will permit. In the mean time, yon may order fuch men as are unfit tor field duty, to garrifon duty, ftnding proper of- ficers to take charge of them. Your reafons for the weaknefs of the battalions is very proper, with refpedl to the abfentees on revenue duty, recruits and other men, as alfo the divided ftate of the bat- talions : bad black officers may arife from feveral reafons. By a late arrangement there will be one European officer to each company. It is time mufl make them underftand their bufinefs -, for the Eu- ropean battalions that fliould be well fupported, are almofl iniined by officers that have ferved, being removed to fepoy batallions., I have the honour to be, fir, Your moft obedient fervant, HcSlor Munro. Camp near Pondicherry, Sept. 2i, 1778. General Munro, to Major Mathews. Sir, I am favoured with your letter of the 29th of AugulT:. I am.very fenfible how detrimental it is to the public fervice, that fepoys fhould be employed in coUedting the revenue, when Peons, as you obferve, would anfwer much better. I thank you for your information concerning Mr. Lally ; I hope he will remain quiet ; but be affiared, that if we are fuccefsful againfi: Pondicherry, the inflant that the fiege is over, the Circar grenadiers fliall be ordered to the northward. I entirely approve of the dilpofition you iiave made of the troops. Should you hear any thing more of Mr. Lally's motions, you will nleafe to inform me. I have the honour to be, fir. Your moll: obedient fervant, lienor Munro. Camp lefore Pcndicherrv, Sept. 6, 1778. To [ i6 ] The Seled Committee, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the diftridt of Mafuh'patam. Sir, We have received your feveral letters, and are much concerned at the difputes which have arifen between the chief and council of Ma- fulipatam and you, as we fear they may materially injure the public fervice, at a time when all our endeavours are required to promote and forward it to the utniofl. In expeftation that thefe difputes will immediately ceafe, and per- fect harmony be reftored, we fhall proceed to communicate to you our opinions upon the points in difference, and to notice fuch parts of your condus. Mafulipatam, /^^. 20, 1778. Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold, Efq; Prefident, &c. and Seledl Committee, at Fort St. George. Detained a- ga^nft orders Honourable Sir, and Sirs, by the conni- v,-:nce of the By a retum that I received laft night of the troops, I find there council. are at Ellore effective artillery of the jth company, one lieutenant, one * Report of Lally's approach, and that Bafalat Jung was raifing more infantry. See letter to the chief and council, of Ai:!;uft 18. r 3^ I one corporal, two bombardiers, four gunners, and eleven matrofles, total nineteen. As I underftood that you had been pleafed to order every one of that corps from the Circars to Madras, I did not cx- pedl to find fuch a valuable reinforcement at Ellore. I fliould be glad to know if it is your pleafure that they fliould remain in this diftridl, or fent to the prefidency, and no more kept here than the number you mentioned to me in my orders. There are alfo two at Mafulipatam that did duty with captain Rowles's battalion. I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews. Mafulipatam Circar, Aug. 2\, 1778. Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold, Efq; Prefident, &c, and Sek(fl Committee, at Fort St. George. Honourable Sir, and Sirs, 1 have been honoured with your orders of the 2 2d inflant. You may be affured that every thing fliall be done that lays in my power for the general fecurity of the Circars. A detachment of near two hundred men will be to-morrow or next day at Coringy. Another of k\t\\ companies, under the com- mand of captain Bridges, will be in the fame time fouth of the Kiftna, to protect our country, and to adt as occafion offers, (liould any number of troops threaten us from that quarter. I am endeavouring to colledl our fcattered fepoys that have been employed money-hunting over the diftricfl. Three-fourths of them cannot be heard of, and I find that I am threatened for doing what I think (particularly at this time, that I cannot colledl one thoufand men out of three battalions) an eflential part of my duty to the ho- nourable company J for any thing that tends to the immediate prefer- vatlon of their territory is fo : fuch is drawing together between three and [ 32 ] and four hundred men that are living in idlenefs upon the labour of the poor inhabitants. The threats are from the chief and council, which I hope you will, as you confider the motive of my adting, be pleafed to defend me from, viz. " The meafure you have lately adopted of withdrawing fepoy •' detachments on revenue fervice from their ftations, will be at- *' tended with confequences highly prejudicial to the country and *' revenue. You will do well, therefore, carefully to weigh this *' matter j for you muft be accountable for all their effeds." I have ordered captain Bridges to write to your Honours what- ever may be worthy of information. I am, with the greateft refpedl, &g. Richard Matheisis.* Camp at Gundoor, 4 miles from MafuHpatam, Jug. 27, 1778. Major Mathews, to General Munro. Sir, Agreeably to the orders that I brought from Madras, the troops of this Circar are affembling. But I am forry to inform you, that it is * A Return of Sepoys detached over the diftri£t of Mafulipatam, faid to be employed on Revenue Service, Auguft 1778. From Jd battalion, from the detachment at Samukotah - p'rom 2d bat'alion, from the detachment at Llloie - - From 3d battalion, from Mafulipatam - _ . From 7th battalion, from 4 companies at Conilapilly • From 7th battalion, from i company at Ventapollam From 7lh battalion, from three companies at Mafulipatam tn b. i- ^ -Xi tr> E rt Q. ^ X z t/5 o 1 7 7 ICC 3 1 34 I 3 4 74 4 4 95 20 3 1 1 3a 82 103 20 •4 Straggling Parties Total - 1 2 ] 17 | 19 | 334 | 373 [ 33 ] is out of my power to colledl the fe^joys that are fcattered all over the diftridt, under the pretence of the revenue fervice. Between three and four hundred were abfent from their battalions, it is fliid, for the above purpofe ; fome have not been fcen for two years ; and about one hundred and fifty cannot at this time be heard of. This bufinefs is attended with many bad confequences to the public fervice, and flaould be aboliflied. Peons will anfvver the purpofe much better. The French party under Mr. Lally, by accounts that are confirm- ed through, different channels, confift of, viz, 150 European horfe, 200 Black cavalry, 350 European infantry ^^ 800 Topafi^es, 3000 Sepoys. 12 Guns of different fizes, 50 European artillery, and Bafalet Jung has 4,700 horfe and fome fepcys at Adoni. Lally was encamped near Adoni the 12th inftant, and preparino^ to march towards the Kiftna. PTe applied to Bafalet Jung (in confe- quence of a letter from Mr. Bellecombe) for permifllon to affift the French. The anfwer that was given is not perfedlly known, but it is confidently faid, that he will be foon this way. Twenty cofs north of Ongole is a party of five hundred fepoys, and a com- pany of Europeans, with fome guns, under the command of a Frenchman named Hornet. My force, although weak, muft be divided for the fecurity of a great extent of country. I judged it neceflary to fend feven com- panies of fepoys, under captain Bridges, fouth of the Kiftna, to watch the motions of Mr. Hornet, to proted that part of our Circar, F and [ 34 ] and to prevent the embarking of troops for Pondicherry, or landing of any to reinforce Mr. Lally. They will alfo attend to Lally, (hould he move down, and be ready to retard his going towards you, fir, fhould he be fo inclined. Proper directions are given to captain Bridges to fecure a timely retreat. I have encamped within four miles of Mafulipatam five hundred men of captain Johnftone's battalion ready to fiipport any part threatened. Part of captain Powell's battalion with four fix pounders will join me in a few days ; which, with captain Johnftone's and thofe under captain Bridges, v/ill not amount to twelve hundred ef- fedtive men. It being thought neceflary to fecure the late conquefl: of Yanam* a company is ordered there ; and a hill Rajah who threatens confla- gration to feme villages north of Samulcotah, obliges me to fend one hundred men to protedl that part. So you, fir, will perceive that I have a great deal to do with a fmall force. Samulcotah and Ellore are evacuated : the artillery and ftores are ordered to Mafulipatam. The fortrefs of Condapilly is in fuch a condition as to be incapa- ble of defence, exxepting there was a garrifon of 3000 men. Of the gun carriages only two can be removed without dilTolution ; they will not bear many difcharges, and not one befides thefe can fupport a gun. As I can only fpare two hundred men for this place, I have aban- doned all the hills, excepting what thefe two hundred men may de- fend againft an army j and I fhall, if the chief and council permits me, fend carriages to mount what guns are necefiary. I have the honour to be, kc. Ricliird Mathews, Campt Aug. 29, 1778. Major [ 35 ] Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold, Efq; Prefident, See. Honourable Sir, Some days ago I was informed by the chief and council, that Ra- janah Dourah of Tontapilly was raifing men with an intention of committing ravages on the territories of Reddapore, Pettipore, and Samulcotah, whofe inhabitants were greatly alarmed, becaufe the garrifon of Samulcotah was to be witdrawn. Some time after the chief and council wrote to me that captain Powell had in his pof- feflion, as prifoners, the father of the above Rajanah Dourah, and four others, alfo a woman, and defired me to give orders to captain Powell concerning them. I diredted captain Powell to bring them Auguft 25, here, and wrote to Rajanah Dourah to difcharge his levies, Auguft 25. and wait the juftice of the new chief, Mr. Cotsford, who I made no doubt would releafe his father. Upon captain Powell's arrival I found that Yencanah Dourah* had been in confinement twelve months, was very old, and could not be if enlarged of any diflervice, or, as a prifoner, of any fervice to the honourable company ; whereas if he had his liberty it might induce his fon to be quiet and leave his claims on the Tontapilly country to your decifion, which at this time would be a great point gained by enabling me to draw to the Kiftna that force which mud otherwife be kept for the fecurity of Peddapore, &c. F 2 Ra- * Captain Powell to Major Matthews. The following is, to the bed: of my recolleftion, the purport of converfation, between Major Maihev/s, and Yencanah Dourah, the ad of September, at Gundoor? where the Major releafed him. Major Mathews informed him Yencanah Dourah, through Langum Dourah his Dubafh, that if he would promife to return immediately home, and there remain quiet, and not interfere in any fhape with the management of the country, and oblige his foil Rajanah Dourah to difcharge his Peons, and other fighting people, and do the fame. [ 36 ] Rajanah Dourah was lately under the protedion of Vizlaramrau2e, was with him and our troops during the late troubles near Madagoil, and receives (it is faid) afllftance in his levies from that diftridt. Sept. 2. To obviate the aforementioned difficulties, 1 have releafed Yen- canah Dourah, making him promifc to perfuade his fon to give us no trouble. I have reafon to think that if I had propofed the meafure to the chief and council, they would have objedled to itj and probably might have referred it to the honourable feledl committee, if the honourable feledt committee had previoufly known of the man's confinement. A fortnight or more would have been taken up in de- termining the point, in which time Rajanah Dourah would have be- gun his devaluations, and part of my fmall force called away. Whereas by the flep that I have prefumed to take, thefe impedi- ments to the public fervice are avoided ; and I beg, fir, that you will believe 1 had nothing elfe in view. By the general orders of the I2th ult. Jamadars, Havaldars, Naikes, and fepoys are, from different bg.ttalions, to be promoted for thofe to be railed. I muft requefl: that you will permit me to (3efer the promotion until the battallions, or, at leaft, fomc number of fame, he would releafe him ; the ?Jr.jor further told him, by fuch behaviour his fon might, pcrhips, get pon'eflion of his countrj' again ; but that if either he, his fon, or any of the family, fliould ofrer to commit anv depredations in any part of the country belonging to the Honourable Company, fliould he, or they, be taken, they muft expect no mercy. Yencanah Dourah then gave Major Mathews, in writing, a prcmife of his good behaviour; at which time the Major delivered to him a fmall box of gold and filver jewels, and two croflcf, which were found with him when he was taken by lieutenant M'Gi'.l. Major Mathews direifted me to give from my battalion, a Naigue and four fepoys, as an cfcort, to fee him as far as he chofe on his way homcwaid. '' famti Pswc.7, £llorty OJIoLci- ic, 1778. [ 37 ] of men are colleded -, that thofe who exert themfelves in recruiting, and are otherwife worthy of promotion may receive the reward due to their merit. Officers commanding the old battalions will not fend the beft Jemadars, &c. from themfelves, and the keeping thofe fent (for the prefent) to their old rank will be a faving to the honour- able company. I am, &c. Richard Malheias. Campy Sept, 4, 1778. Major Mathews, to General Munro, Sir, By the General Orders of the 12th of Auguft, Jemadars, Haval- dars, Naikes and fepoys are from different batallions to be promoted for thofe to be raifed. I mufl: beg, fir, that you will permit me to defer this promotion until the battalions, or, at leaft, fome number of either are col- lefted : that thofe who exert themfelves in recruiting, and are other- wife worthy of promotion, may receive the reward due to their merit. Officers commanding the old battalions will not fend the beft Jemadars, &c. from themfelves -, and the keeping thofe fent (for the prefent) to their eld rank will be a laving to the honourable company. The fepoys of this diftridl have been fo much difperfed that the battalions are not in very good order, ahhough by no means the fault of the officers, wlio are as capable as any in the fervice. The battalions have alfo a number of recruits which makes the field- return very weak. Many fepoys have been, and flill are, fingly in different villages that do not chofe to come in. Fnjoying full pay and batta they are fatisfied with a life of idlenef?, that renders them no fTK'.CMH-^ it"" [ 3« i no better than recruits, when they rejoin their battahon. But fe- veral judge it to be more advantageous to defert with their arms, than to renew the toil of learning to handle them adroitly. Dubalhes and others (not officers) find their account in employing fepoys to force the inhabitants to pay money. For the poor farmers arc obliged to pay a quarter of a rupee batta per day for each private fepoy J which fepoy thinks himfelf well rewarded, for military af- fiflance, if he receives half of it j the perfon who employs him gets the other half. This is one fource of diforder and general complaint of inipofition in this Circar. I beg leave to recommend that the battalions In this diftridt be re- formed to 750 men each, to confift of only five companies. If this took place through the fervice, there would be a faving to the honourable company of forty thoufand pagodas per annum. The number of Subadars, Jemadars, Havaldars, and Naikes would be lefs, of fepoys more; and the battalions would be at all times fitter for aftion. Each company will be a grand divifion capable of adl- ing independently; the manoeuvres to be the fame as hitherto ; the firing different, which will be as the old Duke of Cumberland di- redfed, by diftinft grand divifions, the only way to throw in the greatefl fire without confufion to the general arrangement. I hope that you will have no objedlion to my pradlifing this method, the fuccefs of which I will anfwer for. There are in the different batallions feveral men who through length of fervice are unfit for the field. Thefe may, if you plcafe, be formed into a company for garrifon duty at Mafulipatam. I have the honour, &;c. Richard Mathews, Camp., Sept. 4, 1778. Major f 39 ] Major Mathews, to General Munro. Sir, The inclofed orders that I lately gave to captain James Powell will fhew you my intentions in having a good party fouth of the Kiflna -, it not only ferving to protedl our own country, but keeps Baialet Jung in awe for fear of Guntoor, and forces him to prevent Lally's adting in fupport of his countrymen. Tt is my opinion that we (hould th's ivay wear the appearances of not being weak, in order to imprefs our neighbours with an idea of our ftrength arifing from confidence in ourfelves. It was with this view as well as the real one of impeding the march of Lally and of Bafalet Jung's troops, who might (for what I know to the contrary) move to the fouthward to make a diverfion in favour of the French, that I have afted as my public orders will lliew. But I arn now forry to inform you, that it is out of my power to continue the fame plan ; and Lally with his troops and Bafalet Jung's cavalry may march with impunity to the fouthward, as I have received orders not to move any troops towards Bafalet Jung's country, and in confequence to withdraw the detach- ment that is now over the Kiflna. The river Kiftna, to within a few miles of the fea, divides the Guntoor Circar from the major part of our lands ; but we have a confiderable portion on the fouth fide called the Nigampatam Cir- car. Our troops to get to that Circar muft pafs through part of Ba- falet Jung's, and then, from the narrow limit: of our land, be al- moft clofe to Bafalet Jung's territory. I have been compelled, againft my own judgment, to recall thofe troops that were Rationed for the purpofes before-mentioned ; and I requelt, fir, that you will from this time not blame me for any accident that happens fouth of the Kiftna that may affedl your operations, or, the prefent fecurity of the Carnatic. Be- [ 40 ] Between me and the company's country, fouth of the Klftna, will be a navigable river three quarters of a mile in breadth, not fordable for many leagues inland until the month of February. You, fir, muft know, that to force a paflage in the face of an enemy, will require a great fuperiority of troops ; alfo a great number of boats to tranfport them, neither of thefe are in this Circar. The chief and council objedled to five boats that I have detained ; thefe five will not convey two three pounders and four companies of fepoys acrofs in lefs than two days. Judge then how long it would take to pafs fuch a detachment as would be proper to follow Lally clofe. This Frenchman may now with a fmall force take pofl^efTion of the banks of the river, and do what he pleafes to the fouthward ; for it will be madnefs to attempt a paflage in the face of an enemy that is much fuperior, who knows how to adl. By the reprefentatlon of the chief and council of Mafulipatam, I am apprehenfive of being hurt in the opinion of the honourable feledt committee ; am lately forbid to correfpond with the feledl committee, and by them direded to " obey implicitly" the requifi- tions I may receive from the chief and council. How far this may be conformable to the fpirit and intentions of the honourable the court of Diredors, I fliall leave to the decifion of my fuperiors, being willing at this time of general danger to do my utmoft: to prove inyfelf a faithful fervant to the company. As it is my duty to inform you of military occurrences, I may reafonably expedl to find in you, my commander in chief, a fteady alTertor of military rights. I cannot help faying, that I am afraid that the colourings of the chief and council have concealed the truth ; or elfe I fliould not be fo feverely condemned on the head of difrefpedl to Mr. Sadleir and council. I fliall take the liberty of laying the matter before you fo far, as what I fuppofe is the caufe of the difputej not with a view to ac- quire [ 41 ] quire an improper authority, but to be enabled to do juftice to my employers, and to expofe duplicity. I have to requeft that you will make all, or, what part of this letter you think proper, known to the honourable feledt committee ; that they may fee my true reafons for fending a detachment over the Kiftna, and this fliould be done fpeedily to avoid bad confequences that may enfue from having no troops fouth of the Kiftna j or, near the fea-ports belonging to Bafalet Jung. A refpedtable party fliould be there for the aforementioned reafons, and not a fmall number •who daily run the rifque of being demoliOied. I take the liberty of inclofing the orders that I gave to the de- tachments over the river, whjch I hope will meet with your appro- bation. I am alfo under the neceflity of tranfmitting you an order* that I thought proper to iffue to every battalion in this diftridt ; which order Mr. Sadleir would not, for fome time, permit to be publifhed to captain Rowles's battalion, and thereby occafioned the correfpondence which you will herewith receive. I gave orders about the Lafcars, when the French fquadron was expedled at Mafulipatam or Coringy. It was then neeeffary to make Q fome * Copy of Orders ifiued by Mnjor MaUhews, Sept. 3, 1778, refpecling Abfentees, CtiMp at Guniloor, Ihurfday Sept. 3, 1778. The number of fepoys t!iat are abfent fiom their battalion?, on pretence of revenue fervice, many of whom cannot be heard of, and others have the affurance to fend ex- cufes for not coming in according fo orders, — That thefe men may in future have no plea or advantiige from the Hon, Ccmpany, by flaying from their duty, they will after this month be ftruck of the rolls, and confidered as deferters ; their pay will alfo be detained in the hands of the I'aymafter, who will not ifilie it to thofe who may return from fuch commands, unlefs they bring a note from the commanding officer of the battalion. Captains of battalions will be pleafcd to make this as public as po.Tible, that their Abfeiitces may immi;diatcly join them. Richard Matlcws, [ 42 ] fome alteration of the artillery that were planted Improperly on the walls, and Lafcars could not be procured for that purpofej at the fame time, I faw that an improper ufe was made of them by fome gentlemen of the civil line. I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews* Camp, Sept. 12, 1778. Major Mathev/s, to General Munro. Sir, I have juft now received information that Mr. Lally with all his force, and the greateft part of Bafalet Jung's cavalry, have left Adoni, and marched to the fouthward ; it was reported, to compel a dependent Rajah to pay the ufual tribute. What may be their real intentions 1 know not ; but whatever comes to my knowledge, you (hall be acquainted with. I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews. Camp, Sept. 20, 1778. Major Mathews, to General Munro. Sir, In the letter that I had the honour of addrefilngyou th^ 1 2th inft. I promifed to lay before you the caufe of the dilput-es between the chief and council and me. The accompanying extra<5ls of a letter from the honourable fele<5t committee, with my replies, will in a fmall degree {hew you, why the chief and council are determined not to agree wiih me. Before my arrival in this diftriCt the fcvcral officers were kept in- dependent of each other. Divid; to rule, has been the maxim of the [ 43 ] the chiefs and council for fome years ; this fully anfwers their owrj purpofes. The fenlor officer in the diftridt had no more authority in point of command than the youngefl; when detached ; and the honourable company's regulations in this refpedl has been totally negleded, very much to the detriment of the fervice. As I had orders to colledl the troops for the defence of the diflrid> and was exprefsly appointed to command them, as the inclofed letter, (fee p. ii.) from the honoi'rable feledt committee, dated the 7th of Augufl:, will fhew. I required upon my firft arrival that the chief and council would acquaint the feveral independent commanding officers that in future they were to obey me. This the chief and council wifhed to evade, and did fo, by iilulng diredlions only, that my appointment fliould be made public in the " ufual form and manner." What they meant was very clear, becaufe it had been ufual for the fenior officer not to have any fuperior military authority : he was as low as any, that were favoured with a feparate command. And this their mean- ing was further proved by their fending orders for removals, and relieving troops to feveral commanding officers after my arrival. If 1 had not remonftrated againft this breach of the public regulations, and afferted the rights of the military in that of my own, you, fir, in particular, and all my brother officers would have uniformly con- demned me for betraying, at this time, the facred caufe of the de- fenders of the company's pofTeffions. For the point once given up is with difficulty recovered ; fo it has happened in this diftrift. I have to requeft of you, fir, to prevent my being given up to civil luft of unnatural power : and that in the prefent inflance I may have fair-play. I have already been forced to make my de-» fence from the fentences of condemnation, which is altogether nev/ in civil and military law. G js Be [ 44 ] Be pleafed to let me be favoured with copies of all letters that the chief and council have wrote concerning me ; that my defence may be made fo as to convince you and the honourable feledl com- mittee, that my difpofition is not for difputation : but that I am zealous for the caufe of my employers the honourable company, and for the juft rights of the military who have in thefe Circars been fliamefully depreffed. The remains of eight companies of captain Lane's battalion ar- rived in this diftridl a few days ago from Vizagapatam. It is fo much reduced by ficknefs and defertion that, exclufive of recruits, I could fcarcely feledt two complete companies fit for duty out of the eight. I have the honour to be, &c. Richard Mathews. Camp, Sept, 21, 1778. 'Extracts of a Letter from the honourable SeleSi Committee to Major Mathews, dated Sept. 6, 1778, with Major Mathews's Defence, fent to General Miinro, Sept. zi, ^Jj'^' Ext. I. We intended that the chief and council fliould follow your recommendation and opinion in refpedl to the arrangement of the troops for the fecurity of the diflrift ; but we meant alfo that you fliould pay a proper regard to their fentiments and advice, which you appear not to have done. Def I. It is impoffible to obferve fuch a line of conducfl at pre- fent, as the honourable fcledt committee mentions -, for if the fen- timents of the military officer, and thofe of the chief and council differ, it does not determine which fliall be followed. If the ar- rangement of the troops for the fecurity of the diflrid is left to the judgment of the military, the officer will purfue fuch a plan as ex- perience [ 45 ] , perlence fuggefts. If tliis arrangement be left to the chief and council, whofe ide^.s from want of th-e necellary mihtary knovv'ledge muft differ from thofe who are educated in the field ; they will fol- low notions that maybe the reverfe to true ones. Their fentiments and advice may enlarge the ideas of an ofiicer, but the real executive part fhould be left to him. Ext. 2. We are forry to remark a want of refpedl on your part, in declining to attend their board when defired to do fo. The rea- fons afligned by you on this occafion are not fatisfadtory. Def. 2. I cannot accufe myfelf for want of refpedt to the board of Mafulipatam. They from the firft feemed determined to throw every obftacle in the way to my having the command of the troops, and to the drawing them from their former ftations. They were not ignorant of my orders, nor the views of the honourable feleft committee. Mr. Sadleir had converfed with me often upon the fub- jedl. The lafl: time was in the morning that he afked me to attend the board. I could not fay any more on the topic than what had been repeated many times, and it appearing that the board wanted to evade complying with th':; orders of the honourable feleft com- mittee, I declined going, and defired Mr. Sadleir to inform the board of my fentiments, which he projnifed to do. I cannot think that in this conduct of mine I was guilty of any difrefpedt. They had pofitive and plain orders, which they wifhed to evade : I was endea- vouring to aft in the ftridleft conformity to the orders I received from the honourable the feledt committee. Ext. 3. In regard to the requifitions for troops which were fent from the chief and council a few days after your arrival, without being communicated to you, we have exprefl'ed to them our opinion that they afted improperly ; but at the fame time, we cannot pais unnoticed the difrefpeftful ftyle of your letter to them in confcquence, wherein you fpeak of that proceeding in terms very reprehenfible. Def. [ 46 ] T)ef. 3. The ftyle of my letter was to fet forth the Inconfiftency of their condudl in endeavouring by all means to overfet, and render of no effedl, the orders of the honourable feleft committee. When men fmk beneath the dignity of flation they are not entitled to re- fped. £aV. 4. Withdrawing the fepoys employed on the revenue fer- . vice, difrefpeilful and unauthorifed. T)ef. 4. Withdrawing the fepoys that were difperfed, not only all over our Circars, but in the Guntoor Circar, and towards Hy- drabad, on pretence of revenue fervice, was acting in conformity to the orders of the honourable feledt committee, which were, to coi- led the troops for the defence of the diftridl, and in this refpedt I I hope that my condudl will appear more deferving of applaufe than cenfure. "Ext. 5. Your ordering the delivery and removal of ftores from EUore without authority from them (the chief and council) difre- fpedlful and unauthorifed. T>ef. 5. The removal of the flores from Ellore has not been truly explained. The garrifons of Samulcotah and Ellore were or- dered to be inftantly evacuated. The ftores were immediately to be removed according to the arrangement that I fent to the chief and council on the 15th of Augufc. There were fome reafons to expedt that the country would be invaded (that it has not is no proof to the contrary). The flores if left at Ellore were without protes ] In confequence of my aflertions in England, not to ferve under Major Maclellan, I did not go to tlie ficge of Pondichcrry ; but General Munro will do me the juflice to fay, that I offered to ferve as a volunteer. In the mean time the feled: committee were very apprehenfive of danger to the Circars, from the refpeftable force- that were at that time, and now are under the command of Mr, Lally in the fervice of Bafalat Jung. It was faid, that he was then in the Guntoor Circar, which is only feparated from the Kiftna by this. The rupture with France, our known views towards feizing the Guntoor Circar at the firft: favourable opportunity, the flrength of Lally's party, and our evident weaknefs in this diftridl, made me conjedure that an adive fcene of fervice feemed more than probable. I therefore applied for the command, and had full powers given me in confirmation of the authority vefted in the fenior military officer by the diredions from Europe. This was the immediate fource of oppofition from the chief and council of this place ; who have at length fo far prevailed, that the moft honourable part of the mili- tary power of an officer are totally annihilated, the pofitive orders of the court of Diredlors fet at nought, and the military prerogative transferred to the gentlemen of the civil line; and in fuch a man- ner as to refled in a great degree upon me in particular, and upon all officers who have ferved in fubordinacies. I have therefore de- clined a(5ting under the chief and council, and yefterday applied to my then commander in chief for permiffion to repair to Madras as >foon as poffible, to which I hope that your Excellency will not have , any objedlions j and that you would be pleafed to enable me to pay ;iny refpeds perfonally to you before you quit Madras. I have the honour, &c, Richard Mathews. MafuUpatam, Jen. ■^■, 1779. K Major [ <^6 ] Major Matthews, to Sir Eyre Coote, K. B. Lieutenant- General, &c. Sir, Some time before my departure from England I bad been folllcit- jng the Court of Dii-cdlors, with great hopes of fuccefs, for my rank above Major Maclellan, who had been placed between Major Charles Hopkins and myfelf ; and when I was defired to carry difpatches of the firfl: importance to India over land, I was promifed by the chair- man and other gentlemen in the diredlion, that my rank fl:iould be reftored to me by the firft fhip ; or, that I fliould be removed to another eftablifliment, with fuperior advantages. Neither of thefe events have taken place; and orders liave been received from the India-Houfe without doing honour to thofe gentlemen who gave me the ftrongeft afilirances of juflice. Labouring under fuch a pointed fuperceflion, which is aggravated by fomething more than the ap- pearance of negled:, I cannot, after having faithfully ferved the ho- nourable company more than nineteen years, bring my mind to that tranquility as to enable me to wait the arrival of another fhip from Europe. When in London, I told the chairman, Mr. Wombwell, that if my rank above Major Maclellan was not fent by the firft conveyance, or, a removal from the coaft, I fhould requcfl per- miflion to return immediately to England ; to which I hope that your Excellency will not have any objedions. I am alfo induced to go to Europe by the unmerited treatment that I fuffercd whilflin the diftridt dependent upon Mafulipatam. In my letter of the 3d of January, I took the liberty of mention- ing a few circumflances that happened to me after being honoured with the command of the troops in the Mafulipatam diftrid. The inflant and unremitting oppofition that the chief and council made to my exercifing the authority that was veiled in me, by the {landing orders of the Court of Diredors, approved and confirmed by a ge- neral r 67 ] neral court of Proprietors, and ftrengthened by orders from the ho- nourable feledl committee of Fort St. George, rendered my fituatiou irkfome, and my endeavours to correct abufes in fomc meafure inef- fedlual. But the clear and ftrongly partial line traced on the 22d of December, has put it out of the power of any military of- ficer (a commanding otBcer in a diftri(fl there is not to be) to do, what in fuch a charafter is needful for the prefervation of the Cir- cars, and to check the rapacity of individuals. Opprefiion flalks it o'er the land with giant ftrides. I was under the necefllty of tranfmitting to the chief and council a petition containing the complaints and grievances of many farmers, who expedled that through fuch a channel they might obtain juftice. But inftead thereof the chief and council accufed me of officioufnefs, and interfering out of my province. Their unbecoming cenfure, and the illiberal notice taken of the petition bears the ftrongell mark that they mean to difcourage fuch inftances of zeal in an officer for the welfare of the company ; thereby leaving the induftrious culti- vators of the land to the mercilefs gripe of renters and their harpies, through all the various modes of extortion. The chief and council not willing to make any diftindion be- tween the commanding officer of the troops in the diftritfl, and a DubaOi, (fo much do they affedl impartiality) that they received and countenanced a counter-petition frofn the Dubafh, which, by the falfity of its contents, could be fabricated for no other purpofe but to weaken the teftimony of thofe who had complained of Ijis mal- pradices in his oflice, as nominal renter of the Ellore Havally. In a third inftance, no notice was taken by the chief and council of a fpecies of tyranny that is too common in the Mafulipatam di- flridl : of forcing cattle from the inhabitants, on pretence of the company's fervice, without paying any hire ; and preffing men as coolies, without rewarding them for their labour. K 2 The [ 68 3 The chief and council fent a petition to me, faid to have been re-» ceived by them from the Tanadar of Bezwara, comphiining of abufes pradlifed by a detachment itationed at that place. When, after the flrideft enquiry, I found that the utmofl care had been taken to pre- vent any caufe of complaint, and that the reports were groundlefs. I have alfo great reafon to believe, that the petition never was fent,* or * Tranflation of a depofition made by Calabarga Juggapau, Tanadar of Bezwara, when he was afked about a complaint preferred by him to the chief and council of Mafulipatam. Befwara, yan. i, 1779. I Calabarga Juggapau, Tanadar of Bezwara, do declare, that I never made any complaint to the chief and council of Mafulipatam, againft the officers or troops now cantoned at Bezwara ; or did they ever give me a caufe, I alfo declare, that the com- manding officer there never interfered in the land-cufloms or any other revenues ; or did he, in any manner whatever, prevent me colleiling them. I further declare, that no cooleys were ever employed by any of the officers but what were paid by them ; and fuch as were charged for by me, in my accounts, v/ere employed in repairing the Sepoys quarter. Signed Calabarga Juggapau^ TznzdiT ol Be^warTU Witnefs Joogia, Conicoply of Bezwara, Ma/lia, ditto ditto, Jinortallngum, Dubafli. Mr. Forbes, to Major Richard Mathews, commanding the troops in the Mafulipa- tam diftrid. Sir, I have received your letter of the 21ft infl. with Calabarga Juggapau's complaint. I am now to inform you, tluit the complaints whicli he has lodged, with regard to land-cuftom3, arc groundlefs. And there is no officer here had occafion for cooleys but Mr. M'Cartey, who got them from the Cutwall, and paid them himfelf. Mr. Rufiell has kept a camp buzar .".t one end of the village, for the detachment, and fupplics it wiih grain from Ellorej his dubafli informs me, that it is brought here without any duties being laid on it. Accom- • [ 69 ] Of any complaint made, by the perfon named as the author of it. Concerning the glaring and dangerous abule of employing fepoys, on pretence of revenue fervice, I have informed General Munro, as alfo from time to time of the ftate of the troops. My views have been fixed to the real intereft of the honourable company. But Jhe late orders of the 22d of December feem formed to erufh the leaft appearance of public fpirit, and to throw obftacles in the way of the officer, to hinder his exertions for the honour and benefit of his country. I did Accompanying I return you the letter. I am, with refpedt. Sir, Your moft: obedient, and mofl: humble- fervant, Bezwara, Nov. H, 1778. John Forbes, Mr. James Ruffell, to Major Richard Mathews, commanding the troops in the" Circars. Sir, I have the pleafure of your letter of the 21 ft inft. inclofing a copy of a complaint ' from Calabarga Juggapau, Tanadar of Bezwara, to the chief and council at Mafuii- patam, for abufes committed, as he fays, by the troops in that cantonment; in an- fwer to which beg leave to declare, that none of them happened, to my knowledge, in the time of my command, and that they are all as infamonfly falfe as his barefaced alFertion, of not being able to cultivate fome fields for want of rain, when it is noto- rious that all that country has been near covered with water for thefe ilx weeks pafl. No bramin, or inhabitant whatever were deprived of their houfes, or was there any altercation in the arrangement of the officers and Sepoys' quarters, after you left Bez- wara, the 26th of Auguft. I never heard that the fepoys, or others, gave any caufe to create confufion in the village, or among the inhabitants ; if fuch had happened, I believe I fliould be early informed of it, as well as upon one occafion that a fepoy had given offence to a vil- lager, for which he was confined, tried by a court-martial, and fentenced three hun- dred lafties. If I was difpofed to connive at injuries done them, I would not prohibit, by beat of tom-toms, communication between the fepoys and inhabitants, or fend to the head-man to inform the villagers to make me acquainted with any grievance they may receive from them. No^' [ 7° ] I did myfelf the honour of delivering to your Excellency, for your perufal, my fentiments in a few rules that may be proper to be obferved in the iubordinate fettlements. In two or three articles they exceed the intentions of the Court of Diredors, in refpedl to the line that was drawn for the civil and military powers ; but as they are calculated for the good of the fervice in general, and will tend to re-eflablifn order and harmony, I flatter myfelf that they will be efteemed deferving of confideration. I have the honour to be, 6cc. Richard Mathews. Madras, Feb. 21, 1778. Rules No cooleys were employed, to my knowledge, by any perfon, but by me, when I came here, for the benefit of my health, when each received a rupee, more I believe than is paid, for fo fhort attendance, on fimilar occafions, in this diftrift. The necefTaries for the ufe of the troops were moflly received from Ellorc, in par- ticular all the rice, and very little of any article was fupplied by the village. The cuftoms of the place were never interfered with, by me, or my authority, or were any received for my ufe but what were my right, fuch as refulted from the fale of articles in the buzar eftablifhed for the ufe of the detachment; and them were regu- lated by a bramin now at Buzwara, at fo moderate a rate, that a villager, who rented tiicm at fifty rupees a month, would not continue it, as he faid, on fuch dear terms. As I hope I have fufficiently exculpated myfelf in your opinion, from the groundlefs charges of the Tanadar, beg leave to rcqueft you will be pleafed to reprefent the fame to the chief and council of Mafuiipatam, that, in cafe the Taniidar cannot prove his aflcnions, they will be pleafed to have him puniflicd as he deferves, for advancing fuch falfchoods. \ am, very refpeflfully, Sir, Your very obedient, humble fcrvanr. Bllore, N6V.%'j, 1778. James RiiJJ'ell. C 7^ ] Rules, Orders and Regulations, for the better obfervancc of the of-' ders of the Flon. Company, refpeding the feveral fctttlemcnts fubordinatc to Fort St. George, delivered to Sir Eyre Coote, by Major Mathews. 1. The comiiundlng officer of the troops in the diftrlfl to have a feat at the board, as fecond in council in that fubordinacy, in all cafes military, political and of revenue. 2. The political controul of the troops to Le vefltd in the chief and council. 3. All general orders, refpeding the motions of the troops, to be iffued through the commanding officer in the diftrid, excepting in cafes of neceffity, arifing from the abfence of the commanding, officer at a place diftant from the part threatened. 4. Military detail in the fulleft fenfe to be vefled in the com- manding officer, who is to have power to appoint all officers to com- mand garrifons, ports, cantonments, &c. The chief and council not to interfere with this branch of military arrangement. 5. Time of relief of troops to be determined by the command- ing officer, with the concurrence of the chief and council. 6. Strength of all detachments for any fervice, with the quantity of flores, to be determined by the commanding officer of the troops in the diftrid. 7. The chiefs of the fubordinatc fadories of Mafulipatam, Vi- zagapatam, Gangain, and Cuddalore, not to have any authority over the military in thofe garrifons, and are not in any refped to be con- fidered as the governor of a garrifon. 8. It being againfi: the honourable company's orders that refidents have the controul of military troops. They are in future not to have any, and to confine themfelves to their civil department. 9. By [ 7^ ] g. By the company's regulations in 1763, they dire(5l that all .officers, having a detached command, do attentively obferve the con- dudl of tlie Polygars near them. The fecurity of the company's pofieffions requires the mod vigilant attention to what is doing on their frontiers, as well as by their fecret enemies on their own lands, or by their armed or unarmed tributaries. Therefore, all officers in command are to obferve with exad: fcrutiny what is doing near their ports, and to give the commanding officer conftant and early advice of every occurrence, that evil may be timely prevented. 10. The commanding officer, where there are a chief and council, to have a certain number of Lafcars put immediately under his orders, for the fervice of the artillery on, the ramparts, or other garrifon occa- fions. 1 r. Commanding officers of all detachments, ports, or garrifons are to affbrd every poffible protedion to the inhabitants, are not on any pretence to fufFer them to be opprelied, nor their cattle feized, nor Coolies to be forced to labour without an adequate recompencc. 12. Commanding officers of all feparate detachments to conter- fign all bills of dirtjurfements for their detachments, which are to ferve as the paymafter's vouchers : and the commading officer of the troops in the diftridl to counterfign all the general and particulair ac- counts of the paymafter before they can be deemed admiffible by the chief and council. Major Mathews, to Sir Eyre Coote, K. B. Lieutenant-General, .&c. Sir, As I fhould be glad of taking the earliert, as well as- the fpeediert: opportunity of returning to Europe, I beg leave to put your Ex- cellency in mind of the letter that I did myfelf the honour of ad- drefling to you, under date the i6th inrtrant, and fliall be happy at being [ 73 ] being permitted to go by the firft (hip that fails. The fucccfs galley is now under difpatch for Suez, and I am informed that the Nabob confents to my having a paflage upon her. I have the honour, &c. 'Richard Mathews. Madras^ Feb. 22, 1779. Colonel Owen, to Major Matthews. Sir, I am this minute diredled by Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote to acquaint you, that you may proceed to Europe, firft refigning your commiflion in the honourable Company's fervice, agreeable to the late orders of the Court of Directors in like cafes. Permit me to aflure you that I am, fir, your moft obedient fervant, Arthur Owen, Aid de Camp. Pert St. George, Feb. ej, 1779. Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold Efqj Governor, &c. and Seleft Committee. Honourable Sir, and Sirs, The month of Odober 1776 began the eighteenth year that I had ferved the honourable company, as an officer, in almofl every fcene of adual fervice that had occurred. In which time the bcft part of my life had been exerted in a fhare of fubduing the Carnatic, and extending the influence of our nation. In fb long an abfence from my family many circumftances muft have happened that would in- duce a perfon of lefs feeling than myfelf to apply for leave to vifit once more thofe connexions formed in infancy and youth, that are ever dear to a man the remainder of his days. An only daughter L too [ 74 ] too demanded the care of the furviving parent to fcule her in a place 'of fecurity ngainfl the vices of the age. Thefe v\ere the motives that induced me to afi-L permiflion to go to England in Odobcr 1776. The detention of the fliip Greenwich (on which I embarked) at dif- fererrt places lengthened our paflage to nine months -, fo that I did not arrive in the Britilh channel until the latter end of Ju'y 1777. Some time after my being in London, I heard that I had been fuper- feded by the now IVhijor Maclellan. Solliciting the Court of Direc- tors for my loft rank took up much of my time; and I had every probability of fuccecding, if alfuranccs upon honour from gentlemea in public charadlers are to be depended upon y who were informed that I declined ferving beneath my proper ftation on the lift: of the army on this eftabliftiment, or, without being removed with ad- vantage to another. While the matter remained unconcluded, ow- ing to the powerful influence of Major Maclellan's friends, I was employed in arranging my fatnily concerns, and had not any thoughts of returning to India till every thing was fo determined, that my mind being at peace, I ftiould be enabled to exert effedtually the ex- perience gained under able officers of cavalry and infantry, of his Majefty's land forces, and thofe educated in the fervice of the com- pany. When I was at Chefter, I received notice that the chairman, Mr. Wombwell wanted me on particular bufinefs. Upon my waiting on him, he requefted that I would take difpatchcs, of the firli im- portance, to India over land. This was a moft diflicult tallc, as I only know the language of an Engliftmian j but I did not fuffer ii to check my inclinations of doing good fervice to the ftate. Rely- ing on the promife of the Court of Diredlors, I chearfully took the difagreeable journey, and was happy in performing it fo as to an- fwer the purpofe of my miftion. I will not conceal that the folemn promife of my rank being; reftored was a powerful motive to my accepting the oftice of a herald ; but at the fame timie I declared, that [ 7S ] that if my appointment was aot fcnt by the firfl fliip, I fhoulJ re-. turn to England, to remove the bar in my way to thole honours due- to long and faithful fervices. Since my arrival in India the records will, I. hope, lliew how I have been employed. I have done myfelf the honour of addrefilng Sir Eyre Coote, un. der date the 3d of January, the 16th and 2 2d of February en tlvs fubjedl of my rank, and the treatment that I fuffcred whilil: in- the command of the troops in the diftridt of Mafulipatam, and applied for permiflion to return to England. The anfwer that 1 veflerday received, " That I might proceed to Europe, firfl refigning my *♦ commiflion in the company's fervice," is couched in fuch flighting terms, that I would wifli to think it a mirtake, becaufe there is not any nation that have not been careful of preierving their old expe- rienced officers whom they have reafon tokncw are firmly attached tp. the fervice. I therefore beg leave to inform your Honour, &c, that the. ftiort time I was in England was not fufficient to fettle thofe concerns that were the objedt of my going there in 1776 ; and that they were left by my fudden departure difarranged : that I fliall on all occafions confider myfelf as a fervant to. the EngliHi Eaft-India Company ; and that if my immediate return to England can only be obtained upon the hard and cruel terms of abandoning the fervice of the company, that I loft the commiffion in the deferts of Arabia by which I fliould now adl. Since my return to India I have not received either pay or perquf- fite. Batta cannot be confidered as fuch, not being fufiicient to defray extraordinary expences 3 and I humbly requefl that this, and L 2 my [ 76 ] my ftanding in the fervice, may be referred to the pleafure of the Court of Diredors. I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews^ Madras., Feb. 23, 1779. Major Mathews, to Charles Oakley, Efq; Military Secretary. Sir, The time for difpatching the fhip upon which I would wlfh to embark is fo near, that 1 find myfelf under the neceffity of requeft- ing to know if the honourable feledt committee have directed that an anfwer be given to my letter of the 23d ult. If not, and that you can with propriety put the Hon. Prefident in mind of it, I beg the favour of your doing fo. I am, fir, your moft obedient humble fervant, Richard Mathews, Madras^ March i, 1779. Mr. Oakley, the Military Secretary, to Major Mathews. Sir, I am diredled by the Prefident, and feledl committee, to acknow- ledge the receipt of your letter of the 23d ult. and to acquaint you that you have their permiffion to go to England agreeably to your requeft j but as the Hon. Court of Diredlors have exprefsly ordered that every fervant of the company, who fliall return from India, on account of his private affairs, or on any other account, except the recovery of health, fliall be confidered as totally out of the fervice i the Prefident and fcledl committee have it not in their power to grant you their leave upon any other terms. They will, however, agree- ably I 77 ] ably to your requeft, mention to the Court of Diredors the circum- ftances attending your departure from India. I am, fir, your moft obedient fervant, Charles Oakley, Secretary. Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold, Efq; Governor, Sec. and Seledl Committee. I beg leave to lay before you notes for money advanced by me for the honourable company's fervice, at the time that I commanded the troops in the diftridl of Mafulipatam, and for what was laid out by lieutenants Brown and RufTel, who commanded feparate detach- ments J the firft employed againft Rajannah-doorah, who had in- vaded the Shankarum country j the latter had a light armed party, at the pafs of Bezoara ready to move at the fliortefl: notice. Numbers i and 2 were prefented to the chief and council, to which they fent the accompanying reply. Had they the leaft room to fuppofe that I made a perquifite of the charges for fecret fervice, they would have done well to have reprefented the abufe to your Honours, that bounds might be fixed which the moft favoured Should not overleap. But of themfelves I cannot conceive, that they had authority to " ftrike off," in fuch an indecent manner half the fum required; and which fum is only two-thirds of what I really ex- pended, as will appear by my books and note, number 3. That I did not draw for more than fifteen pagodas the former months, was, becaufe I did lay out more. If your Honours will be pleafed to examine the accounts of other commands you will find that my charges are confiderably lefs than what is monthly paid to others whofe truft and fituatiou does not demand lb mucli attention. Num- ber 2, is for money advanced as therein mentioned. The military paymafter, as well as the chief and council made a miflake in the perfon's [■ 78- J perfoivs ndme. 'The poor man, Chelacauney Venkiah,* was by opprefllon fo much reduced, that he had not wherewith to purchafe a meal. My letters to the chief and council of the 13th, 15th 16th, and I 8th of lafl: December will inform your Honours why he was made a prilbner. Wanting money to bear his expences to Mafuli- patam, he applied to me, and I let him have as much as he re- quired, fifty Madras pagodas. The orders of the 22d of December prevented an application from'me to him for the fum ; therefore I fent the note to the chief and council, who thought proper to return it'.' Chelacauney Venkiah' was then at Mafulipatam. I am now un- der the neceffity of requefting that your Honours will ord?r it to In * Memorandum taken the 17th of December, 1778, in preftnce of Lieutenant F"orbes, and Mr. Pcarce. . : [ The morning that Chelacaunejy VenkiaK was bfought as a priroj^erito CJiieacolum, one Narfapah, belonging to Mi;;, ; — , came to me, attended by ,tw . .'^..■■iIJl.ii;/i i fome I advanced money, to others the paymafler did ; among the ' . J ■ "1 ,. . , ... .' r . - .' . farmer i'S a valuable young m^anj^fty'^iikft-ie CVcajerdw, 1 Matattoe who had hopes by his exertions to be"a 'Stibad'ai^ in Vhd fftrVice. At different times, I advanced him eighty-five' MMras^ 'pagodas, fince which money has been giv'eti to him' bj/'iiVy''d'd fife, that I have not an account of j he brought from Cicacole to Ellore 48 fepoys, and delivered them, according to orders, to captain James Powell, who was the commanding officer. At this time orders were ifflied for difbanding the new-raifed battalions, and his party difmiffed. He had advanced them fubfiftence from the time that he enliffed them, which amounted to the fum mentioned : he (himfelf ) went to Ma- fulipatam^ and I fent him with his accounts and neceiTary vouchers the old fepoys, who were lent him for his afllffance in recruiting, to the chief, Mr. Cotsford. But the chief and council did not or- der that I fhould be repaid, or him any rvithout giving them an op- portunity of replying thereto. I am, fir, your mofl obedient fervant, Charles Oakley, Secretary. Fort St. George, Mar eh 13, 1779. Major * The papers wcreextradls of public letters to and from the thief and council, with copies of petitions that Major Mathews had fent to them, and copies of letters to General Munro, and to Sir Fyre Coote. t The Mountftuart did not fail until the zjlh of March. t 8i 3 Major Mathews, to the Hon. Thomas Rumbold, Efq; Prefident, and Seledl Committee of Fort St. George. Honourable Sir, and Sirs, Tn your reply that you honoured me with, in anfwer to my fecond application to go to England, you were pleafed to grant me leave, at the fame time faid, that you could not do fo upon any other terms than what were ordered by the honourable the Court of Diredlors, jand that you would lay my requeft of being confidered abfent upon Jeave before the Court of Diredlors. ,1 confider my cafe a particular one, far different from any that at the time of forming the order, the honourable Diredlors could fup- pofe would occur. I have not been taught that the weak form of delivering up a commiffion was ever efteemed neceflary ; thofe that you have beea pleafed to confider as out of the company's fervice, you have noti- fied as fuch, without the ufelefs ceremony of receiving back to the Secretary's office a bit of parchment, which, of itfelf, is of no va- lue. Public orders are required to give it authority, or deprive it of power. In the difpatches that I had the honour of bringing from London, I have reafon to believe, that the Diredtors made no mention of my returning to my flation on the coafi. They were told that I could not adl beneath my proper rank ; and that if my commilllon was not fent by the firft conveyance, I fhould return to England; efpe- cially as the bufinefs which induced me to go to Europe in Odober 1776, was not fettled. Lafl: year I came to India, at the particular requeft of the chair- man ; and, at that time, had every good reafon to confider myfelf as a private perfon employed for a fpecial purpofe, and not as an M officer [ 82 ] officer returning to his duty. My being on fervice in the diflridl de- pendent on Mafulipatam, was, in feme meafure, at my own option, expeding that I fliould have an opportunity of diftinguiflnng myfelf j and I beg it may be remarked, that I have ferved without pay. I take the liberty of mentioning thefe circumflances to fliew, that my cafe is different from thofe officers whofe defire of going to Europe is new, and has arofe fince the promulgation of the reftraining or- ders. On fuppofition that your honours had given me permiffion to re-* turn to England, under the afore-cited reftridions, which alfo was left to the confideration of the Court of Diredors, I waited upon the Governor yefterday forenoon, to pay him the ufual compliments, upon leaving the fettlement : it is probable that I fhould not have gone farther than Pondicherry j but as it is my wifh to be as expedi- tious as poffible in getting to England, I did intend going to Tran- quebar, if at Pondicherry I had received any hopes of procuring a paflage from thence upon a Danifh (hip now there. But Mr. Rumbold put a flop to my journey, by faying, "Sir, I ** tell you, as governor of the garrifon, that you have not leave to " go;" meaning to Europe. Copy of the converfation, as near the words and fenfe as I can recolledl, I do myfelf the honour of in- clofing. I prefume once more to requelt permiffion to return to England, upon any terms that your Honours deem confiflent with your truft and my fervices. As to a commiffion, I have already in- formed you, it is loft : if it refts with me to fay that I confider my- felf out of your fervice, I do fo, and beg I may be allowed to pro- ceed, by the firft convenient opportunity, upon the Shrewfbury, now under difpatch, if it is your pleafure. I have the honour to be, with all due refped, y Honourable Sir, and Sirs, your moft obedient fervant, Richard Mathews, Madras, March 22, 1779. r 83 ] Converfation on Sunday, March ii, 17791 between Governor "Tfjomas Rumbold, Efq; and Major Mathews. Major. Your fervant, fir j (no reply in words) I purpofe fctting out for Pondicherry, if you have no objedlions. Gov. Pondicherry; (fharply) any further, fir? Major. Yes, if I can procure a palfage in a Danifli fhip for Eu- rope, I intend to go to Tranqebar. Gov. Ah, — you fhould have mentioned Tranquebar ; Pondi- cherry and Tranquebar are not the fame j but, fir, have you leave to go to Europe ? Major. By the reply to my letter I confider myfelf as difengaged, and at liberty to return to England. Gov. I think that you have not leave : — the letter, — ^what does Major. It begins with granting me Ifeave to go to England j' but that it mufl: be upon the terms ordered by the Court of Directors : in confequence, I fuppofed that the feledt committee might confider me as out of the fervice. Gov. Sir, you have been long in the military, and are not unac- quainted with forms ; you muft refign your commiflion. Major. I never conceived that the form of refigning, by deliver- ing up a commiflion, was in fuch a cafe necefTary ; that it was in the power of the feledt committee to flrike my name out of the lift. Gov. Sir, (angrily) I tell you, as Governor of the garrifon, that you have not leave to go. Majqr,. No, lir ;— then what mufl I do? '.ern sd Gov. You mufl write to the board. Major. I fhall write to-morrow, fir. Your. fervant,. fir. M2 SECOND [ 84 ] SECOND PART. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; Chief and Council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, The honourable the Prefident and fecret committee having ap- pointed me to command the troops in the Mafulipatam difl:ri(5t,. and direded that the greateft part be forthwith aflembled for the defence of the company's diftridts j I fequeft that you will be pleafed to ac- quaint the feveral commanding officers in the diftrid", that they are to obey my orders, agreeably to the honourable company's regula- tions, and the rules of fervice. I have the honour, &c. '' ' ' ^-^ -i- ' 'RichdrdMtitheivs. Mafulipatam^ ^«^..,I3> 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Matthews, com- manding the troops in Mafulipatam, &c. Circars. . ■' "'iSir,- ' ': ijirntn^ : We have received your letter of this day's date. Your appoint- ment to the command of the troops in the Circars of this dependen- cy, (hall be made known to the feveral commanding officers therein, who will be required to publiffi it in the form and manner ufual upon fuch.occafions. With refped to what you inform us, concerning the diredions you have received from the Prefident and feltd committee, for af- fcmbling [ ^5 ] rembling the troops of this difl:ri(5t, we can only reply, by acquaint-' ing you with their inftrudlions to us, (6 far as it regards the condudt we are to obferve to you, viz. " That we are to attend paiticularly ♦• to Major Mathews's recommendations, and to afford him all pof- ** fible afliftance to forward the fervices e.vpecfted from him," Whatever arrangements that you may hereafter recommend to us will certainly be received with all the attention we are recommended to fliew to them, and every affiftance granted you in our power tO' afford. We are, fir, your moft obedient fervants, . Antb. Sadleir. 'James Hodges. Thotmis Barnardf^i Mafulipatam, Aug. 13, 1778. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efqj chief and council of Mafulipatam, Gentlemen, I have received your letter of the 1 3th. The arrangement which I recommended, as neceffary to take place, is inclofed ; alfo a lift of the ftores to be removed from Samulcotah and Ellore j and an indent for fundries for the ufe of the troops in the field. Whatever part of the indent you can at this time furnifli may be fent with cap- tain Johnflone, whom you will be pleafed to order to the part men- tioned, and give in general the neceffary diredlions for lupplies that the fervice may not be injured by delays. That timely notice may be given of the approach of the enemy by fea ; I beg leave to recommend that alarm pofls be eftabliflied at proper places on the coafl, particularly at point Devi; and that Peons be flationed at convenient diftances from, each other along the beach, at leafl, 30 miles north and fouth. Alarm pofts may alfo [ 86 ] alfo be formed from hence towards Condapilly, and to the troopg that may be in the field to give notice by the difcharge of cannon if fuccour is required at MafuHpatam, I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews^ MafuHpatam, Aug. 15, 1778. A R R A N C E M E N T, The fort of Samulcotah to be evacuated, part of the artillery, am- munition and ftores, as per accompanying lift, to be fent with cap- tain Powell to EUore, the remainder to Mafulipatam. A ferjeant, a Jemadar, two Havaldars, two Naikes, and forty fe- poys to be left at Injeram, for the fi?curity of ,the honourable com- pany's inveftment : of thefe a guard may be fent to Samulcotsh, to take care of the ftores until they are conveyed away, when two fe- poys will be fufficient to look after the barracks. Captain Powell, with his battalion, exclufive of the abovemen-. tioned, to march ito Ellore. The thr^e companies of captain Bridges's battalion, now in Mafu- lipatam, to join captain Bridges at Condapilly. Lieutenant Meek to remain at Yentapollam. Captain Johnftone, with his battalion, excepting the recruit?, to proceed as foon as poffible to take poft on the northern bank of the Kiftna, equi-diftant from Condapilly and Mafulipatam. The fepoys and artillery now at Ellore to prepare for the field. Draft bullocks to be provided for four fix pounders and their tumbrils. Soon after captain Powell's arrival at Ellore, and that every thing necefiary is prepared for the field, the troops will move from thence to the foiithward. The ftores now at Ellore, that may not be wanted for camp, or at Condapilly, will be fent to Mafulipatam. Captain [ §7 ] Captain Bridges will at a convenient time march from Condapiily^ leaving two companies, or a number as fhall then be deemed a fecu- rity for the fortrefs. When all the troops are together, that can at this time be col- le£led, they will not amount to twelve hundred effedlive men, which with four fix pounders, will be the whole force for the prefent fecu- rity of the Circars, exclufive of the garrifons and pofts. The recruits of captain Johnflone's battalion will be equal to al- moft a complete company. Richard Mathews. Mafulipatamy Aug. 15, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews,- Sir, We have received your letter under date the 15th, with the ac=' companying papers, and the arrangement of the troops which you- recommend as neceflary to take place. In moft of the particulars we concur in opinion with you, and will iffue the neceflary orders, that thefe may be carried into execu- tion as foon as poffible. There are Ibme few, however, in which our opinion differs wide- ly from your's. Thefe we will proceed to mention, and after we have ftated our idea of them, we muft defire your reply thereto. We cannot approve of your prefent difpofition for the three compa- nies of captain Bridges's battalion, nor that for captain Johnftone's battalion. Whilft they remain a part of this garrifon, with the other troops in it, they are fufficient to protedl it againft any apparent dan- ger ; but without them we judge that this place, until the force you are aflembling can be got together, fo as we can have recourfe to it for afliftance, muft be in a manner defencelefs : for, in captain Rowles's battalion, there are little more than 300 effedive men. On [ 88 ] On the other hand, encamped as you propofe captain Johnftone's battalion on the banks of the Kiftna, and thele three companies gone to CondapiUy, we do not fee (there being no immediate prof- pedl of Mr. Lally's* coming into the country) of what ufe they can be at the above places; fo that in our judgment, by removing them immediately from this garifon, they will be taken from a ftation where they are much wanted, (that is to fay, until your force- is af- fembled) to place them where they are fcaccely wanted at all. We think, therefore, they fhould remain here yntil the Samulcotah and Ellore parties will be able to meet them at the place of general ren- dezvous. Neither can we approve of the pofl: you recommend for the fta- tion of the camp on the banks of the Kiftna, equi-diftant from CondapiUy and Mafulipatam. We think it ought to be within twelve miles of this latter place ; as it appears to us of much greater importance that jou fhould be at hand to give fpeedy affiftance to Mafulipatam, than that you fhquld be ten or twelve cofs more ad- vanced to give an enemy the meeting. Of their approach you may, we fuppofe, rely on being early enough apprifed fo as to be able to meet them on our own borders ; but by your being fo much farther removed from hence, the enemy may gain time enough to accom- plidi their point by fea. We have not come to any refolution in thefe particulars, which we have fuggefted to your confideration. We defire firil to know your further fentiments thereon, to which we wi(h to fhew every attention that can poffibly be expeded from us. We are, 6cc. Anth. Sadie ir, James Hodges, Thomas Barnard. Mafulipala!,i, Aug. 16, 1778. Major * Contradictory lo ih.u Kports to the fucd committee, i-rc\lous to my arrival. [ ^9 ] Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, I have received your letter of the i6th inftant. It is in vain for me to fay more on the fubjedl of ftationing troops, or of the fervice that the honourable the Prefident and feledl committee expedt from the troops in the Circar, than what I have repeatedly told Mr. Sad- leir, who has, as alfo Mr. Barnard, feen my orders from Madras. My opinion is ftill the fame, and I can only fay, that as far as lays in my power I will fulfil the intentions of the honourable board* whofe orders and the regulations of the honourable company, will be my guide ; at the fame time not omitting a due obfervance to your recjuifitions, I have the honour, &,c. Richard Matkews. Mafulipatam, Aug. 17, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews. Sir, We have received your letter under date the 17th iiiftant. We cannot but exprefs our furprife, that in reply to our lall, you fliould refer us to converfations with our chief: it was our defire, in order to fave time and unnceflary trouble, to have had your opinion in the manner it was given to Mr. Sadleir : but we are told by him that on his propofing a meeting, it was declined by you ; and, for that rea- fon we cannot but confider vour declaration, as far as it relates to liim, as the more extraordinary. He begs leave to obferve to you, for himfelf, that all his converfations were, as he underrtood them, quite of a private kind, not official ; and that, confidering them at the time in this light, he did not commit them to his memory; nor N can [ 90 ] can bring to his recolledlion any circumftances, as mentioned hy you, which have not already been communicated by letter. We are forry to conclude this fubjed by obferving, that upon a view of what has pafled, your treatment of us appears to have been not a little abrupt. We fliall give you our fentiments once more, on the fubjed of the arrangements propofed by you j with fome alterations that have arifen from maturer refleftion, and then acquaint you with what we have refolved. We wifli to forward the fervice you are fent upon to the utmoft of our power ; we think what we have to offer will have a tendency thereto 5 and although our opinions have differed, and pof- fibly will differ, we ftiall make it cur ffudy to give you all poflible afliftance. The Honourable the Prefident and feleft committee having com- manded the troops in the Circars to be affembled, to form a camp, and intruded you with this objedt of their orders, uncertain whetlier they be difcretionary or not, we can only give our opinion thereon ; as from our fituation on the fpot things may have occurred to our obfervations, which could not have ftruck them, for want of a nearer view of them. The country is in a perfed {late of tranquility,* and from the fi- tuation of Bafalat Jung, and the Soubah, the firft of them, having a formidable enemy, Hyder Ally, hovering over his country, and the other equally threatened by the fame enemy, no profpedt of this peace being difturbed, we have nothing then, as we judge at prefent to apprehend from the party under Mr. Lally ; for Bafalat Jung is in too alarming a fituation to be able to part with fo confiderable a force as that under the command of Mr. Lally ; and the latter, how- ever * I'lot true. The northern part h.nd bern a'armcil fome time ; the fouthcrn alfo by Lally and his party, in the Gunioor Circar; and the wcftcrn by the Soubah's prepa- rations. [ 91 ] ever inclined, mufl: be unable, for want of refources, to move front Adoni, without his mafter's concurrence j on whom alone he muft, we apprehend, depend for fuch refources. If the above flatement of matters be a:'ju{l one, we have fcarcely any danger to apprehend but from the fea, our opinion is, that the *garrifon of Samulcotah be withdrawn ; the florcs removed from Ellore to either Condapilly or Mafulipatam, whichever may be thought proper. The three companies of captain Bridges's battalion, now at Mafu- lipatam, to march to Condapilly to join their corps. The troops remaining at Mafulipatam will then confifl: of captain Johnftone's and captain Rowles's battalions. The troops of this Circar will thus be flationed at nearly an equal diftance from the mod convenient place of general rendezvous, on the banks of the Kiftna, viz. at Condapilly, Ellore and Mafulipa- tam, and may all march thither from their refpedive ftations in one day, if they fliould be prefled for time. They are all to be lightly equipped for fervice, and prepared to move at a moment's warning. Although we are thoroughly perfuaded there is no reafon to ap- prehend Mr. Lally will be the firft to move againfl: us, a vigilant eye ought to be kept upon all his movements. From the foregoing arrangements the following good efFefls will arife : Mafulipatam will beproteded : the additional expence of batta and field charges, fo long as the troops continue inadive, be faved ; and time given for difciplining and getting the new-raifed fepoys in- to proper order. N 2 We * This {hews that they either were, or for fome defign wiflied to appear ignorant of the invafion by Rajanah Dourah, [ 92 ] We are of opinion, which ought however to have been mentioned before, you have not fufficiently provided for the fafety of Injeram, as we judge an officer requifite for the protedion of the honourable company's property at that place. The communication of our fentiments, as juft explained to you» we conlider a duty impofed upon us by our ftation, and we now proceed to acquaint you, that refolved to fulfil in the utmoft extent what the honourable feledt committee have intimated to us, we fhall immediately iflue orders that your arrangements may take place, ex- adlly as they are ftated in the paper you gave in, charging you, however, with the refponfibility for any events that may refult there- from, both as to the fafety of this place, and the places dependent thereon. "We mean, in order to our juftificatlon for thus throwing on you the refponfibility of the meafures you have propofed to us, to lay before the honourable feledt committee our proceedings and corref- pondence on the occafion, which we would not do without previoufly intimating fuch our intentions. We inclofe you a requifition to captain Johnftone, that his batta- lion, and the three companies of captain Bridges's battalion, move to a place of encampment out of this fort j and we fend this requifi- tion to you, that you may name a fpot for them to march to j after which both parties will purfue fuch orders as you have to give them, and of this they are informed. We are, &;c. Anth. Sadletrt 'James "Hodges, Thomas Barnard. Mafulipatam^ Aug. i8, 1778. Major [ 92 ] Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, *The following intelligence I received this morning from Ongole. " That Bafalat Jung has fent orders to the -f-Rajah Bahauder to have pots, ftraw, and wood, ready at different villages in the CIrcar in the road to Guntoor, for four thoufand fepoys, and Lally's corps of Europeans. And further orders for Rajah Bahadar, to raife three thoufand recruits." I muft requeft your afliftance, that no more time be loft in allem- bling the troops of this Circar, agreeably to the orders that I brought from the honourable the Prefident and fecret committee. All the flraggling fepoys in this diftrid: that are with renters, or their managers, &c. &c. mufl: forthwith join their battalions. And I beg that if you want any of the troops of this difl:rI6t for the fer- vice of the honourable company, that you would do me the honour to confider me in the fame light, as the honourable company orders, by their regulations, that the commanding officer of the troops in the diftrift fliould appear ; to whom requifitions are to be made by the chief and council, if military affiftance be wanting. In time of war it is necefFary that this rule be ftridly obferved ; for I cannot be accountable for pods, if tneir ftrength be diminiflied, or, probably entirely removed without my knowledge. It is alfo certain that the commander of a poft (hould know whom he is to obey. Thefe are points that will not admit of difpute, and which, I hope, will not occafion any ; for I am determined to obferve fuch a line of con- dud as fhall merit the approbation of my fuperiors. If * This letter was fent to Mafulipatam about two hours before the receipt of the laft of the fame date. t The perfon appointed by Bafalat Jung to have charge of the Guntoor Circar. I 94 1 If I was at a great dlttance from Mafulipatani It might, probably* be attended with fmall inconvenience the making at all times requi- fitions to me j in which cafe, orders fhould be iflued to prevent an injury to the fervice. But at the very time that I am on the fpot, your fending orders to captain Bridges, who commands the garrifon nearefl to the enemy, to detach fepoys to relieve fome of captain Johnftone's, who are ordered to Mafulipatam, is an indication that you wilh to adl againft the fpirit of public regulations, the rules of fervice, and the orders that I brought from Madras. I have the honour to be, ficc, Richsrd Mathews, ^lafuUpatamy Aug. i8, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews. Sir, We have received your letter of yefterday morning ; we (hall in- clofe a copy thereof to the honourable the Prefident and feledl com- mittee, and fubmit it to them to determine on the merits of it. With refpedt to the detachments out on the fervice of the revenue in different parts of thefe diftridls, we can give you no pofitive re- ply ; it has always been our endeavour to ftation none that are un- neceflary : as foon as the bufmefs thofe that at prefent out are em- ployed on, can be performed, they fliall be required to join their refpedlive corps. With refpedt to the mode of procuring *fepoys guards for the -fervice of the revenue, it may be necefTary to obferve to you, it is ordered by regulations on our records, that they fhall be required from * Their orders were dirctSl interference with military detail. It was to relievo- guards, and not a rcquifuion for fepoys for revenue bufinef?^ C 95 J from the officer commanding the garrifons neareft the place where they are to be on fervicc. If it be your defire thefe requifitions {houl4 pafs from you to thefe ofhccrs, we have no objedions ; but there muft be an exception in all cafes where the fervice would be materially injured by the delay of fending thefe requifitions to you. Wc are, &c. Anth. Sadleir, "Jam^s Hodges, T^homas Barnard^ Mafulipatam, Jug. 19, 1778. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of^- Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, As you are forry to be forced to obferve my being abrupt, I am truly fo at being under the neceffity of endangering an increafe of your difpleafure. Your feeming determination to purfue fentiments contrary to the exprefs orders of the honourable the Prefident and fecret committee, and to my opinion, of which you were verbally made acquainted the morning after my arrival ; which opinion was founded upon the nature of the fervice that the honourable board expefted from the troops of this Circar; and notwithrtanding feveral converfations with Mr. Sadleir on the fubjedl, the laft continuing above an hour, and was on the morning of the day of your meeting that he defired me to attend the board. I could not help thinking that it would not anfwer any good purpofe to be interrogated by thofe whom (as I fuppofe) had already formed their plan. I told the chief that I did not chufe to attend ; becaufe he knew my fentiments upon every point, and my particular orders from Madras, all of which he might com- [ 96 ] communicate to the council that was immediately to afTemble ; and furely he could not in a few minutes forget what I underftood was the the very bvfinefs of his morning vifit. You will, I hope, no longer think it extraordinary that I fhould decline needlefs repetitions; and be convinced that Mr. Sadleir's converfation with me was offi- cial, when I tell you, that he promifed to inform the council there- with. If words have force, you will underftand what is meant by the following extradt of my orders from Madras. *• We defire you particularly to watch the motions of Mr. Lally, who has a confiderable force in the Guntoor Circar, and to adl with tlie troops under your command in the beft manner poffible for the defence of the company's diftridts ; or occafionally on the oiFenfive againfl: the French troops with Mr» Lally, as ths circumflances of affairs may render moft eligible." To adl according to tlie fpirit of thefe orders, the troops fhould be in the field. You were informed that fuch was the intention of the honourable the Prefident and fecret committee ; they alfo told you, that a battalion was to compofe the garrifon of Mafulipatam, whicli battalion only confifled of eight companies, and could not be more than five hundred effedive men. Upon my arrival captain John- flone's battalion amounted to four hundred, fixty-iiven ; whofe bat- talion might have remained in garrifon, had not you ordered captain Rovvles's in without my knowledge. Captain Rowles has now near four hundred men fit for duty ; with thefe there will be left a com- pany chiefly compofed of captain Johnftone's recruits, two-thirds of them expert in tiie ufe of their arms, and fit to join the batta- lion : to that the garrifon will confift of near five hundred efl^edives, two hundred (as I am told) good Lafcars, ten European artillery, and twenty European Infantry; alfo the invalids that were lately ordered to Madras, who are now on their return to Mafulipatam; the fick [ 97 ] fick of captain Rowles's battalion will be daily recovering and the abfentees joining ; all thefe form a force full fiifficient to guard againfl a fudden attack. The troops in the field will make the fafety of Mafulipatam tlie principal objedt of their attention ; at the hme time they will not be blind to the dangers that may enfue from fuch a force as Lally's, and the prefent uncertain (as far as we know of the) intentions of Bafalat Jung, the Soubah, or Hyder. I have fent the orders to captain Johnflone, and fhall chearfully accept of the refponfibility for any meafures that can be taken for the defence of the company's diftrifts with fuch a fmall force as is in this Circar. With the correfpondence that In your letter of the i8th, you fay, you inleiid to fend to the honourable feledt committee, let me re- quefl: that you would be pleafed to fend a copy of this. I have the honour to be, &c. Richard Mathews. Mafulipatam, Aug. 19, 1778. Mr. Barnard, to Major Mathews. Sir, I am commanded by the chief and council to fend the inclofed cxtradl of a letter they are now difpatching to the honourable the Prefident and fele ported J but all agree that there is a force drawing towards our country from Hydrabad ; and that Fauzel beg Chan, is expcded foon at Combamet. 1 therefore propofe that the troops fliould march to Bezoara, to be ready to oppofe thofe that have the appearance of threatening us. During the rains, captain Bridges's battalion may be in the barracks at Condapilly ; a battalion, and part of the artillery, may find flielter at Bezoara, arid the remainder at Akkerapilly, with another batta- lion. Akkerapilly is twenty miles from Condapilly, and fixteen from Bezoara, upon the high road that leads from the weftward to EUore. By this difpofition the troops will be enabled to affemble in a few hours, fhould the diftrid be invaded from Combamet, or from the other fide of the Kiftna. Every other part on this fide of the Kiftna is, to all appearance, fecure. I beg that you will be pleafed to mention the number of fepoys that you want for revenue fervice, and the places where they are to go. It is true that all abfentees were ordered to join their batta- lions, but many cannot be found, which will always be the cafe, when fepoys are employed fo deftrudtive to difcipline, and prejudi- cial to the farmer. I (liall, in future, take all the care that lays in my power, that fepoys- are not employed, excepting on the com^ pany's fervice, becaufe I am well acquainted that heretofore many of thofe reported on revenue fervice, were on the bufinefs of indivi- duals. To explain what I meant by cantooning troops, it may be necef- fary to inform you, that, to the fouthward, it has been cuftomary to quarter them in villages, which, in general, is called cantooning them. It was not my intention to put the company to the expence of building barracks. Some better covering than a tent will be ne- ccilary C 117 ] ceflary during the monfoon, which may be eafily furniilied by the temporary inconvenience of fome villagers, who may, for the time^ be accommodated by their friends. I have the honour, &,c. Richard Mathewu Camp, Sept. 18, 1778"^ The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews, Sir, We addrefled a letter to you on the 12th inftant, to which we' have received no other reply than an acknowledgment from captain Powell of its being come to hand j and that in a few days it iliould be anfwered. There were fome particulars In the above letter, that might have been, we judge, immediately replied to j and there was fcarcely any, ■ with refped: to which, a delay of this kind could not but be attend- ed with inconvenience, and obftrudl the courfe of public bufinefs. We fhall point out one or two inftances wherein the inconvenience above-mentioned has been fenfibly felt ; and we truft that the bare mention of this matter will be fufficient to induce you to obferve fuch a condudl in future as may fave us the trouble of any further remarks o^ this kind. Our chief, on the receipt of the late difpatch from the honourable the feledt committee, wilhed to apprife Bafili Jung's manager in the Guntoor Circar, of their pacific intentions towards their mafler, io long as a proper caution was obferved, refpedling the movements of Mr. Lally : but this would have been altogether improper, until we could at the fame time inform him with certainty that the troops were all entirely withdrawn, and had repalTed the Kiftna ; a cirsum- ilance-- [ ii8 ] fiance regarding which we have not yet any authentic information :* and of courfe the above communication with the Naib of Bafili Jung, fo proper at this junfture, is ftill prevented. The other inftance we fliall point out, regards the Peddapore and Pettipore countries. The manager of the Zemindar of it has ap- plied fome time fince for reUef. He has lately renewed his applica- tions ; but your anfwer was wanted to enable us to come to fome refolution on this fubjedt ; and this being delayed, we are ftill pre- vented from giving them any fatisfadtion. The inconvenience to us from that part of your condudt above remarked upon, will appear fufficiently from the foregoing inftances. We pafs now, therefore, to other matters. By report we learn that captain Bridges was yefterday within four cofs of 'this place; and that lieutenant Meek is in the command of Condapilly. What has been done concerning the port at Vantapol- 1am, whether it is occupied as before, or whether the company of fepoys be withdrawn, we are totally unacquainted. We cannot but confider this want of communication on your part as in f./me degree a negledt of the orders you have lately received from the honourable feledt committee, a copy of which has been forwarded to us ; and it obliges us to reprefent the fame that it may in future be redified. A Hircar, who is lately come in, has informed our chief, he was prefent at Guntoor when fome people come from you to the manager ,of that country .-j- This interference with the country government, in any * Not true. The chief Imving wrote to the Naib the 29th or 30th of Auguft. See the letter, p. 1C4. t What they call interference in the country government, wcs no more than a letter to the manager of Guntoor, requcfling that he would order all the Icpoys belonging to tiie company, who Were dragooning his province, to join their corps ; and telling him tint it was contrary to the orders of tiie c<;tTipany that their fepoys were fo cm- ployed. — Sec his anfwer in the Appendix, dated Sept. 6. t 1^9 ] any public concerns. Is entirely out of your line, and mufl: be pro- du6live of bad confequences. The inconvenience to affairs, arifing from fuch a double intercourfe, is too manifeft to need enlarging up- on it, will be fufficlent to obferve, that it rnuft end in throwing all bufinefs into confufion, as it will be impoflible for thofe with whom we have to treat, to know which of us they are to rely upon ; nor can any conllilency of condudt be preferved by us in fuch a cafe : whenever you may have public bufinefs, in which the country powers are concerned, the chief and council ought to be the channel of it. As a condudt of this kind has never heretofore been allowed to your predecefTors, and, we are perfuaded, be countenanced by our fupe- riors, we hope no further occafion will be given us to remonftrate againft it. We wifli to be favoured with your fpeedy anfwer, both to this and our laft. We are, &c. Antb. Sadletr, 'James Hodges ^ 'Thomas Barnard, Mafulipatamy Sept. i8, 1778. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, Your letter of the i8th I received, after I had difpatched to yoir a letter of the fame date, in which every neceffary part of your letter of no date was replied to. Upon the 13th inftant I received that letter, which did not then appear to me as requiring an immediate reply. I was then on the point of going to review the firft Circar battalion at, or near Rajamundry, and defired captain Powell to ac- quaint you of my going to Ellore, and that upon my return you fhould have an anfwer, which anfwer you may have received in due time J, [ 120 ] time; and, I hope, hath proved fatisfadtory. In the mean while 1 have had it view to lecure this diftrid:, as far as the united efforts of fo fmall a party can effedt. And I make no doubt, fince harmony has been fo ftrongly recommended, but that 1 fliall meet with your afliftaiic?, mofl heartily, in all kinds of public fervice. I requefl: you to call to mind that my life and profeffion hath been adlive, your's of the clofet ; and I have not leifure, or abilities, to write volumes upon trifles. My time may be better employed in ferving effentially the honourable company ; every thing, that is ne- ceffary, you fliail be informed of, other matters are not worth re- cording. You fay that you will point out two inflances wherein inconve- niencies have been felt by my not having immediately replied to your letter, viz. ift, " Our chief, on receipt of the late difpatch from the ho-- nourable feledt committee wifhed to apprife Bafalat Jung's manager in the Guntoor Circar of their pacific intentions towards his mafter, fo long as a proper caution was obferved refjjeding the movement of Mr. Lallly ; but this would have been altogether improper, until we could at the fame time inform him, with certainty, that the troops were all entirely withdrawn, and had repaffed the Kiflna ; a circumftance regarding which we have not yet any authentic infor- mation, and of tourfe the above communication with the Naib of ^afalatjung, io proper at this juncture, is flill pievented " To this I need only fay, that I wrote to you on the I2th inflrant; the following is a copy. *' I fend you an extradt of a letter that I have received from tiie lionourable feled committee., dated Sept. 6, 1778." . " As we do. not find by the latefl intelligence we have received, that Mr. Lally is moving from Adoni, we are. of opinion, that it is un- [ 121 ] iinneceffary to make any detachments from your force at prefcnt, as it may give much alarm to the inhabitants, and injure the colledion of the revejiues ; we defire, therefore, that you will fix your camp in feme proper fituation for the fecurity of the diftridt, and not move any troops towards the Guiitoor Circar, without further orders, or without the concurrence of the chief and council of Mafulipatam." " I have, in confcquence of the foregoing. Tent orders to captain James Powell, to re-crofs the Killna, with all the troops of this di- flridl, that are now to the fouthward of the Kirtna. This will fhew that, conformably to orders, all the troops were directed to re-crofs the river. Captain Powell's return was imme- diate i captain Bridges arrived yefterday at one o'clock ; and the two companies of the 7th Carnatic battalion v/ill be over to-morrow or next day. I have alfo ordered that the five boats be taken to Mafu- lipatam. Thus every offenfive and defenfive appearance are removed, and the orders of the honourable feled; committee, which were in this point agreeable to your fentiments, executed in the ftricTieft and moft expeditious manner. You could not be informed of the return of the troops until they did return ; and they are not at this time all over. But this matter was no " delay to your acquainting the Naib of Bafalat Jung of the pacific intentions of the honourable ftledl committee." The letter from your chief to hin), (fee p. 104.) copy of which you lionoured me with, dated the 30th of Augufl, was fufiiclently clear. 2d, The fecond inftance of inconvenience is anfwered by my letter of the 1 8th, which informs you, that the remains of fix companies of the firft Circar battalion, and two three pounders, under the com- mand of lieutenant Archibald Brown, were gone to Samulcotah i and he hath my orders for the fecurity of the country. I have heard that Rajanah Dourah, of whom the Peddapore ma- nager complains, had retired from Rutlapundah, in confequence of R his t 122 ] his father's releafe. But this may not be true ; however, in your letter of no date, you agreed with me, that it was prudent to wait for the healthy feafon, and not rifque the lives of any troops at this time among the hills, that at this period, and for three months to come, are almoft certain death to Europeans, and to all others not natives of the climate. Lieutenant Meek from the village of Yentapollam, ioined captain Bridges many days ago at Baumpattah. All the troops being ordered to re-crofs the river, there could not be any left without a frefli caufe ; nor do I think it prudent to rifque a fmall party at fuch a diftance. Yentapollam is an open village. I have heard that when lieutenant Meek was Rationed there, he had forfome time only fourteen .men ; Enlign Bowfcr a lefs number, the reft of the company being dif- perfed about the country. I fancy that thefe are the fepoys to which you allude, when you are pleafcd to fay, in your letter of no date, " The utmoft care has always been taken by us not to employ fepoys unnecefTarily ; we removed many previous to your arrival, and had it at the fame time under deliberation to withdraw them all; but the necefiity of the fervice would not allow of it." The only fepoys that were removed, in fuch a .courfe as to rejoin their corps, were thefe abfentees of lieutenant Meek's ; and this recall was performed a few days before my arrival at Mafulipatam. I inclofe you copies of two letters that I fer.t to Bafalat Jung's inannger, Rajah Bahauder, one of which your chief's Hircar h.is given fuch true information of; and, in reply to what you are pleaf- ed to urge, muil: confefs that the deftrudlive war which threatens us on all fide?,* will, I am apprelienfive, prevent me from obferving the * I a])pcal to all military n^.cii, it' it be not inipoffiblc tor a conimanding oiTiCcr to fecurc a province from infult, when he is deprived of the means of guarding againft a fuddci) attack. If he is dtbaricd from procuring intelligence, he at all times lays ex- pjfcJ [ 123 ] the channel of commujiication with ccuntiy powers that you Co car- nertly recommend. Before I conclude, I inuft beg leave to afTare you, that it is my wifli the fervice of our country may be eondudled by the military and civil powers in union, concord, and harmony ; for'without this per- fect agreement, the honourable company's affairs, which I have feen to flourifti nineteen years, may be fo much prejudiced, that we may be forced to dance to jarring founds our ears have been unacquainted with in India fince the French were drove from before Madras. I have the honour, &c. Richard Matheivs. Camp, Sept. 1 8, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews. Sir, We have received your late letters, two under date the 12th, and one under date the i8th inftant. The latter is in anfwer to ours of the 1 2th, and we are forry to obferve to you, that it is by no means fatisfadiory, not to mention the delay that has happened in favouring us with this reply, for which we cannot perceive any good reafon in what you have communicated, there are other circumflances which require our notice. You have not yet told us what has been done with the party before Rationed at Vantipollam, whether that pofl: be ftill occu- pied, or has been abandoned. In our letter we recommended the continuing a party at this poft. R 2 What pofed to furprife. It feems that the chief and council would wifh that the fenior mili- tary officer was deaf and blind. But the honourable company's {landing order of 17 14, explained in March 1769, and further explained in November J 769, allows the commanding officer greater lati- tude. See appendix. [ 124 ] What force you have kept at Condapilly, and who may have been in the command of it, are circumftances that have been and conti- nue equally unknown to us; the fame, with refpedl to captain Lane's battalion, of which no return has yet been fent, although it fliould have been done as foon as it conveniently might after the arrival in thefe diftrids. *The negleding, for fo many days after we had required it, to return the fepoys to their ftations, on the revenue fervice, is likewife very exceptionable. It is poflible we may mifipprehend the fenfe of what has been written us by our fuperiors : but as we cannot reconcile what we un- derftand from their orders, with fuch conduft on your part, it ob- liges us to have recourfe to them for a further explanation. We fhall, therefore, tranfmit a copy of all the correfpondence that has pafi'ed between us iince the receipt of their late difpatches, for their pleafure to be known upon it. We proceed to the fubjedl of the arrangements .of the troops in cantoonments, as propofed in our letter of the i8th. We do not fee any good reafon for altering our former opinions, already com- municated, by {Rationing the troops as we then propofed, one baf- talion at Condapilly, one with the artillery at Ellore, another in ad- dition to the one we now have at this place, and returning the two companies of captain Lane's battalion, now at Akkerapilly, to their corps at Samulcotah, we think more thin one advantage will be gained, the detached parties of captain Powell's battalion may be re- lieved, and the battalion kept complete. Tlie * They hegleifled to mention the places where tlie fepoys were to go, anJ the parti- cular biifmefs tliey were employed upon. Sec the company's orders on this head, p. r. paragraph 54. The number of fepoys that the chief and council required, did not amount to a twentieth part of what were difpcrfcd in the piovince before my arriv.1I, { '25 ] The troops, as before-mentioned to you^ will be lodged in ffoin- fortable and healthy quarters. The expencc of Batta, and fame other field charges, in part, be avoided. We beg leave to obferve here, that the diminifliing, in any particular, fo heavy a load of ex- pence, as our honourable employers are now burthened with by the charges of the war, ought, we think, to be an objedl of attention ; and laftly, the country be freed for a time from the apprehenfions that will always attend the movement of troops. We cannot concur with you in the opinion you exprefs of the little inconvenience that would be occafjoned by quartering troops upon the villages. In our opinion you treat this matter too lightly; it appears to us that in fo inclement a feafon, as that of the Monfoon in this country, the inhabitants muft be exceedingly diftreffed by fuch a meafure, and it would ferve befides to keep up the prefent alarm; whilft good quarters, therefore, may be had for the troops' without any oppreflion of the inhabitants, we think the meafure ought not to be adopted. We do not at all apprehend immediate danger from the quarters vou have pointed our attention to. If the Soubah fhould ever form the projecc^ Aiitb. Sadleii'y James Hodge t, I'hamas Barnard. Mafulipatam^ 05i. 2, 177?^ Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, Under charge of a Havaldar and fix fepoys, I have this day fent three men, who have been prifoners at Ellore for twelve years. I have diredted the Havaldar to deliver them to you, to be difpofed'of as you think proper. By a letter I received this morning from lieutenant Brown, I fup- pofe he will march with two three pounders, and all the men of the firft Circar battalion that were fit for duty, towards Routlapundy, as the manager for Timrauze was urgent for afiiftance to relieve that fort. I fend * A Mr. Lavalle was condu£lor, Woodford was not ; therefore, the chief and council named and required the wrong perfon. C 136 1 I fend you copies of two letters that I received from Rajanah- dourah, that you may take fuch meafures as you think proper. I £liall not make any reply to them. Captain Thomas Lane is ordered to join that part of his battalion now under lieutenant Brown. He has orders to acl for the fecurity of the Peddapore, and Pettipore countries, and not to go among the hills at this unhealthy feafon j except by a fudden incurfion he may have an opportunity of gaining a good advantage over the enemy. Captain Lane will alfo pay attention to the port of Coringy, and to £very part near him. Two of my Hircars fay, that Lally is again at Adoni } probably he may not have moved from thence; but for fuch contradidtory in- telligence I cannot be accountable. It is reported that he will come to Guntoor after the Defarey feaft. Fauzel beg Chan is laying in great quantities of provifions of all kinds at Combamet : and it is expedled that a confiderable force will march to that place from Hydrabad after the Defarey feaft. I have the honour, &c, Richard Mathews, Eilore, Qui. 2, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Matthews., commanding the troops in the Mafulipatam diftridt, or, commanding officer at Ellore. Sir, The fait farmer, Mr. Statham, has applied X.<:i us for the affiftance of fome fepoys to efcort fome parties of Lombardy people to his fait pans at Ponraca, whither they were prevented from going, by dif- ficulties raifed in the countries through which they have to pafs, on the fulijedl of the duties to be paid. We require, therefore, that a Havaldar [ ^Z7 ] Havaldar and twelve fepoys be immediately fent to Aukanapillee, fituate not far from Noozeed, when they are to follow the diredions of Chandriah, the agent of Mr. Statham. The fepoys are no other- wife to interfere than by preventing the exadion of larger cuftoms, than the Cowle of our chief allows : copy of this Cowle is lodged with Mr. Statham's agent. We fend inclofcd a letter to be delivered by the Havaldar to the abovementioned Chandriah. We are, &c. Mafulipatanii 051. 3, 1778. Anth. Sadkir, ya?)ies Hodges, Thomas Barnard, Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efqj chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, I have received your letters of the 2d and 3d inftant. The officer at Samulcotah has directions to give every affiftance to thofe em- ployed in removing the flores, fo that it will be unnecefTary fending Woodford, efpecially as he may be much wanted with the troops fhould they take the field. A Havaldar and twelve fepoys are fent to affifl Mr. Statham's fer- vants to efcort the Lombardy people. I have the honour to be, &:c. Richard Mathews, Ellore, OB. 4, 1778. The [ 138 ] The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews, Sir, We have received your letters of the following date, viz. of the 26th, 28th ult. two of the 2d, one of the 3d, and another of the 4th inftant. We at prefent only reply to your laft letter, iJnder date the 4th inftant J the others may require further anfwer. We are forry that you fliould oblige us to repeat the requifition we therein made, and lay us under the difagreeable neceffity of reminding you of the com- mand of our fuperiors, which were made known to you in their letter under date the 6th ult. namely, that our requifitions are to be implicitly obeyed. We do then, now, again require of you, to order ferjeant Woodford, the condudlor of ftores, to go immediately to Samulcotah, there to remain under the diredions of Mr. Weft- cott, until the removal of the ftores from that place be completed, or he be recalled. We defire that this requifition be immediately complied with, meaning to charge ourfelves with every confequence thereof. We are, &c, Antb. SaMeir. J amcs Hodges. "Thomas Barnard. Mafulipatam^ OB. 5, 1778. The Chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews. Sir, We before acknowledged the receipt of your letter, under date the 2d inftant, in ours to you of the 5th inftant j we now proceed to reply thereto. There would have been a greater propriety in advlfing us, before you proceeded further, of the perfons you have fent to this place being r 139 ] being confined at Ellorc, than in ordering them hither without any proper authority for £0 doing. They were direded, as we judge, to be kept at the above place, by order of this government, and ought not to have been moved, before the fandlion of it to fuch an a<5t had been previoufly obtained ; at leaft, without great and evi- dent neceffity. Thefe prifoners being now here, we fliall not ordcj. them back-^ We defire, however, that you will pleafe to enquire of the perfons in whofe cuflody you found them, what crimes they were charged with, on which they may have been committed to prifon ; as it will be difficult to trace the matter to its fource in our records. Concerning Rajanah-dourah, we have fcarched our records for the particulars relative to him, and we find that it was determined long ago by the fuperior board, that he merited exemplary punifliment, having been guilty of rebellion and murder, his country was ordered to be fequeftered, and his perfon, wherever he could be found, to be feized, that it might receive the punifliment due to his crimes ; fuch as the fuperior board might command to be inflided. This refolu- tion remains ftill in force j under fuch circumftances, therefore, no- thing, we think, but unconditional fubmiffion to the authority of government, can poffibly be admitted ; and we communicate this opinion, as well as the other circumftances, that they may ferve in this point, for the rule of your conduit. Refpeding the march of lieutenant Brown, having no intelligence whatever from that part of the country where he is, neither from him, nor from the Peddapore manager, we can be no judges of the cccafion for it : we did not know of your having iflued any orders, which might, upon an emergency, juftify lieutenant Brown in taking the field. We are, 6cc. Antb. Sadleir, "James Hodges, 1'bomas Barnard. MajWpatam, OB. 7, 1778. [ HO ] Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam, Gentlenien, I have ordered the *condudor of ftores to Samulcotah to aflifl: Mr. Weftcott in conveying the artillery and {lores from thence. Inclofed you will receive a paper concerning the prifoners that I fent to you on the 2d inftant. It was wrote by the Cutwall's Con- cicoply, who feems to know more of the matter than any other perfon. Lieutenant Brown has .been fuccefsful in an attack that he made upon fome advanced parties of Rajanah-dourah's ; and captain Lane writes me, that he purpofed on the 7th to give the enemy another Alert i the rcfuh of which you fhall be inforr;ned in due time. I have the honour, &c. B-icbard Mathews. EUore, 051. 11, 1778. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, Inclofed is an indent, which I beg that you will comply with as therein mentioned. The conducTior of flores being abfent, I have it not in my power to compare the indents that I made to you on the 21ft ult. with what was received at Condapilly ; but I bt-g leave to allure you, that at all times I am careful not to apply for articles that are unncceflary. The number of fuzces, tiiat were mentioned, are wanted to complete the feled piquets. In- • Mr. LavalJc, not fcrjcant Woodford. [ MI ] Inclofed are extrads of letters from lieutenant Brown and captain Lane, which are fufficient to fliew, that Rajanah-dourah cannot be brought to unconditional fubmiffion. The nature of the country, being mountainous and woody, the dreadful effeds that the climate hath upon our troops, the bravery of the Polygars, and pufillani- mity of Timrauze's people, all adt againft your policy -, fo that I beg leave to offer it, as my opinion, that as Timrauze is incapable of protedling the Tontapilly diftridl, or to collecS the revenues without the powerful affiflance of our troops, that he ibould not be permit- ted to interfere with it. Let him be circumfcribed to his own lands, then he will not need, of armed men, fuch a number, that may at fome time be prejudicial to us. The company's troops are the only force that fliould be allowed in the Circars. Rajanah-dourah 's fa- mily fhould be put in full pofleflion of what we, in facfl, cannot keep from them ; by which the company's revenue will be increafed, and their fepoys kept in health for more material fervices. You are well acquainted that the value of the Tontapilly country is an objedl that Timrauze has in view ; and the fum he pays the company bears but £L fmall proportion to what he may have received in time of peace. I cannot fee any good reafon why the company, by whofe power he is enabled to colledl the rents, fliould not themlelves reap the advan- tage of the fuperiority of their arms. Rajanah-dourah will, I fup- pofe, readily pay to the chief and council what Timrauze has agreed to do, and probably make fome encreafe. He will not be inclined, from the power in him to defend his lands, to make fuch excufcs for non-paymenls as Timrauze may do, from the repeated invafions of the country by Rajanah-dourah's adherents. Thus the tribute will be more certain, and the company's troops, by being in health and good order, enabled to maintain their fame. Your records may pof- fibly fhew the dreTidful effedls that the hill-country, at different pe- riods, has had upon our officers and fepoys ; fo much Co, that at one time. [ 142 ] time, out of fixteen companies of fepoys that formed a camp, there were not two hundred men fit for duty. The under-mentioned extract, from a difcerning fenfible officer, deferves your attention : from lieutenant Archibald Brown, dated the 6th of Oftober 1778. *' It feems of no confequence our putting them (Timrauze's people) in pofTeffion of any port or country ; without company's troops they cannot keep it. I have jiot been able to prevail on any of his people to go out for intelligence; nor has Perry-rauze a bit more influence over them ; his people are the moft pufilanimous of any I ever faw, and Rajanah-dourah's arc by far the bravefl. I give you my word, I never faw fo much warm work among the hills as I did yefterday morning. Our people were as lively and fpirited as could be wiflied." I beg your pardon for touching upon a matter that is in your pro- vince. But whatever occurs to me that may tend to the benefit of the honourable company's fervice, I think it my duty to communi- cate to thofe who have power to adl for the real interefl: of their employers. I have taken the liberty to flop a few of the flores, that were or- dered from Samulcotah, as, by fo doing, it may fave the company the expence of fending them from Mafulipatam ; as foon as I know the exadt quantity, I will give a receipt for them. When I began this letter I did expedt that copies of the Ex- trafts would have been ready to-night ; but I now find that the fending them muft be deferred until to-morrow. I have the honour to be, &c. Richard Mathews. Ellore, 051. 17, 1778. Major [ H3 ] Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadller, Efqj chief and council of Mafulipatatn. Gentlemen, You will herewith receive extradls of letters from lieutenant Archi- bald Brown, and captain Thomas Lane. By the laft letters from captain Lane, dated the 14th, I am in- formed that the rains, which had rendered a river impaffable, had prevented the return of the detachment to Samulcotah. I have the honour, &c. Richard Matbeivi, Mere, OH. 18, 1778. Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam, Gentlemen, Having received information that the manager for one of the Ze- mindars of this diflridl had engaged to aflifl a Zemindar belonging jO the Guntoor Circar, againft Waflyreddy-ramanah, who is tribu- tary to us, for that part of his lands which are north of the Kiftna. And that Chelacauney Juggiah, of Newjure, was aflembling men, in order to fend them acrofs the Kiftna, for the purpofe aforemen- tioned. Confidering this proceeding of his, who ought to be en- tirely dependent upon the company, as an unwarrantable ftcp, full of dangerous confequences to our affairs, at this critical time, I have fent an officer and fixty men, to put a flop to their levies. The in- telligence I received, and the orders to the officer, aUb a tranllatioa of a letter to Juggiah, are inclofed. Herewith you will receive the monthly returns. I have the honour, 6cc. Richard Mathews, Ellore, On. 20, 1778. Major [ 144 ] Major Mathews, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, The party I fent to Newjure returned this morning. Inclofed you will have a copy of a letter from Chelacauney Juggiah to me. He has promiled not to go, or fend any armed men, over the Kiflna. You will alfo receive extrafts of a letter from captain Lane, dated Oft. 19, by vi'hich you will know that Rajanah-dourah returned to the edge of the Peddapore country, to raife contributions. You may be affured that it is impoflible to reduce him to " uncondi- tional fubmifiion." He has too many friends, not only in the Cica- cole diftrid, but in this. The Gulgunda and Pettapore people feem much inclined to affift him. The Havaldar and twelve fepoys, that you, upon the 3d of Odlo- ber, required might be fent to Akkerapilly, to prevent the Zemin- dar's people taking more from the Lombardy people tlian what they were permitted by the chief's cowl, have not yet finilhed this bufi- nefs ; although a fingle Peon ought, with the authority of the chief and council, to have had as much effedt as was intended by the thir- teen men. The Halvadar was nine days at Akkerapilly, waiting the arrival of Chundriah ; after which, the chicanery of Juggiah has left the matter undecided. The Shiredars are purpofely kept out of the way, and Juggiah complains that his enemies impofe upon his mafter Nerriah, otherwife Opperrow. Accompanying is a letter that Juggiah defired me to forward to you, I have the honour, &c. Richard Mathews. The r 145 ] • Tjie chief and Council of Mafulipatam, to Major Mathews. Sir, We have received your letters under date the 17th, i8th, and Eoth inflant, together with the accompanying extrafls from the let- ters of lieutenant Brown and captain Lane. All your correfpondence relative to Rajanah-doiirah, when the ho- nourable feledl committee receives the copies we now difpatch, will be before them ; they will then be equally informed with us ; and will be equally enabled to judge, not only of what you have advifed fpedting Rajanah-doorah, but alfo of the propriety of your condudt throughout this bufinefs ; in all other refpeds, uninformed as -we are, of the inftrudtions given to the officers on this fervice, and of all other particulars preceding the march of lieutenant Brown, that, in your or his opinion, made that meafure neceffary, we think we 'fhould do wrong to offer any judgment upon it at all. As foon as we receive the commands of the feled: committee, they fhall be duly <;ommunicated. We have direded your indent to be complied with, and when ready, the feveral things indented for will be difpatched. We come now to reply to your letter of the 20th inflant, wherein you inform us that you had detached an officer and lixty men, to put a flop to the levies of Chalacuney Juggiah, of ^Noozeed, who was preparing to crofs the Kiflna, to adl againft VafTyreddy Rama- 4iah. We cannot but confider this adt, on your part, of fending out a detachment, without our concurrence, which may eventually be .obliged to adt offenfively, as totally unwarrantable ; and confidering how exprefsly fuch condudt has been forbidden by our fuperiors, ■even repeatedly fo, we mufl confefs that it affects us with equal fur- prize and concern. We think it neceflaryj upon this occafion, to iiecite fome paflages from the commands of the honourable feledt U com- • Newjure. [ 146 ] committee, both to you and ourfelves ; wheieln they lay down S rule for your conduft, in llieir letter to you, under date the 6th of September. They ufe tbefe words : "The chief and council are the perfons charged, under us, with ihe interefts and affairs of the com- pany in the Circars ; they are left to be the judges when military afhftance is neceflary, for the purpofe of the revenues, or any other fervicej and are empowered to make requifitions, which, on the part of the commanding officer, are to receive implicit obedience." Again, in the fame letter, they afterwards diredl, " ihat you fix your camp in fome proper fituation for the fecurity of the diftrid, and not move any troops towards the Guntoor Circar, without further orders, or without the concurrence of the chief and council of Ma- fulipatam." In their letter to us, under date the 19th of September, of which you have an extraft, they have thefe words : *• We hope our laft letter to Major Mathews will have, in a great degree, if not entirely, removed all caufe of difagreement, by im- preffing him with a due fenfe of his improper condudt towards you, and difpofing him hereafter to adl with that deference which he owes to your authority, in all matters which do not come within the detail of military operations ; for it is our meaning, that every thing which regards the policy and revenue of the country ftiall be totally under their dircdlions, &;c." By this latter paragraph, your province is plainly and diredlly limited to the detail only of military operations, and execution thereof ; of the occafion for thefe operations we are as plainly left the fole judges. We do now therefore require of you not to move any troops from their prefect ftations, in any part of thefe di- itrids, without our concurrence ; excepting only fuch troops as being, by your orders, now out on fervice, would, by the efFeerfon ; but put the fpirit of your requifition into execution upon the perfon of Chelacauney Venkiah, who will be delivered to you by lieuteant Forbes. Of your letter of the 15th, thofe parts that concern myfelf are not at this time deferving of any notice ; upon comparing this your production with the others of the fame fpirit that I have been fa- voured with, my afiertions will evidently appear to all unprejudiced men to be founded in fad, and as fuch I.fliall at all times be ready to anfwer. I have the honour to be, 5fc. Richard Maiheivs. Chicacolum, Dec. 18, 1778. Major Mathews, to Edward Cotsford, Efcj; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, The orders of the 22d ult. having deprived me of that command which appeared to me necefl'ary for the good of the fervice, and which was conformable to the orders oi the honourable the court of Diredlors ; I beg leave to acquaint you, that I fliall decline ading, more efpecially as at this time I have not any troops immediately un- der my command, and my former authority, over tliofe not prefent, ceafjng. I have this day acquainted the commander in chief of my intent, and have applied for permilTion to go to Madras. I have the honour, 6cc. Richard Mathews. Mafulipatam^ Jan. 2, 1779. Not [ >85 ] Not any anfwer to the above, or to my letter of the fame date to General Munro, and of the 3d to Sir Eyre Coote. The following was the mode obferved by the feleft committee, &c. Mr. Pringle, to Major Mathews. Sir, I am directed by the chief and council to acquaint you, that the honourable feledl committee, in confequence of your having ap- plied through the commander in chief for leave of abfence to pro- ceed to the prefidency, have granted you leave of abfence accord- ingly. I am, fir, &c. Alexander Pringle, Secretary. Ma/ulipaiam, Jan. i^, 1779. Bb APPENDIX. [ > ] APPENDIX. ExfraSis of Letters from Major Mathews, to Officers commanding Detachments in the Circars, dependent upon Mafulipatam. Major Mathews, to lieutenant Thomas Meek, commanding at Ventapollam. Sir, X H E Ongole companies, and three companies from Mafuh'pa- tam, I have ordered to take pod at Sandole : if you are the fenior officer, you are to take upon you the command of them, and retire with your company to join them. We are at peace with Bafalat Jung; fo you will not give him caufe to be offended j but you are .to do your utmofl: to prevent any injury to the company's country. As far as poflible you are to a£l on the defenfive, and at all events tfecure your retreat to Nauggalanka, on the fouthern bank of the Kiftna. Should you hear of the approach of Lally's party towards the Guntoor Circar, you will inftantly retreat to the place above- .mentioned, and avoid an adlion, except you can command it on the B b 2 molt [ 2 ] mofl; advantageous terms. Should you be certain that Lally's force moves towards Ongole, with a feeming intention of attacking it, you are to remain at or near Sandole; but go no farther fouth without orders. Rfchard Mathews. Cicacole, Jug. 22, 1778. Major Mathews, to Lieutenant Doveton. Sir, You received orders from captain Johnftone to join captain Bridges at Condapilly ; but there hath arifen a neceffity of altering your route. Upon receipt of this you will march to this place, then crofs the Kiilna, and proceed to Sandole : upon your arrival there you will give lieutenant Meek, who is at Ventapollam, notice of your fituation, and obferve his directions. Two companies from Ongole are to join you ; I do not know the rank of the officer who com- mands them ; but the fenlor othcer is to take command of the five companies, when joined. You will leave at Cicacole one Jemadar, one Havaldar, two Naikes, and eighteen fepoys, in charge of the four boats that were ft-nt from Mafulipatam : they are not to be removed from hence without my orders. You mull fupply yourfelf with rice for your party; I do not be- lieve you can procure any at this place. I fliall go from hence to Condapilly j in four or five days return to this place, and then go down the river to Yendarah, the part where the Tappy erodes to Nauggalanka; where in future I believe the boats will be Rationed. You will be pleafcd to give me frequent advice of your fituation, and of all occurrences : lake the utmoll care to prevent any injury to [ 3 J to the inhabitants, either of our country or the Guntoor Circar ; in refped to the latter, you will be cautious of giving offence. Lieuteant Meek informed tne, that a Frenchman, at the head of five hundred fepoys, and fome fmall guns, was at Pottarum, ten cofs from VentapoUam. This will be fufficient to put you on your guard. Richard Maihe'ws, Cicacole, on the banks of ihe Kijinc, Aug. 22, 1778. Major Mathews, to captain Thomas Bridges. Sir, With the detachment under your command, you will do your ut- mofl: to protedl that part of the Circars belonging to the honourable company, which is fouth of the Kiftna ; and to be attentive to the motions of a party under Mr. Lally, reputed to be in the fervice of Bafalat Jung ; or to any troops that may be forming in the Guntoor Circar. You will demand of lieutenant Meek copies of my orders to him, and as far as poflible conform thereto ; with this latitude, that I do not confine your movements to the Ibuthward only to Sandole, but to the extent of the company's country. You will be cautious to fecure a timely retreat to Nauggalanka, or take a good poft, according to the intelligence that you may have of the ftrength of the enemy. You will acquaint the honourable feled: committee of any mo- tions of the enemy that feeni to threaten an invafion of the Nabob's or our country ; and you will at all times communicate to me every mateiial occurrence, fo that I may be certain of your fituation. By [ 4 ] By keeping up a correfpondence with the ofBcer commanding at Ongole, you may be better enabled te fuUfil the intent of your ex- pedition. Richard Mathews. Condapilly, Aug. 24, 1778. Major Mathews, to the officer commanding a detachment from captain Powell's battalion at Yanam. Sir, Upon receipt hereof you will march with your detachment to Samulcotah, and from thence attend the motions of Rajanah-dou- rah of Tontapilly, who (it is reported to me) is preparing to invade our dillrids, or the country belonging to our tributaries. You will do your utmofl to protedl all thofe dependent upon the company, and demand affiflance from the people belonging to Ped- dapore, or Pettapore, or any of the Zemindaries whofe lands are threatened with invafion. Should they fail in giving the neceflary afliftance, which is fo much for their own ftcurity, you will ac- quaint me therewith, and not fail to give me conftant and early in- formation of every occurrence; and to obferve my orders agreeably to the honourable company's regulations of military fervice there laid down for fubordinacies. You are not to confider the fortrefs of SamuVotah as a defence, but you are to meet the invaders (in whatever part may be threaten- ed) for the fecurlty of the country. But you ••tire not to go among the hills, which hath already been the grave of fo many of our countrymen. Richard Matherjos. Ca commanding the troops at Samulcotah. Sir, We have received your letter, under date the 22d inftant. Hav- ing come to a refolution, for the prefent, not to iffue any orders that may have a tendency to obftruft the arrangements of Major Mathews, we have referred the matter you have communicated to us, to his confideration, that the danger, you have reprefented with fo much reafon, may be guarded againft; and he will alio direft what is to be done with the prifoners. We are, fir, &c. Anthony Sadkir, 'James Hodges y Thomas Barnard. Mafulipata7n, Aug. 26, 1778. Capt. Rowles, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, Having received orders from Major Mathews, to addrefs you otl the fubjed: of Lafcars, belonging to Mafulipatam, which I am di- refted, in future, to confider as part of the garrifon, I am to requefl that an account of them may be fent me by thofe whofe charge they are now under, fpecifying the manner they are employed, and the number that can be muftered here in cafe of an attack. I am alfo to advife you, that Major Mathews has dlredred me to have guns ftationed at a proper diftance from each other, from hence to Devy-point, for the purpofe of repeating fignals : that an Euro- pean and one Lafcar be ftationed with each gun ; and that a ferjeant be fent to flay with the guard at Silkindindy, provided with blue E e 2 lights. [ 26 ] lights, and whatever might be neceflary for making night fignals, on the approach of any number of fhips. I have inclofed you a return of invalids and penfioners, that Ma- jor Mathews has ordered into this garrifon. I am. Gentlemen, your's, &c. Ihomas Roivles,. MafuUpatam, Aug. 28, 1778. Captain Rowles, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief and council of Mafulipatam. Gentlemen, I cannot help confidering this mode of queftlon and anfwer, by means of the fort Adjutant, as very irregular. If fuch orders as are fent by me, for your information, fhould become a fubjedl. of deli- beration of the chief and council, I requeft, in future, they may be entered as public record j it is, I mean, to tranfmit copies of fuch correfpondence to the commander in chief, that I may have his opi^- nion of thefe matters as a guide for my future condudl. I am. Gentlemen, your's, 6cc. 'Thomas Roivlei. Mafulipatam, Sept. 6, 1778. A true copy. Robert Scoukr. Copy of Queries, fent by Mr. Sadlier, to Mr. Rowles, with the Town Adjutant's remarks. Mafulipatam, Saturday, Sept. 5, 1778. ^ery i. Whether the orders, by Major Mathews, are to be confi- dered as regimental or garrifon orders j and, if garrifon orders, whe- ther [ ^7 ] ther it is meant to fliew them to the cliief for his approbalion, or to be iflued independent of him ? Anjwer, by captain Rowles. Orders by major Mathews cannot be confidcred regimental. The chief's approbation, or difapprobation of orders, fent by major Mathevvs, is not to be determined by me, if neceflary or not. ^ery z. What inftru(SlIons captain Rovvles received from imjor Mathews, concerning thefe orders ? Anfwer. No other than to infert them in my orderly book. ^ ^eries 3d and 4th. Whether captain Rowles, by " my orderly book," means the garrifon orders ? Whether he will publini the orders in queftion, from major Mathews, againfl: the confent of the chief and council ? And if Captain Rowles has any doubts, in anfwer- ing, in the mofl dtredt terms, thofe queries, he may refer them to major Mathews. Anjiver. Captain Rowles will confult Major Mathevvs. Mafulipatam, Sunday, September 6, 1778. In my prefence, captain Rowles's fervant delivered to the chief a letter. Captain Rowles had previoufly informed me, that fuch let- ter was, in fome meafure, an anfwer to the laft queries of yefterdav. The chief, on perufing the letter, informed me, tliat it contained no diredl anfwer to them queries ; that, with refpedl to the orders in queftion, they remained in the fame ftate as they did yefterdav, and that he was ignorant, and fliould ever confidcr himfelf {o^ of captain Rowles's intention. I communicated to captain Rowles the chief's fentiments, as fully as far as my memory and conception could furnifli me with recollec- tion, and expreffion adequate thereto ; and afterwards afked him, if ir. [ 28 ] ]t was his determination that I fhould publifli major Mathews's or- ders, now in conteft, in the garrifon orderly book, without the chief and council's confent ; as the chief had, for himfelf, and for the council, declared, that they were paffive, and fhould continue fo, until the 3d and 4th queftions of yefterday were fatisfadorily an- fvvered. Captain Rowles, in reply to my obfervations, direded me to pub- lifli the orders in queftion, in the garrifon orderly book, and they were iffued accordingly. (Signed) S. Towns, Fort adjutant. A true copy. Robert Scouler. Captain Rowles, to Anthony Sadleir, Efq; chief of Mafulipatam. Sir, I cannot help confidering this mode of queftion and anfwer, by means of the fort adjutant, as very irregular. If fuch orders as are fent by me, for your information, fhould become a fubjedl of deli- beration of the chief and conncil, I requefl, in future, they may be entered on public record, as I mean to tranfmit copies of fuch cor- refpondence to the commander in chief, that I may have his opi- nion of thefe matters as a guide for my future condud:, I am. Sir, Your mofl: obedient, humble fervant, Thomas Row/es, Mufalipatamy Sept. 6, 1778. Extraft r 29 J Extradl of a tetter from captain Rowles, to Major Mathews, datecl at Mafulipatam, September 7, 1778. I hope you will ufe your utmoft: endeavour to prevent my being hurt in the opinion of the General, or the gentlemen of the board at Madras, by the reprefentation of the board here. I told Mr. Towns, yefterday, that as to the order it was relative to the fepoy corps only, I did not fee any neceffity for putting it in the different books in the garrifon : but he refufed to publifh the ordcr,^^ unlefs it was entered in the garrifon orderly book. A true extradl^ Robert Scoukr. Captain Rowles, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in' the CLrcar of Mafulipatam dependency. Sir, The inclofed are the queries, with my anfwers, and a letter to the chief, relating to the publication of your orders of the 3d inftant^^ which were not publifhed here till yefterday. The fort adjutant in- formed me this morning, that he was diredled to deliver them to me, that no improper advantage might be taken of me, as copies were to be tranfmitted to Madras. I requeft. Sir, that you will tranfmit a copy of them to the Gene- neral, and to the honourable feledl committee, if you think it ne- ceflary, that I may not, on the letters from the board here, ftand ceniured, till matters have been explained by you. I am, Sir, Your mofl: obedient, humble fervant, Thomas Rowks. MafuUpatamy. Sept. 7, 1778. Captaini [ so ] Captain Rowles, to Major Mathews, Dear Sir, I now fend you the copies of the papers I mentioned yefterday. As foon as you have had that which is figned by lieutenant Towns co- pied, I fhould be glad if you would return it. " I hope you will ufe your utmoft endeavours to prevent my being hurt in the opinion of the General, or the gentlemen of the board at Madras, by the re- prefentation of the board here. I told Mr. Towns, yefterday, that as to the order it was relative to the fepoys corps only ; I did not fee any neceflity for putting it in the different books of the garrifon ; but he refufed to publifh the order, unlefs it was entered in the garrifon or- derly book." I am, dear Sir, With much efteem, Your moft obedient fervant, Thomas Rowlet. MafpJipatam, Sept, 7, 1778. Tranflation of a letter from Rajah Bahader, of Guntoor, to Major Mathews, Sept. 6, 1778. I have received your letter, and underftand the contents thereof. You wrote to me concerning the fepoys belonging to the company, who are in this country, that, wherever they are, they are to go from thence to join you ; fo I have wrote, and particularly to Inacundah. There is no manner of difference between company's bufinefs and the Nabob's. I look upon that country and this to be the fame, now you have wrote to mc, and, by your letter, I have encouraged all the inhabitants [ 31 ] inhabitants not to be afraid of any thing ; for the Nabob (Bafalat Jung) and the company are friends. About feme bufinefs I have wrote to the chief of Mafuhpatam, of which you will know. Captain Johnftone, to Major Mathews. Sir, As you were pleafed to do me the honour to afk me my opinion, in writing, concerning the quarters allotted for the European commif- lioned officers, and the barracks for the fepoys, in the garrifon of Mafulipatam, I beg leave to inclofe you the accompanying lift of them, as they ftood on the 2 2d of Auguft, on which day I marched out of garrifon to camp. I am, with great refpefl, Sir, your moft obedient, and humble fervant, "James 'Johnftone. Camp at Vey ore., Sept. 22, 1778, Lift of officers quarters, in the garrifon of Mafulipatam, Auguft 22, 1778. Commanding officer's quarters. No. i, good. Engineers No, 2, ditto. [Room for 2 Captain Rowles's No. 3, ditto. fubalterns.] Artillery officers No. 4, ditto. Fort adjutant's, formerly the battalion adjutant's, but given away by Mr. Davidfon No. 5, ditto. Battalion adjutant's No. 6, indifferent. Dutch Factory, three fubalterns. No. 7, 8, and 9, ready to tum- ble down. Other fubalterns quarters, wanting a great deal of repair. No. 10, 1 1, and 12. F f N. B. The [ 32 J N. B. The quarters that were lieutenant Atwood's and lieutenant Doveton's, are now given away to Mr. Statham and Mr. Keating, and are now no more military quarters. The punch-houfe, which I got from Mr. Sadleir, for three artillery officers of captain Collins's detachment, is under the charge of Mr. Statham, who has given up a room to lieutenant Anderfon, captain Rowles's adjutant, in them ; but are not confidered as military quarters. There is one or two other quarters, which is allotted to me for the officers ; but fuch, that none lived in them, but tliofe who could no'^ get better. One of captain Rowles's officers preferred the guard-room, over the Pettah gate. The only barracks I know, in Mafulipatam, for fepoys, were built for a battalion of a thoufand (Irong, (making allowance'i for the men on duty, fick, and on command, befides thofe permitted to fleep out. There is one battalion ftore-room belonging to them ; and the roof, which is a platform, is fupported by one and thirty pillars, round each of which there is room for thirty ftand of arms ; though I am pretty fure you cannot lodge above fix or feven hundred men in them. What other quarters there may be for fepoys, unlefs you give them the old invalid and penfioners' barracks, I do not know. There is one pityful houfe allotted to the commandant of the bat- talion ; the European non-commiffioned officers fleep in tlie places built for guard-rooms, round the fort ; and the black commillioned officers, and others, who have leave, or families, in huts, or houfes, if they can get them. Thefe, except the new European barracks, which are not finilhed, are all the quarters I know of in Mafulipatam. I am, &c. 6ic. 'James yohnjlone. Camp at Veycre, Sept. 22, 1778. Tranf- f 33 ] Tranflatlon of a complaint delivered to Major Mathews, at Ellore, Oaober 8, 1778. The complaint of Venkahgopunnah, Lingum grumullu, gardener of the charity garden, and the gardener belonging to Veru Veneoyah, who is an inhabitant of Ellore. When we were plowing in the garden, fome peons belonging to Ragojee came, and by force took the bullocks from the plough, and carried them away. We faid to the peons, that one time before they had taken our bullocks to carry guns to Condapilly, without paying any thing for the ufe of them, and we were obliged to be at all the travelling expences ourfelves, till we returned to Ellore, upon which the peons offered to beat us. Ragojee is receiving pay for his own bullocks, without employing them, and prefles ours to do the bufinefs. At the time the great "guns went to Mafulipatam, there was preffed from the inabitants of the Havally 300 bullocks, which were carried as far as Perriquier ; then bullocks were prefled from Operrow's country, and ours were releafed ; but we received nothing for their ufe, or for our own la- bour and expences. Of the grain that hath been reaped, we were allowed half the crop, the other half the renter claimed ; but Jie forced us to take his fhare at the rate of four and a quarter pagodas, per putty j be- fides, for every putty we were obliged to allow a quarter of a pagoda to Mr. Pringle, and for Operrow's cuftoms, &c. they charged us at the rate of half a pagoda, per putty j which, together, makes the fum of five pagodas per putty, that we are compelled to pay. It is thus that we lofe our fliare of the crop and our money ; and till this time they fay the balance is againfl: us. Signed in the original, by Venkinah-gopunnah, Lingum-grumulla^ Nanjunah. F f 2 Lieutenant [ 34 ] Lieutenant Forbes, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Circars. Sir, I have received your letter from Chicacolum. Chelikany Venkia jnforms me, that his reafon for afTembling fo many peons was, that fome peons came from Ongole for two thoufand pagodas of Mr. G. which money was lent to Opperrow Ibme months agoj that he had wrote to Mafulipatam to Operrow's Duvan, to fpeak to thf? chief for permifTion to raife fome peons and crofs the river, in order to raife this money, as he has fome villages on the other fide. He fays, the chief, &c. have always allowed him to carry as many peons with him as he chofe, when fettling the Zemabundey's ; but allows that he has not had their permiflion for this,, but expedls it daily. I have ordered him to difmifs his people immediately, and repair to Noongur. He fays, he will go to Noongur, whenever Ipleafe; but that he muft have his people with him, as they all belong to that place, and that he will immediately difmifs them on his arrival there. I have examined the Ongole peons ; they fay, they were fent by Mr, G. They have with them nine ftand of the company's arms and pouches. They have been from Ongole thefe fifteen days. I am, fir, your's, &c. 'James Forbes. Madocr, Dec. i6, 1778. Field [ 3S 1 Field return of four companies of the fecond Circar battalion of fepoy?, commanded by captain James Powel, cantonments at Ellore, Oflober 19, 1778. "o a. n Field I Duty Drill Sick Total I c C V 3 U C <^ C W 6 6 c 2 3 < I I c I 1 4-1 c « u u E « 0; 1 J c a _u CO I I 2 c rl ■a c a E U I I 3 CO 5 I 6 E 1 — > 4 I 5 -0 > X 24 2 4 3 33 CO 20 I 3 4 28 en E E 3 Q 6 1 7 8 8 to D. CO 292 2t 118 47 478 35^ 32 125 57 566 Copy. Original, fent to the General, 061. 21, 1778. Signed James Powell, Captain. field return of four companies of the third Circar battalion of Sepoys commanded by Captain James Johnftone, cantonments at Ellore, O^. 16, 1778. ■t-j cu ca u I I c c u 3 U I C 6X1 C W 2 2 4-1 S a 3 < I 1 •«- c CO I 1 c V c/2 ct: E 1 OJ *-* I- OS I I ~^~ I CO CJ V CO 2 I 3 c -a C « E E U I 1 -a 3 CO 5 I 6 I- « -0 E s I 6 > 19 4 2 3 28 z 18 3 5 6 32 U c S 3 Q 6 6 J2 CJ >^ a. u GO 48 30 429 h 3'3 5S 99 41 508 Field Duty Drill Sick Total Copy. Original fent to the General, 0«£l. 2r, 1778. Signed James Johnftone, Captain. Tranflation [ 36 ] Tranflatlon of a letter from Pinnamanyanu Somanah and Baupinah Venkitachelem to Lingum Gowriah, Major Mathews's Dubafli, dated Odober 26, 1778. Two guns that were conveyed from Samulcotah to Mafulipatam, and lately pafTed from Ellore to Godevadah, for which we fupplied 350 bullocks, fifty buffaloes, and 300 coolies, and dragged the faid guns from Godevadah, to Mafulipatam Gate. We have not been paid any thing for the ufe of the cattle, nor Batta for the coolies ; the latter was a charge out of our pockets. The bullocks and buffa- loes were fo much injured by the heavy draft, that fince they were fo employed, they have been incapable of rendering us any fervice, moft of them having galled flioulders : notwithftanding this misfor- tune we have not received one Cowry. Tranflation of a letter from Daumarauze Mullaparauze Baamin Survinadoo, and Venkatapetty, inhabitants to Lingum Gowriah, Major Mathews's Dubafh. We now addrefs ye. In hopes of obtaining payment for the ex- pences we have been at for the company's people who travel back- wards and forwards our road, and alfo the value of the bullocks we loft by conveying guns from here to Ellore. For fome time paft we have been fo much molefted by travellers, that we have had it under confideration to leave the place, and go far from oppreffion. But fince you have come to Ellore, we have been informed, that you have encouraged the neighbouring village people, near the road, to continue in their dwellings, and give them hopes, that what- ever expence they are at, on the company's account, they will be re- paid. Our people are much afraid, and cannot remain near the road ; therefore I write to you, and you muft believe, that we write the truth. You will be fo good as to explain all this to your Ma- fter. [ Z7 ] fter, and procure an order that we be paid what is our due. We were happy to hear that you are charitably difpofed ; we, therefore, remain in our village, and addrefs you for relief. Whatever juflicc you do us will add to your reputation, and raife for you the cfteem of all our people. Extradt of a letter from Major Mathews's fervant, Rajanah, to the Major, dated Ellore, Nov. 8, 1778. Ragojee puntalu is not yet arrived from Mafulipatam. Lately the Inhabitants, who had left their villages, went as far as Matuvelly to meet you ; but you had pafled the place before they arrived and went on to Bezwara. I believe that they will not venture to come here in your abfence ; they are novs^ near Matuvelly. Ragojee pun- "talu's fervants tell every body that the letters which Major Mathews fent to the chief and council of Mafulipatam, were all delivered to Ragojee puntalu ; and that Anthony Sadleir had wrote to the Major that the Major had no bufinefs to interfere with Ragojee : copy of which letter was given to Ragojee, whofe brother's fon-in-Iaw, by name Strepetty Saumey, faid all this, which, when the inhabitants heard, they went away beyond Wengalore. Ragojee puntalu's fer- vants fay, that after you received the abovementioned letter, you went away to Bezwara. Several people very earneftly afk me, why you do not come back again. Extradl of a letter from lieutenant Archibald Brown, dated Samul- cotah, Nov. 1 1, 1778. Rajanah-dourah, refiding at Belgotu, in the Zemindary of Viza- nagarum, with about one hundred and fixty peons, did begin to af- femble men, for the invafion of the Tontapilly country, about the 20th of July ; and having coUedled one hundred and fifty pikemen, from Wodady, with others from Vizanagarum, Anacapilla, and other [ 3« ] other villages, under Vizenagarum (in the diftrid of Vizagapatam) in all amounting to about five hundred : with thefe, between the ift and 5th of Auguft (certainly not later than the 5th) he marched from Belgotum, twenty-four cofs, and took pofl: at Raganagarum, or, in other word?, the Pettah of Routlapunda fort, in which three hundred of Timrauzc's people were ftationed. There, having been joined by two hundred matchlock men, belonging to the village of Pettapoor, four hundred matchlock men, from the villages under Pettapoor; thirty matchlock men from Pedapoor, and other villages, under Timrauze ; four hundred pikemen, from Pettapoor, and vil- lages under it ; one hundred pikemen, from Pedapoor, and villages under Timrauze ; and four hundred bowmen, from the Tantapilly country. He remained about forty days, inverting Routlapunda, and effedtually (lopped up its communication with the low country. N. B. Belzotum belongs to Vizagapatam ; Pettapoor and Pedapoor belongs to Mafulipatam, alfo the Tontapilly country. Some Lombardy merchants, who were feized, and detained, in con- finement, by Mr. Hodges's fervants, gave the following account of themfelves. Nov. 28, 1778. During the management of Jague-puntalu,' he gave every ratifi- cation to the Lombardys, the price of fait was nine anas for each pulla ; a pulla is one hundred and twenty fear ; Garjane black fait, eight and a half per pulla j and, for every bullock load, he allowed waftage, thirty fear. We then ufed to go where we thought con- venient, fome to Mafulipatam, others to Nizamputam and Caracu- cudu. But after that Chingleroy, who manages the filt bufinefs for Mr. Hodges, he received one dub more for every pulla, by way of cuftom. Formerly we were allowed for every bullock, thirty fear, by way of waftage j he allows us only fifteen. Wc therefore think it 4 14 Anas. I I ditto. 2 4 ditto. 4 [ 39 ] it for our advantage to go to Pandarty falt-pans, where the price of fait, including the cuftoms, is five Anas and two dubs, per putty. All the way to that place the road is very good, and we get to pur- chafe fait from the Englifli country. One dufluck ufed to be given to a head-man of four or five hundred bullocks, at Nadaguda, for which we paid a rupee; but now for every hundred bullocks fix Anas is demanded. Juft before we were taken prifoners, a paper was brought to us fignifying, that fait would be fold, per putty, fe- ven Anas, two and quarter dubs, and eighteen fear allowed for waft- age. The goods that we had were to be received at the following rate. Tamarind, per putty. Rupees Turmerick, per maund, ditto Mendaloo, ditto, ditto Paflaloo, per putty, ditto And while the agreement was writing, fepoys came fuddenly up- on us and feized us ; and we cannot tell what will be done with us and our goods. We beg that you will let us go to Pandarty, and we apply to you, becaufe you are a commander and we are pri- foners. We have afked Turmaling pilla for the Cowle that he wrote for us ; and he replies, that he has not a Cowle, nor any other pa- per. Signed by the following merchants belonging to Hydrabad. 1 Boorabf 4 Goindut 2 Metoo, 5 Naiiloo, 3 Kijlnah, 6 Tacooroo. Captain Lane, to Major Mathews. Sir, I have been favoured with your's of the 28th, likewife, with two of the 30th ult, the contents of which fhall be carefully attended to j a ferjeant fhall be difpached to-morrow for Pentacotah., G g After [ 40 ] After many evafions on the part of Peryrauze and repeated in- junftions on mine, the Gulgunda man retired to his own countryy by way of Shankarum on the 2d inftant. A part cf his followers (not amounting to more than 500, I have reafon to conjedure, tho' thefe people call them 1000) were fent off on lieutenant Nell'on's firft joining them. A thoufand ftill remained with him, till his final departure; the day before which Peryrauze himfelf and Raja- nah-dourah patched up an accommodation between them, by which it is ftipulated, that the latter is to receive a monthly allowance of 200 pagodas, and the Gulgunda man becomes a furety for his future good behaviour. The whole of this precipitate bufinefs was ad"- jufted in one day's time, and Rajanah-dourah evacuated that part of the country on the following. By the kft intelligence, he was re- tired to Ragapatnam, about twelve or more cofs from Totapilly. I am endeavouring to inform myfelf more particularly of the cir- cumftances of this treaty, and of the prefent proceedings of Raja- nah-dourah. As it has been already intimated to Peryrauze that he ought not to admit this man to terms, without the fandion of the company, who thcmfelves would undertake the chaftifement of him at a proper feafon. This treaty can be efteemed in no ways binding upon them in their future or prefent condud towards him. The circumflances that led to the Gulgunda man's appearing and taking an adive part in this bufinefs are related to me as follows : and as I have colleded this narrative from different quarters, I be- lieve it to be authentic. When matters were laft accommodated with Rajanah-dourah, a ftipend of 200 pagodas per month, was en- gaged to him, and Godenrauze, then commandant of Vizramrauze's troops, became furety for his good behaviour. Godenrauze died, and from that time this allowance ceafed alfo, though Rajanah- dourah failed not inceffantly to reproach Timrauze's people with the injuftic!. of detaining it from him. No regard, however, being paid to his claim, induced him to take up arms to aflert his right, having no [ 41 ] no other means of fubfifting his troops but by depredations. This is the apology he hinifelf makes for his late condud:. When Timrauze, then at the capital, became informed of this maroder's being in arms and committing devaftations in the Tota- pilly country, he apphed himfelf to Vizamrauze, telHng him, that as he, in the perfon of his commandant, had in fome meafure be- come correfpondent for Rajanah-dourah, it was incumbent on him to take meafures for the again reducing him to fubjedion. In con- fequence of this, orders were fent to Vankatyrauze, the prefeut com- mandant, and who is entrufted with the management of the coun- try, in the abfence of the two Rajahs, to interfere; and the Gul- gunda troops were fent to reinforce Peryrauze in confequence. Pe- rauze, expefting the return of the Rajah and apprehenfive of the effedls of his difpleafure, determined to recover pofTeffion of the country by any plaufible method he could fall upon : none appeared fo eligible as the above, which, indeed, is only a renewal of the former agreements, which he is artful enough to perceive are by no means binding upon the company, whom he probably expedts will ftill annul them, and at a favourable feafon undertake the final reduction of this man. In the mean time, his prefent purpofe is anfwered. He is once more giving Cowl to the inhabitants, clear- ing away the Jungle, and thereby rendering Rajinah-dour^h's ufual lurking places more eafy of accefs. As circumilances may occur at Coringy, which it may be necef- fjry you fhould have early intelligence of, I have inftrudted lieutenant Brown, in fuch cafes, to correlpond with you in yowx public charaSler. The firfl coming through me would occafion much delay. I am really without powder for the ufe of my recruits, and have only five port fires left, all of which are with Mr. Brown. I cannot avoid wiOiing, that you would confider thefe wants, and afiifl: me G g 2 witli t 42 ] with a moderate proportion of both. I have the pleafure to re- main. Sir, your very obedient fervant, Thomas Lane. Samukotah, Nov. 6, 1778. P. S. I am waiting impatiently for the return of the grenadiers, in order to make out my general one. Lieutenant Ruflel, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Circars. Sir, The fepoys I fent yefterday morning to Newjure, returned this evening at eight o'clock j they went no further than Akkerapilly, where they met with Chelicauney Venkiah, and five hundred peons, on his way to Afluk Monickrow Jangana ; they fay, that he (Che- licauney Venhiah) is now at Muftabada, from whence he goes to Vedrupaulu, Terrygoppaula, Mauneycunda, and Meddourj at all thefe places he has relations, and expefts to colleft as many peons as will amount to five thoufand, with which he intends to crofs the river in nine days. At Akkerapilly the fepoys were informed that thefe peons are affembling with the approbation of the company for to afiifl Munickrow Jangana, which I imagine is a falfe report, as I underftand WafTyreddy Ramanah is their tributary, and the other not. I fend this letter by an extroadinary Tappy, and hope for your orders how to aft by to-morrow evening -, in the mean time, have fent fepoys to watch Chelicauney Venkiah, with dii'eftions to fend me accounts of his motions. If the fepoys had not afiured me, that there is no danger of his going acrofs the river for fome days, I would immediately detach a party to oppofe his march; and if i receive any accounts, before your anfwer, that will, in my opinion, render that flcp n'vCtffary, Ihall do fo j in hopes, that if I Ihould un- [ 43 ] unfortunately err, you will pleafe, fir, to attribute it to my good wiflies for the fervice. I am, very refpedfully, fir. Your very humble fervant, James RuJJ'cL Bezwara, Dec. 12, 1778. Lieutenant Ruffel, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Circars. Sir, Shortly after I had done myfelf the pleafure to addrefs you this forenoon, a fepoy of the fecond battalion returned from Chentapilly, and fays, that Waffyreddy's 6000 peons are now in the fort ; alfo 100 horfe : no horfe is arrived there yet from Abram Beg. He fays, that Monickrow is preparing to march to Chentapilly, and expedts confiderable reinforcements from Chelacauney Venkiali. One of the fepoys that was after the latter is juft now (3 P. M.) come in, and fays, that Venkiah arrived this morning at Medoor with his 500 peons J in confequence of which I have direded lieutenant Forbes and his picquet to march inmiediately, as many of that company are detached and fick, I have direded him to take the command of fer- jeant Jolly's party and add to his own, which, with the number he takes from hence, will be more than fuflicient to effed the bufinefs he goes on ; for the fepoy affures me, that Chelacauney Venkiah does not mean to crofs the river thefe {e\v days. I have defircd Mr, Forbes to inform you of every thing material that occurs to him. Medoor is four cofs at this fido of Cicacolum, and no boat there ; but Sangrys, two cofs from hence, is one boat, for which I fent fix fepoys, to fee it brought hither. I am, fir, your's, &c. "James Riijfel, Bezwar^j, Dec. 14, 177S. P. S. [ 44 ] P. S. Lieutenant Forbes's party will be eighty ftrong when he is joined by the ferjeant's. It is now 4 ?. M. and he is juft marched. Captain Lane, to Major Mathews, commanding the troops in the Mafulipatam diftridl. Sir, In Letters received from Lieutenant Brown, at Coringy, are the following paragraphs. There are here two brafs guns, country made, about 41b. calibres, faid to have been fold by Mr. Whitehill to the Holder of Samulco- tah, when our troops were about to go againfl: that fcrt", and again attached by orders of that gentleman before they were received. Be this as it may, I have reafon to think they never have been carried to the company's account, and certainly are not private property. They never have been ufed, and as far as may be judged from out- ward appearance, feem excellent ftout guns. One of them is fpiked, the other half full of mud. Dec. 21, 1778. " In confequence of an order from the prefidency to Mr. Ha- milton, a few day fince, to fend the French fubjeils, now refiding at Yanam, to Madras, the fecretary and another ir habitant will em- bark to-morrow." Both my armourers are at prefent ill with a fever, and incapable of doing any bufintfs. This prevents me for the prefent from conir plying with your order. I am, fir, Your very obedient fcrvant, Tboiiuis Lane, SamuJcotah, Dee. 23, 1778. Pro- r 45 J Proceedings of a Field Court-Martial, held by order of Lieutenant James RuJJ'el, &t Bezwara, Dec. ^^t ^77^' Lieutenant T^homffon, Prefident. Enfign M'calijler (Members) Enfign Hazlewood. Prifoners, Faquier Arnot, Dene Mahomet, and Channs, fepoys confined by lieutenant James Ruffel, for difobedience of orders, and for impofition on feveral villagers. Lieutenant James Ruf 1 informs the court, that, having orders for preparing to march, he direfted his dubafli to apply to the head men of the village for bullocks and coolies. The dubafli informed him, that the affiftance of fepoys would be neceffary, and four were accordingly allowed for that purpofe, on pofitive orders not to receive any batta from any of the village people, or inhabitants, as they fhould receive the company's batta for the time they were abfent. On the 26th inflant, ferjeant Baine, of the firfl: Circar battalion, told lieutenant RufTel, that he apprehended that he was impofed up- on by his dubafh ; and that he imagined it was the dubafh's fault that the bullocks and coolies were not long fince provided ; for he was informed by one of the fepoys, who had been employed on that fervice, that fome bullocks and coolies, which had been procured, were fuffered to be fent back, in confideration of a pecuniary re- ward. Upon this lieutenant Ruffel fent for the fepoy, who cuniirm- ed what ferjeant Baine had told him, alfo, that he, the fepoy, had received batta, Lieutenant Ruffel fent for his dubafli, and afked, by what authority he relcafed the bullocks, after they had been pro- cured for the ufe of the fervice, and v. liy he received any money from any of the village people on that account. He returned for anfwer, that it was no more than what was praftifed in this diftrid by [ 46 ] by every commanding officer's duba(h ; who, when they had col- ledled as much as they could, gave it to their makers, who gave the dubafli one rupee out of every pagoda ; and fuch he meant to do by lieutenant RuiTel. Serjeant Baine, of the firfl: Circar battalion, informs the court, that on the 29th inftant, he told Mr, Rufiel that he thought he was impofed upon by his dubafli. Lieutenant Ruflel afl-Lcd ferjeant Baine if he had any proofs of what he had afferted. The ferjeant replied, that one of the fepoys informed him, that the dubafl:i had received money of the village people of Auloor. That the fepoy, who had "been fent to procure bullocks and coolies, had feveral returned to the cantonments with fome of the head men of different villages to the dubafli, without informing lieutenant Rulfel j and the dubafli always fent them back to the villages in the morning. TheFriJonert Faquier Arnot, being put on his defence, fays, that lieutenant RuflersJ dubafli ordered him to procure bullocks and coolies. That on afking the villagers for bullocks and coolies, they told him, that they could not fend either without having orders for that pur- pofe from lieutenant Ruflel's dubafli. ^ueftion. From the court to the prifoner. Did any of the village people come with you to fpeak to the dubafli ? Anfiver. There were ten head men of different villages came with me to fpeak to the dubafli ; but on meeting Major Mathews on the road, they received orders from him to proceed to Condapilly. 9uejlion. Did you receive any money from any of the inhabitants of the villages that you went to ? Anfwsr. Two of the peons with me received each one fanam; but I received none. ^ejlion. [ 47 ] ^eflion. Did the Jubafli order you to bring to the cantonments the head men of the different villages, if they did not give you bul- locks and coolies. Anfwer. He did. Sentence. The court are of opinion the prlfoner FaquIer'Arnot is guilty of the crime laid to his charge, on account of his denying receiving money from the villagers, and which has been proved againfl: him ; which, being a breach of the 2d Article of the 15th Sedtlon of the Articles of War, they do therefore fentence him to re- ceive 200 lafl:ies on his bare back, b.y the drummers of the detach- ment. Prifoner. Dene Mahomet, private fepoy in the firft Circar bat- talion, being put on his defence, fliys, that he received orders from • lieutenant Ruffel's duballi to provide eight bullocks and eight coolies from different villages ; that having got the bullocks, &c. he fet out in order to bring them to the cantonments ; but on receiving a letter from lieutenant RuiTel's dubafli, he fent them back to the villages they belonged to. Having fent back the bullocks, &c. he came back to the cantonments, and went to the houfe of lieutenant RufTel's dubafh, who ordered him to leave his firelock there and come to him next morning, when he, the dubafh, would fend him to another place. ^cjlion. From the court. Did you think it was the order of lieutenant Ruffel to fend back the bullocks and coolies ? Anfwer, I did. ^ejiion. Did you receive any batta from the village people, or inhabitants ? Anfwer. I received three fanams, and a peon, who was with me, received one fanam, two dubs, during the time I remained there, by order of lieutenant Ruflel's dubafli. PI h Sluejiion. [ 48 ] ^ejlion. Do you think the dubafii Was Impowcred from Mr. RufTel to allow this batta from the villages. Anfwer. I did. '^ejlion. Do you know whether any money was lent to the du- bafii of lieutenant RufTel from any of the villages you went to? Anfwer. I was at feven different villages, and one pagoda was fent from each, which I believe was fent to the dubafh. ^eftwn. Do you think it was in confideration of thofe feven -pagodas that the bullocks, &c. were difbharged. Anfwer. I do. Sentence. In confideration of the prifoner Dene Mahomet's obey- ing the orders of lieutenant RufTel's dubafli, the court do therefore acquit him. Channo, a private fepoy in the firfl: Circar battalion, being put on •his defence, fays, that he was ordered by the dubafii of lieutenant RufTel to procure from ten different villages twenty bullocks, twenty coolies, and ten cowry ropes. He fet out from Abrampatam, and having fhewn his dufluck to the head Vakeel, he was told, that what was mentioned therein fiiould be got ready as foon as polTible. Some time after, the head Vakeel told him, that in fo fmall a village it was not polTible for him to procure thofe feveral articles ; but gave "him fix cowry ropes, and four coolies, which he, the fepoy, fent .to the cantonments by a peon to the dubafii of lieutenant Rufiel- After this the head Vakeel gave him three fanams, in confideration of an order from the dubafii, and likevvife gave to two peons, who went with him, two fanams, and one dub each, as batta. The head Vakeel defired the fepoy to go to fome other place, as he the Vakeel would go to the dubafii, and abide by his orders. After having pro- cured feven buffaloes and two bullocks, he brought them to the cantonments. ^icjlion. [ 49 3 ^ejilon. From the court. Did you receive any batta from tiie villages, or inhabitants of the places where you went to ? Anfwcr. I received every day three fanams, and the two peons who were with me, two fanams and one dub each. ^ejlion. Did you think it was the order of lieutenant Ruflel fon you to receive the above batta from the villages ? Anfwer, I did. ^ejlion. Do you know if any money was fent to the dubadi of lieutenant RulTei from any of the villages .'' Anfiver, I do not know ; but feveral of the head people of the villages came to fpeak to the dubafh of lieutenant Ruflel, who af- terwards ordered him to procure only two bullocka from each vil- lage. ^ejlion. Did you receive thofe two bullocks from each village, in confequence of the orders of lieutenant Ruflel's dubafli ? Anfwer. Having got two bullocks, I brought them to the Mofquc on the Condapilly fide of Bezwara hill, where I received a letter from lieutenant Ruflel's dubafh, in which he ordered me to procure in every village two cowry of charcoal, which I undqrfland was for the ufe of the dubafli. , ^ejiion. Did not you know that it was the order of major Ma- thews, that no fepoys fhould receive any batta from any of the vil- lage people, when fent on fervice ? Anfwer. I did. Sentence. In confideration of the prifoner Channo, abiding by the order of lieutenant Ruflel's Dubafli, the court do therefore acquit him. Lieutenant Rufl^ell's dubafh being called, H h 2 ^ejllon. [ 50 ] §lueJiion. From the Court. What orders did you receive from lieutenant Ruffell, when he defired you to get the bullocks and coo- lies, he having orders to march ? Anfioer. My mafter, lieutenant Ruflell, told me to get forty bul- locks, fifty coolies and cowries, S^ejlion. Did Lieutenant Ruflell diredl you to order the fepoys to receive batta from the villages they went to ? Anfiver. He did not order me to tell the fepoys to receive batta. On the contrary, gave me pofitive orders to tell them, on no ac- count, to receive money from the inhabitants of the villages, as they would receive the company's batta on their return. ^lejlion. Why did you order back the bullocks, after you had received your mafter's order to procure them ? Anfwer. The head men of Bezwara told me, that if I made out the duftucks myfelf, the village people would run away j therefore, the head man defired I would order back thofe bullocks, Sec. and he would provide lieutenant Ruflel with whatever bullocks and coolies he might want. Sluejl'wn. What anfwer did you give your mafler when he afked, how or by whofe order you received money of the village people ? Anfwer. It is what every commanding officer's dubafli does ; and the duba(h, having coUedted as much as he can get, gives it to his mafter (the commanding officer) who allows the dubafli one rupee in every pagoda; and fuch, I mean to do by my mafter, lieutenant Ruflel. ^lejlion. Did you ever hear of Major Mathews or his dubalh re- ceiving money or any other advantage from things of tliis kind? Anfvcer. I never did. ^icjlion. r 5' ] ^lefl'wn. Did you, ever fincc you lived with lieutenant Rufiell, re- ceive any encouragement from him, that could give you reafon to fup- pofe he would be pleafed by receiving advantages of this nature ? Anfwer. I never did. Goindapah, a village man, being afked by the court, if he knew any thing of the feveral things mentioned here, corroborates v/hat Dene Mahomet fays, with this difference, that the money came for a head man of Bezwara, and not for the Dubalh. And likewife fays, that in confequence of the feven pagodas being fcnt, the bul- locks were returned. ^eftion. To the prifoners, Faquier, Arnot, and Dene Mahomet. Did not you know, that it was the orders of major Mathews, that no fepoy (hould receive any batta from the villages, when out on fer- yice ? , Anfuaer. I did. (Signed) Andrew Thompfon, lieutenant of artillery, Prefident. Tranflation of a letter from Gobbcer Vencatrow, Hamaldar of Ongole, to Major Mathews. I have received your letter, and underftand it. Formerly, when the Lombardys came to Innacunda, and Audingy, the managers of the falt-pans of Pandarty, and thofe of Caracudu, u fed to give cowl to them ; and then the merchants went to what falt-pans they liked. If they chofe to go to Pandarty, the Peons of Caracudu would not molefl; them ; and if they preferred Caracudu, the Peons of Pandarty would be no hindrance; and this was the method of conducing the bufinefs for near feventy years, which caufed the ma- nagers of both places to agree ; but, for the laft three years, tlie Amuldars belonging to Mr. Hodges, Chingleroy, and Turnapilly, forces [ 52 I forces the merchants from Pandarty, and drives them to Caracudu ; fo that the merchants are not permitted to purchafe fait at the place inoft convenient to them, but are compelled to take Mr. Hodges's fait at an advanced price. The long friendihip that hath exifted be- tween the Nabob and the company, prevents us, his fervants, from ufing the neceffiry power to do the inhabitants juftice. The com- pany's fepoys are always employed in carrying ^way the merchants from the Nabob's country, nor can the Lombardys find any redrefs but in bribing the guards, which fometimes they do to our injury another way, and drives the bullocks to demolifli our growing corn ; then, when the farmers complain, they are beaten, and their flieep are frequently rtolen by open force. When you was in the diftridt of Mafulipatam, you were pleafed to reieafe the feveral Lombardy people that the fepoys had rnade prifon*;rs, arwi told them to go to what falt-pans they pleafed, according to the antient cuftom, and di- rected that in future the inhabitants fliould not be troubled, there- fore I did not write to you. The Englifli company will never do wrong, nor will the Englifh gentlemen, but their fervants behave very ill ; and I beg of you to acquaint governor Rumbold of thefe tranfadtions, that the merchants laay, in future, go to what falt- pans they pkafe, and that the droves of bullocks be allowed to travel in the ufual roads, and that fome compenfation be made to the inhabitants for tjie lofs they have fuffered. Dated at Ardingue, the loth of February, 1779. Sent to Major Mathews by the Nabob of the Carnatic, the 26th of March, 1779. Salt has, for many hundred years been made in Pandarty and other ports belonging to the Carnatic, and in Nizamputtun, belonging to Malu- f 53 ] Mafulipatam, to which places the Bungauras ufed of their own ac- cords to ,;^o from the other fide of the river Kiflna, through the roads of MortilTanagur and Polenaud, to purchafe faltj and thofe that went to Pandarty and other places, were not mokifted or op- preffed by any of the people of Nizamputtun or Pandarty. The Bungauras are fubjeds who are merchants, and trade ta whatever places they think may be moft for their intercft. The people of Nizamputtun do now, in contradiction to former cuftoms, fend fepoys to force the Bungauras, who are going to Pandarty and other places to purchafe fait, to go and buy it at that place. There is alfo a daroga with fepoys, in the diftri<5t of Pulnar, belonging to the Carnatic, who force the Bungauras from that fide the river Kiftna, to go to Nizamputtun, on which account they are become quite heartlefs, and will not go ; and there will be a great lofs, on account of not felling the fait of Pandarty. It is very proper, that, according to antient cuftom, the Bungauras who trade to one place, fhould not, by force, be made to go to another. If the people of Nazamputtun, or Pandarty are defirous of a greater number of Bun- gauras, that they may difpofe of their fait the Iboner, they rtioulJ excite them by foft and perfuafive means, and they would then, of their own accord, go and purchafe the fait. Their proceeding by force and violence will be attended with the ruin of that place, and the fait will thereby be fpoiled, and will prevent the Bungauras from going there in future. The village of Churlah is in the diflridls of Ongole, and the vil- lage of Punalah is in the di(lri(^ of Nizamputtun, and they are both in the boundaries ; and, to diftinguifh the grounds belonging to eacli village, l^ones have, from antieni times, been fixed : but, in the middle of the night, the people of Nizamputtun took, away the flones, and placed them in the middle of the village of Churlah, and laid claim to one half of the ground of the faid village ; and, not- [ 54 J notwithftandlng they endeavoured to prevent them from adling con- trary to former cuftoms, yet they would not adhere to them, but raifed dlfturbances, and infilled on having half the ground and reve- nues of the faid village. The Circar will fuftain great lofs by their oppreflions, and ading contrary to the former cuftoms. Tranflation of the account of the EUore inhabitants, as given by Ra- janah, a Biamin. Rajanah, his account. Major Mathews fent for me, and ordered me to go to Vizceroy, (where the principal inhabitants had fled, to avoid the opprellion of Ragogee-puntako) ; the Major diredled me to take down in writing what they had to fay. I went to them, and aflced them the reafon why they had left their villages ; they told me that Ragogee-puntaloo rented the Ellore Havally, and that he took both his own and the inhabitants fliare of the produce of the country, and buried it in the ground. He likewife increafed the price of grain, and, by fo doing, fundry expences of the villages in- creafed. For thefe laft: three years, the country has been quite dry ; it was then under the management of Sobaram, who advanced mo- ney to the inhabiaants to go on with their cultivation, and that they likewife had balanced with Mr. Pringle ; at this time he managed the countrv, notwitftanding which, Ragojee obliged them to give a bond, in the paymafter's name, for all the balances of money, at the rate of three per cent, per month j and that lalt year he en- creafcd the price of grain ftill more, and for this year he took all the produce himfclf and buried it. He is now felling the grain which ouo'ht to be our property, for his own emolument; he likewife re- duced the price of our grain very low, and fold it himfelf at a high price, after which he wanted to fettle accounts with us in the fol- lowing manner, viz. Sadeevaur Andbadja, which fignifies fundry ac- counts [ 55 ] counts of the villages. Tlils is a part of our fufferings, and he fent peons every day to us to fettle the above accounts. And becaufe the company might not blame us for not going on with the cultiva- tion, we borrowed money to buy feeds, and by that means carried on the cultivation of the country for this year, and we kept our own people to look after it. Our grievances are manifold, and op- preflions obliged us to run away to a place where Nve could make our complaints in fafety. AM they told me I wrote down, and it was figned by ten of the principal inhabitants, the v/hole of which I acquainted Major Ma- thews with. The Major then fent for the Muzzemdar, called Gaz- zevelly Venkatty Narm, and afked him if all this was true ; that if it was, he would write to the board, and until the anfwer came, he advifed them to return to their houfes, and to go on with the culti- vation of the country, and delired the Muzzemdar to tell the inha- bitants fo ; after which I went with the Muzzemdar to the inha- bitants : firft, they faid that they would go, then again, that Ra- gojee puntalu was gone to Mafulipatam to ruin them ; and on his return they do not know how he will ufe them. Then they faid to me, your mafter is not a going to ftay at EUore, therefore, if we flay in our villages, we are fure of being opprefled by Ragojee puntalu. If, after the Major has received orders concerning us, and he and Ragojee will promife to do us juflice, then we will come; hut not unlefs the Major be prefent j for we are afraid to truH: our- selves with Ragojee : fo we will go to Worgore, and remain there -initil orders come from the board. At the time they fent their petition they delired me to tell Major Maihews, that he and the paymafter were of one cafl, and that Ra- gojee puntalu belonged to the paymafter ; therefore, if the Major chofe to believe what Ragojee fays, fooner than v/hat we fay, he had I i better [ 56 ] better return cur petition. They are gentlemen, and we are poor people ; they are able to make prefents. We have loft all our profits and are turned poor, therefore, if he is unwilling to take our buii- nefs in hand, we require you to return our petition. All the above I told the Major's dubafti, that he might acquaint him of it. In confequence of the petition the Major fent me and the Muzzemdar to perfuade the inhabitants to return to their vil- lages ; but was anfvvered that Ragojee puntalu would bring fome frefh accufations againft them, from the chief and council of Ma- fulipatam ; fo they were afraid to return to their villages, but faid, that they would ftay in fome of the villages near the place. And I Rajanah do declare, that to the beft of my knowledge. Major Ma- thews did not defire them to make any complaint; nor does the Major know them, or they him. Tranllation of the account of the EUore inhabitants, as given by Selar Mahomed, a Peon. Selar Mahomed, his account. Peddapaudoo and Rauzepettab, two villages in the Ellore country, the inhabitants of which hav- ing quarrelled, the inhabitants of Rauzepettah came and complained to Major Mathews ; on which the Major fent the above-named peon to go and enquire into the particulars of their quarrel, and on his arrival there, he found that all the principal inhabitants had aban- doned their village. On my road back I ftopped at a place called Matlore, where I afked, for what reafon the principal inhabitants abandoned their village. I was told that Ragojee puntalu (the renter) and they could not agree ; and that yefterday Ragojee fent a party of peons after the inhabitants, which obliged them to fly into Nariah's country, but they could not tell to what part. All this I acquainted Major Mathews with ; he then defired I would carry a letter to the fugitives. [ 57 ] fugitives, and If poflible perfuade them to come to him ; but if they did not chufe to come, then to bring back an anfwer to the letter fent them. I went and delivered the letter to the principal inhabitants, who were at a place called Vizcerqy j this was about three in the aftcr- ternoon. When they had read the letter, they gave me an anfwer to it, and told me, that as Major Mathews was a great man, he ought to fend fome principal perfon to them to whom they might explain their grievances, and to do them juflice, and then they would come , if not, they would leave the country and never return. On this I returned and delivered their letter to the Major, and told him what they had defired me. And I Selar Mahomed do declare, that to the bed of my knowledge, that before this time they knew nothing of Major Mathews, nor he of them, and that he did not perfuade? them to complain. 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