260 On the Mamtfactures carried on at Bangalore, 



countries. He then sent large quantities of gpods, which 

 he forced the rnerchant? to take at a high rate. These op- 

 pressions had greatly injured the place ; but it was still po- 

 pulous, and many individuals were rich, when lord Corn- 

 wallis arrived before it, with his army in great distress from 

 want of provisions. This reduced hinfi to the necessity of 

 giving the assault immediately, and the town was of course 

 plundered. The rich inhdbitants had previously removed 

 their most valuable effects into the fort ; but these too fell a 

 prey to the invaders, vvbei> that citadel also was taken by 

 storm. After the English left the place, Tippoo encouraged 

 the inhabitants- to conve back, and by promises allured 

 them to collect together the wrecks of their fortunes, from 

 the different places to which these had been conveyed. No 

 sooner had he effected this, than, under pretence of their 

 having been frie^idly to the English, he surrounded the place 

 with troops, and fleeced the inhabitants, till even the wo- 

 men were obViged to part with their mos^t trifting ornaments. 

 He then kept them shut up within a hedge, which sur- 

 rounded the town at the distance ofa coss, till the advance 

 of the army under general Harris made the guard withdraw* 

 The inhabitants, not knowing wh&m to tru&t, immediately 

 dispersed, and for some months the place continued de- 

 serted. The people, however, are now flocking to it from 

 all quarters ; and although there are few rich individuajs, 

 trade and manufactures increase apace ; and the imports and 

 exports are estimated already to amount to one fourth of 

 what they were in its most flourishing state. The manu- 

 facturers and petty traders are still very distrustful and timid; 

 but the merchants, many of whonr have been at Madras, 

 and are acquainlfd with British |)()licy, seem- to have the 

 utmost confidence in the protection- of our government. 



The trade of the country not havmg been yet opened a 

 year since the inhabitants had deserted the place, no proper 

 estimate can be formed of the quantity of exports and im- 

 ports ; but it is on the increase every montli, and is now 

 about one fourth of the quantity that was exported and im- 

 ported in the most flourishing time of Hyder's governments 

 The son of the person who had then charge of the custom- 

 house 



