May 28, I860.] OBITUARY.— HON. MOUNTSTUART ELPHINSTONE. 125 



rose to all the principal offices of the diplomatic service at a 

 time when our conquests were at their highest progress under 

 the brilliant administration of the Marquess Wellesley. His friend 

 and fellow labourer, Sir John Malcolm, said of him at the close of 

 his public career, some thirt}' years subsequently, on the night of a 

 great gathering at Bombay to bid Mr. Elphinstone "God speed" 

 back to his native land, that from the day he, Sir John, met him a 

 stripling on the beach to that hour (and the interval comprised 

 years most eventful in the history of British India), Mr. Elphin- 

 stone had performed a distinguished part in every great political 

 event that had occurred. In 1801 he was appointed an Attache to 

 the Eesidency at Poonah, and on General AVellesley's visiting that 

 court he asked the Resident " to give him young Elphinstone." 

 This was declined at the time, but in consequence of illness com- 

 pelling Sir John Malcolm to resign the office of interpreter in 1803, 

 Elphinstone joined the staff of the Duke of Wellington, and fought 

 by his side in the most remarkable of those Indian battles that 

 taught him how to conquer Spain. In 1806, the then Governor- 

 General, the Earl of Minto, selected Mr. Elphinstone for the im- 

 portant and difficult mission to Cabul, a country at that time 

 almost unknown to us ; and of that mission he published, six years 

 after, an able and instructive narrative.* The travels of our 

 medallist Sir Alexander Burnes, and our national disasters in that 

 country, having afterwards drawn the attention of the British public 

 to those regions, a third edition of the work was called for thirty 

 years after it was first published, acquiring for its author consider- 

 able literary reputation. 



In 1810 Mr. Elphinstone returned to Poonah as Political Resi- 

 dent, and " there," says a recent writer, " for eight years he 

 conducted the British relations with the faithless, subtle, intriguing 

 ruler of the Mahrattas in a manner which, for able statesmanship, 

 has never been surpassed." The principal part of the Peishwah's 

 dominions having been annexed in 1819, he was eventually raised 

 to the government of Bombay, where for seven years he discharged 

 its duties with the utmost talent and skill. In this position the 

 liberal and enlightened Bishop Heber saw him, and described 

 him as "in every respect an extraordinary man, possessing great 

 activity of body and mind, remarkable talent for and application 

 to public business, a love of literature, and a degree of almost 



* Account of the Kingdom of Cabul. 

 VOL. IV. L 



