1822.] 
veal pleasures ; for the Ameer, his 
second son, who has now the entire ma- 
nagement of the country, in order to 
secure every part of government to 
himself, thinks it no discredit to stand 
pander to his father’s vices, whom he 
therefore constantly supplies with fresh 
relays of the finest women Hindoostan 
affords ; so that his highness has at this 
time more than six hundred ladies in 
his haram. You will no doubt think 
this a pretty good stock for an old 
lecher of seventy-five, and I am ready 
to grant the case is rather a ridiculous 
one. It will, however, I am afraid, 
prove, ere long, of very serious conse- 
quences, as, should the old man die at 
a crilical juncture, and the succession 
devolve on the Ameer, every thing is 
to be feared for the English interest in 
this quarter. The Ameer is a treache- 
rous politic character, who has by 
flattery and other crafts prevailed on 
his father to nominate him to succeed, 
to the prejudice of his elder brother. 
It is well known that Rumbold re- 
ceived a large sum of money from the 
Nabob for lodging the old man’s testa- 
ment in favour of the Ameer in the 
company’s cash chest, to be produced 
on an emergency ; and the duplicity of 
the Ameer is so well known, that every 
one here is alarmed for the conse- 
quences of his father’s decease. He 
is more than suspected of having 
hoarded up immense treasures, partly 
with a view to bribe those who may be 
in power, at such a crisis, to establish 
him; and partly, in case of their non- 
compliance, with the treacherous pre- 
meditation of revolting to the French, 
should a war break out in India ata 
proper season, all which is thought to 
be already in embryo. It is certain 
that he pleaded poverty when Lord 
Macartney (who justly suspected him 
of having secreted great sums) one day 
during the late war told him that three 
lack of pagodas would save the Car- 
natic; and yet he is believed at this 
time to have had at least 100 lack at 
his command, with which, should he 
be treacherously disposed, and not be 
prevented in good time, he must carry 
all before him. Such a sum, with the 
command of the country he now pos- 
sesses, in the most absolute manner, 
aided by a French alliance, would be 
more than sufficient to drive the English 
from the coast. 
That the French have designs against 
India is evident from the preparations 
they have already made for war, by 
Stephensiana, No. X. 
45 
repairing the fortifications at Pondi- 
cherry, and smuggling privately out 
great numbers of soldiers and seamen, 
although they are under treaty at this 
time with England to withdraw all 
their naval force from Asia. Bui that 
aspiring and politic nation, which have 
already severed us from our posses- 
sions in America, will never be at rest 
while we have a foot of land in India. 
To show you that Iam not mistaken: 
in my opinion of the Ameer, I will tell 
you a circumstance of him that hap- 
pened not longago. When Lord Ma- 
cartney obliged the Nabob to assign 
the revenues of the Carnatic over to 
the company to answer the many 
pressing calls the war occasioned, his 
lordship, from motives of delicacy, still 
continued the Ameer in the manage- 
ment of the collecting business; but in 
a very short time found he had placed 
an unmerited confidence in him. The 
Ameer was presently detected in se- 
creting large sums, with the design to 
appropriate them to his own use; so that 
his lordship was obliged to take the 
trust from him, and appoint commis- 
sioners in his stead. 
A report has lately prevailed that 
Tippoo Saib has been killed in an ac- 
tion against some insurgents in his own 
dominions. There is no doubt of some 
accident having befel him, for it is cer- 
tain he was carried off the field, and 
that he has not since been publicly 
seen. 
The Council of this Presidency at 
present consists df only three men! and 
three men less fit for the management 
of public affairs it would be difficult to 
find. We are, however, in hourly ex- 
pectation of General Campbell, whose 
arrival will, we hope, rescue the Eng- 
lish possessions on this coast from the 
dangerous effects of combined igno- 
rance, pusillanimity, and the cecus 
amor argenti; which latter quality is 
more likely to prove fatal to a state 
than a confederacy of all other vices 
together. 
I am afraid, my dear doctor, I haye 
tired you with India politics. Happy 
are those who live in a country like 
Britain, where reports of foreign dis- 
tresses affect them no otherwise than 
just to move their compassion for a 
moment, and then drop into forgetful- 
ness. 
Iam, your most faithful 
And affectionate servant, 
» 'W. Toprine. 
ORIGINAL 
