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HASTINGS. 



after, he formed the scheme of making researches, 

 on the spot, into the natural history of Palestine ; 

 and the university having furnished him with 

 pecuniary resources, he embarked for Smyrna in 

 August, 1749, and arrived there about the end of 

 November. After exploring the environs of that 

 city, he went to Egypt, whence, in March, 1751, lie 

 took the route to Palestine, by Damietta and Jaffa. 

 He staid some time at Jerusalem, and afterwards 

 visited other parts of the country. Returning to 

 Smyrna, he brought with him a most noble collection 

 of plants, minerals, fishes, reptiles, insects, and other 

 natural curiosities. He died there, Feb. 9, 1752. 

 The Swedish queen, Louisa Ulrica, purchased the 

 whole of Hasselquist's acquisitions, which were de- 

 posited in the castle of Drottningholm. Linnaeus, 

 from the papers and specimens of natural history 

 collected by his pupil, prepared for the press the 

 Iter Palastinum, or Travels in Palestine, with Re- 

 marks on its Natural History (Stockholm, 1757, 8vo), 

 which has been translated into English and other 

 European languages. 



HASTINGS ; an ancient borough and market- 

 town of England, on the eastern extremity of Sussex, 

 famous for being the place near which William the 

 Conqueror landed in England, and for the battle of 

 Hastings, fought in the neighbourhood. It is now 

 in great repute for sea-bathing. It is one of the 

 Cinque Ports. Its situation is beautiful; and the 

 environs also abound with picturesque scenery and 

 delightful walks and rides. A walk, called the 

 marine parade, has been formed on the west of the 

 town. The public buildings are, two very ancient 

 churches; the town hall, built in 1823, with the 

 market-place under it ; the custom-house, and two 

 excellent free schools. The remains of an ancient 

 castle are still to be seen. One mile west is the new 

 town of St Leonard's, commenced in 1828, on the 

 site where William the Conqueror landed. Popula- 

 tion of Hastings in 1831, 10,097; in 1841, 11,617. 



HASTINGS, WARREN, was born in 1732 or 1733, 

 at the village of Churchill, in Oxfordshire, where his 

 father was clergyman of the parish. He was edu- 

 cated at Westminster school, and, in 1750, went out 

 to Bengal as a writer in the East India company's 

 service. After having filled some of the principal 

 offices under the British government, and made him- 

 self acquainted with Oriental literature and public 

 affairs, he returned to England in 1765, with a 

 moderate fortune. In 1768, he received the ap- 

 pointment of second in council at Madras ; and, in 

 J 771, he was removed to Bengal, to the presidency 

 of which he was raised the following year. In 

 1773, he was appointed governor-general of India. 

 He held this situation for thirteen years, during which 

 he had to encounter many serious difficulties, in- 

 creased and strengthened the power of the company 

 at the expense of the native princes, and, undoubt- 

 edly, was guilty of much oppression and injustice to 

 attain this end. He raised the revenue of the com- 

 pany from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 sterling. On 

 the removal of lord North from office, in 1782, his 

 opponents exerted themselves to displace those on 

 whom he had conferred appointments. Upon the 

 motion of Dundas, Hastings was recalled in 1785, 

 and immediately loaded with accusations. The most 

 prominent orators of the opposition, Fox, Burke, 

 Sheridan, and others, were arrayed against him. He 

 was accused of having governed, in the East Indies, 

 arbitrarily And tyrannically ; of having extorted im- 

 mense sums of money ; of having accomplished the 

 ruin of many princes ; in short, of having exercised 

 oppression of every description. February 17, 1786, 

 Burke laid the charges against him before the lower 

 hoii5-e. which were carried, in May 1787, into the 



upper; and the trial commenced February 13, 1783. 

 The solemnity of the proceedings in a case of this 

 nature, and the consequent slowness with which they 

 were carried on, together with numerous interrup- 

 tions, retarded the final decision. Many of the 

 points of accusation required an accurate examination 

 of the state of affairs in the East Indies, and wit- 

 nesses had to be summoned thence to London. The 

 speeches of the accusers often occupied several 

 days ; and, April 15, 1794, the upper house held its 

 one hundred and twentieth session, for the purpose 

 of coming to a final decision. The public opinion, 

 which had in the beginning, preponderated in fa- 

 vour of the accusers, now declared itself unanimously 

 for the defendant ; and the return of lord Cornwall)* 

 from India was decisive in his favour. April 

 1795, Hastings was acquitted and sentenced to paj 

 only the costs of prosecution (71,080 sterling) 

 the crown itself had, besides this, incurred an expense 

 of 100,000 sterling. The East India company in- 

 demnified him by a pension of 4000 for twenty-eight 

 years, paid him 42,000 of the amount in advance, 

 and made him a loan of 50,000. The salary or pen- 

 sion was afterwards settled on him for life. He was 

 made a member of the privy council ; but he inter- 

 ested himself little in public affairs ; and died August 

 22, 1818. He published some pieces relating to 

 India, and speeches and papers in defence of his 

 conduct. 



HASTINGS, FRANCIS, marquis of Hastings, earl 

 of Rawdon, &c., was the son of John, baron Rawdon 

 and earl of Moira, of the kingdom of Ireland, and 

 was born December 7, 1754. He was educated at 

 Oxford ; and, after a short tour on the continent, he 

 entered the army in 1771, as an ensign in the fifteenth 

 regiment of foot. Having obtained a lieutenancy, 

 he embarked for America, in 1773, and was present 

 at the battle of Bunker's hill. After having served 

 in other engagements, he was nominated, in 1778, 

 adjutant-general of the British army in America, 

 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He next com- 

 manded a distinct corps in South Carolina, where he 

 successfully opposed general Gates ; and, at the bat- 

 tle of Camden, on the 16th of August, 1780, lord 

 Rawdon commanded one wing of the army undei 

 lord Cornwallis. He subsequently defeated general 

 Greene ; but the surrender of lord Cornwallis's army 

 put a period to his exertions. A severe and danger- 

 ous illness, however, obliged him to quit the army 

 before the conclusion of hostilities. He embarked 

 for England, and the vessel which carried him was 

 captured and. taken to Brest ; but he was immediately 

 released, and, returning home, was made aid-cle 

 camp to the king, and created an English peer, by 

 the title of baron Rawdon. He distinguished him- 

 self both in the English and Irish parliaments, parti- 

 cularly in the former, in the debates relative to the 

 bill for the relief of persons imprisoned for small 

 debts. In June, 1793, he succeeded his father as 

 earl of Moira, and the same year he was advanced 

 to the rank of a major-general. In the summer of 

 1794, he was sent, with a reinforcement of 10,000 

 men, to join the duke of York, opposed to the 

 .French in Holland. In 1797, an attempt was made 

 to place him at the head of the ministry ; but the 

 scheme did not succeed. When the whigs, with 

 whom he had acted, came into power, in 1806, he was 

 appointed master-general of the ordnance, which 

 post he resigned on the fall of his party. He was 

 engaged, subsequently, in political negotiations, 

 which proved abortive ; and, in 1812, as he could 

 not act with the administration then in power, he- 

 obtained the appointment of governor-general of Bri- 

 tish India. In 1816, he was created viscount Lou- 

 doun, earl of Rawdon, and marquis of Hastings ; and 



