434 MYSOEE. Chap. XXVI. 



the capture of Seringapatam by the English in 1799, the 

 present Eajah, then only five years old, wsls placed on the 

 throne, and the country was ruled by his very clever minister 

 Purneah, until he came of age. He afterwards proved so 

 utterly incompetent to govern, that the country fell into a 

 state of anarchy, and the English therefore undertook the 

 administration in 1832. The Mysore Commission was then 

 formed, with Sir Mark Cubbon at its head, and Mysore was 

 divided into four divisions — Bangalore, Astagram, Nuggiir, 

 and Chitteldroog. 



The table-land of Mysore covers an ai-ea of 30,886 square 

 miles, and contains a population of 3,300,000 souls. Sir 

 Mark Cubbon's administration was vigorous and progressive. 

 In 1832 the revenue was 440,000/., in 1860-61 it was 

 950,000/., and in the latter year there was an excess of 

 income over expenditure, amounting to 120,000/. The Cbief 

 Commissioner has made upwards of 160^ miles of excellent 

 carriage-road, bridged throughout, and has introduced many 

 important measures, while the officers who have worked 

 under him have generally been distinguished for ability and 

 zeal. The good old general was sixty yeai-s in India, and 

 governed Mysore from 1832 to 1861. He was adored by aU 

 ranks of the people, and his resignation caused univereal 

 regret, when, early in 1861, he sailed for England. But he 

 was not destined to see his native land again, he died at Suez, 

 and thus passed away a brave soldier and an enlightened 

 statesman, one who had done as good and valuable service to 

 his country as any English public servant during the present 

 century. 



Dm-ing our stay at Mysore we drove over to Seringapatam, 

 a distance of twelve miles. The immediate neighbourhood 

 of the capital is chiefly planted with dry grains, such as 

 raggee and pulses. The common people live chiefly on raggee. 



