NEGOTIATION WITH TIPPOO. 103 



After the hostages had been delivered, and a crore of ru- 

 pees paid, a serious difficulty arose. The treaty stipulated 

 the surrender of one-half of Tippoo's dominions, where 

 they bordered on those of the allies ; but there was no spe- 

 cification of the actual territories to be ceded, — a point so 

 essential, that it ought, one would imagine, to have preceded 

 the execution of any of the articles. The ceded districts 

 were to be rated according to the revenues which they 

 yielded. Tippoo presented statements by which the pro- 

 duce of those contiguous to the possessions of the allies 

 were grossly exaggerated, and the others underrated ; 

 while the nizam and Purseratn Bhow were not slow to err 

 on the opposite side, and hence the discrepancy became 

 enormous. Meantime reports were spread of suspicious 

 conduct on the part of Tippoo, and in particular that, con- 

 trary to treaty, he was actively strengthening the fortifica- 

 tions of Seringapatam. When remonstrated with on this 

 subject, he replied that, if they thought proper, he would 

 throw down a bastion and let the. English see into the fort ; 

 an answer so wild and extravagant that it tended little tc 

 dispel apprehension. 



At length Tippoo's vakeels produced documents which 

 were judged to be authentic, and whence it appeared that 

 the entire revenue of their master's dominions did not ex- 

 ceed 2,960,000/. Each of the allies then picked out what 

 best suited him ; the Mahrattas extended their frontier to 

 the Toombuddra ; the nizam carried his beyond the Pen- 

 nar. The English took their share in detached portions; 

 on the east the frontier-territory of Baramahl ; in the south 

 Dindigul ; on the west a great extent of the disputed coast 

 of Malabar, including Tellicherry and Calicut. No objec- 

 tion was made till it was observed that this last section in- 

 cluded Coorg, long the subject of much deadly contest. On 

 seeing this condition the sultan burst into a paroxysm of 

 rage that approached to absolute phrensy. " To which of 

 their territories," said he, " is Coorg adjacent ! Why do 

 they not ask at once for Seringapatam 1 They know that 

 I would sooner have died in the breach than have consented 

 to such a cession, and durst not bring it forward till they 

 had treacherously obtained my children and my treasure." 

 Some English authors endeavour to prove that the demand 

 ought not to have been unexpected ; and yet it cannot bo 



