■upton's mission to poonah. 139 



Iobs was, however, so severe, amounting in Ins small de- 

 tachment to 222, including eleven officers, that he sus- 

 pended his intention of advancing at present upon the 

 capital, and awaited at Dubhoy the termination of the rainy 

 season and the arrival of further reinforcements. This 

 partial success, meanwhile, produced an impression favour- 

 able to the English and their ally. Several of the late ad- 

 herents of the ministry espoused their cause, — even the 

 nizam began to waver. The next campaign was therefore 

 expected to open under very promising auspices, when cir- 

 cumstances occurred which gave an entirely new turn to 

 affairs. 



The company, who had hitherto left the three presi- 

 dencies of Bengal, .Madras, and Bombay separate and in- 

 dependent, were now induced, by the inconveniences which 

 had arisen from this arrangement, to establish one central 

 authority. They vested in the governor-general and coun- 

 cil of Calcutta a controlling power over the other two presi- 

 dencies. The latter, however, were not as yet much in- 

 clined to acquiesce ; and that of Bombay in particular had, 

 in the late transactions, made very little reference to their 

 new superiors. The supreme council, on being apprized 

 of their proceedings, strongly condemned them, as unjust 

 in themselves, and contrary to the policy incurcated by the 

 company, of avoiding all interference in the internal con- 

 cerns of Indian states. This step is generally blamed by 

 English politicians, though, as it appears to us, without any 

 good reason. There seems more room to question the pro- 

 priety of superseding entirely the Bombay government, and 

 sending Colonel Upton direct from Bengal to conclude a 

 fresh treaty. This had certainly the effect of placing the 

 inferior presidency in a degrading situation, and of exposing 

 it to the contempt of the native powers. It has also been 

 observed, that the Hindoo courts interpret every conciliatory 

 wish as a sign of weakness, and immediately rise in their 

 demands. Nana Fumavese, a Bramin minister, who had 

 attained an entire ascendency at Poonah, assumed a lofty 

 tone ; and, indeed, as the English continued to demand the 

 cession of Bassein and Salsette, he complained, not with- 

 out some reason, that after having frankly admitted the un- 

 warrantable ground on which their claim to these places 

 rested, they should still wish to retain possession of them. 



