THE COAST OF MALABAR. 35 



preferred for himfelf a voluntary death to the ignomi- 

 ny that he knew awaited his furvivance ; and he ac- 

 cordingly died either by his own hand, or by that of 

 a friendly Nayr, whom he is faid to have required to 

 perform this laft mournful office for him -, whereupon 

 Tippoo, difappointed of his prey, feized on the dead 

 Rajah's effects and country, which he continued to 

 hold till finally deprived, by the Britijh arms, of that, 

 and the greater part of his Malabar territories, by the 

 fuccefsful war that terminated by the peace, and his 

 confequent ceflion of that country, in the year 1792 s 

 fince which the Zamorin> and all%he other Rajahs, 

 have returned to their diftricts ; into which they have 

 been re-admitted, in full fubordination to the Compa- 

 ny's Government, which can alone beneficially con- 

 duel: the adminiftration of that coaft in its prefentcir- 

 cumftances, and adminifter equal and impartial juf- 

 tice to the two great clalTes of Hindus and Mahomme- 

 dans, of which the prefent fociety confifts ; and who, 

 (till fmarting under the impreflion of the injuries they 

 reciprocally inflicted and fuffered during the turbulent 

 and calamitous period of the My/ore dominion, can 

 hardly be deemed to be in temper to qualify either to 

 ftand towards each other in the relation of fovereign 

 and fubjeel: ; more efpecially as the authority would 

 have reverted, and the confequent retaliation have no 

 doubt been exercifed, (as was in fome inftances at firft 

 attempted,) by thofe who had been, during the laft 

 twenty years, the inferior and fuffering party; for the 

 Mapillas, or Mahommedans, finding themfelves, dur- 

 ing the preceding difaftrous and unfettled adminiftra- 

 tion of the religion of their new Prince, had availed 

 themfelves of that powerful circumftance in their fa- 

 vour, to moleit, defpoil, and (as far as in them lay) 

 to ruin their former Hindu fuperiors ; fo that the bit- 

 tcrnefs of the enmity between the two feels had rifen 

 to the higheft pitch of rancour, and will no doubt re- 

 quire a courfe of years to fubfide, or to give place to a 

 re~eflablifhnient of the ancient amity. 



C 2 XXXIIL 



