404 



lish were engaged with Tippoo Sultan, had been lately attended 

 with disastrous consequences, especially in the recapture of Bed- 

 nure, and the destruction and imprisonment of General Mat-thews, 

 and the flower of the Bombay army. The forts of Onorc and 

 Mangalore on the Malabar coast, still held out against Tippoo's 

 forces, but they were not expected to make a much longer stand 

 against such superior power, when a prey to disease, and destitute 

 of provisions, stores, and comfort of every description. 



Thus gloomy was the general aspect of affairs on the western 

 side of India. Compared with Bengal and Madras, the civil and 

 military establishments at Bombay were always on a contracted 

 scale; they were now much curtailed; the military from Baroche 

 were stationed at the presidency, or ordered to the subordinate gar- 

 risons ; but no compensation, nor place of emolument were offered 

 to the civil servants exiled from Guzerat; not even a sufficient 

 maintenance for gentlemen who had been from fifteen to thirty 

 years in the company's service. In this dilemma, such as could 

 accomplish it, resolved to settle their Indian concerns and to 

 embark for England, by the first convenient opportunity. But in 

 addition to other inconveniences, we were informed by our corres- 

 pondents at Bombay, that the captains of the homeward-bound 

 Indiamen demanded eight thousand rupees (1000/.) for the passage 

 of a single person, and fifteen thousand for that of a gentle- 

 man and his wife. This was certainly imposed upon the passen- 

 gers by the last ship of that description which had sailed from 

 Bombay; some families were now returning by the men of war 

 ordered home in consequence of the general peace in Europe and 

 America ; and on our arrival at Bombay we were offered a passage 



