160 



forty Malawars, and other natives of the coast, were desirous of 

 deserting to us; an artifice too shallow to succeed. 



The next morning the faithful spy, formerly mentioned, was 

 dispatched to the enemy's camp, to procure, if possible, a secret 

 interview with the officer taken at Fortified Island, and convey 

 him a little money. In this he fortunately succeeded, and on the 

 13th returned, with a letter from the officer, apparently written 

 with charcoal and water, and scarcely legible: it contained an 

 account of the island having been taken by the sultaun's people. 

 That himself with the other officers, and a private European, were 

 confined in the same prison, after having been plundered of 

 every thing, except the clothes on their backs; they were 

 threatened with being sent to Seringapatam, unless they entered 

 into the sultaun's service; and the infamous ensign, whose deser- 

 tion has been already noticed, had been frequently with them, to 

 offer, on such conditions, the restoration of their property, and 

 a supply of every other convenience. That the sepoys, and even 

 the officers' servants taken with them, had been compelled to enter 

 into the sultaun's service; in which the jemautdar was promoted to 

 the rank of subahdar, and sent back to Fortified Island. This 

 gentleman acknowledged the receipt of the money, and declaring 

 that no hardship should drive them to enter into the sultaun's ser- 

 vice, entreated captain Torriano to exert himself for their release. 



There had not been any communication with the enemy since 

 Mr. Cruso's last interview withMirza; who had since twice denied 

 himself when that gentleman repaired to the batteries. Early in 

 the morning of the 16th a messenger came to the fort, with a 

 polite message from the caun, requesting to see Mr. Cruso irame- 



