272 Biographical sketch of Col, Mackenzie, [Jtlt 



proving the materials in some tranquillity ; but on a re- 

 form of some branches of the military establishment in 

 1810, that department was entirely new-modelled, and 

 my appointment ceased, without any compensation, in 

 salary or otherwise, for what I then lost. The Honour- 

 able Court in that order had signified their approbation 

 of what had been done, and even sent out other orders 

 encouraging the further pursuit of my inquiries, which 

 have been hitherto but partially attended to, and, from 

 the present aspect of things at this presidency, do not 

 appear likely to be soon fulfilled, either to my satisfac- 

 tion, or according to the intentions of the Court. 



20. At the end of 1810, the government of Madras^ 

 on a view of the sudden increase of the expense of sur- 

 veys in the preceding five years, and the unconnected and 

 confused manner in which these works were executed^, 

 without being founded on any general or fixed system ^ 

 found it necessary to create the office of surveyor-gene- 

 ral, similar to one already established at the other pre- 

 sidencies, and was pleased to appoint me (without any 

 previous communication) to this charge, for reasons the 

 propriety of which I had in vain attempted to shew for 

 fourteen years previously. In consequence of the little 

 countenance given to these propositions in Europe,* I 

 had, on the completion of the Mysore survey, relin- 

 quished all idea of conducting what would have been 

 gratifying to early habits, and more appropriate to the 

 state of my health and my time of life some years be- 

 fore ; and I only undertook the charge at this time in 

 hopes of being useful in assisting to give shape and or- 

 der to what 1 had long considered important to the pub- 

 lic, and beneficial in an economical point of view to the 

 East India Company. 



21. I was employed in arranging this office, for car- 



* And of th(' iiicusuve:-; adopted ;i! r^IailiTis ill 1 SOG, th;it I considered ad- 

 ^•eise and co).rii„iili.;tiii >, {,> tl),.,- ii ij^j.v. h .dn. i;ul to \ue fur } (!aio bj.ck. 



