331 
MYSORE, CANARY, AND MALABAR. 
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favour shown to the garrison was the choice of the limb that was CHAPTER 
a . . . v. 
to be amputated. A similar punishment \\ r as at the same time in- / 
dieted on 700 of the neighbouring farmers, who had occasionally Jul y l6 * 
stolen into the place, and assisted in its defence. As they had no 
means of stopping the hemorrhage, except by applying rags dipped 
in boiled oil ; and as many were too poor, and the greater part, on 
such an occasion, too friendless to procure assistance, a smalt pro- 
portion only of these wretches survived. Some of them are here 
now, and subsist by begging; and the messenger of Purnea, who 
attends me, was present at the execution, as one of I ippoo's soldiers. 
This barbarous punishment had, however, the desired effect ; and 
every Polygar instantly quitted the country. In the last war, the 
heir of the family returned, and for five months occupied the place. 
The people here seem to be attached to him ; hut those of SUagutta 
consider -him as a ruffian, like most other Poly gars. The Mysore 
government 4 offered him terms, which he despised. Rather than 
accept of any thing less than what his family formerly possessed, he 
preferred retiring to the countries ceded to the Nizam , where there 
is a kind of licence for all manner of disorder. 
The town is now beginning to revive ; and I am told, that both 
it and the country round are more populous, and better cultivated, 
than they were under Tippoo's government ; the vicinity of the 
Nizam's dominions affording excellent means of obtaining a supply 
of inhabitants. The trade is entirely confined to the purchase and 
sale of articles produced in the neighbourhood, except that they 
get some cotton-wool from the Nizam's country, and send thither 
some sugar and Jagory. The manufacture of sugar of a line qua- 
lity is in great perfection, but on a very confined scale, and is kept 
a profound secret by a family of Brahmans. Weavers of white cot- 
ton cloth are beginning to assemble, and fifteen houses of them are 
now at work. The place contains 400 houses, of which no less than 
100 are occupied by Brahmans. Formerly they had a great extent 
of charity lands; but, these having been all resumed, they are very 
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