776 eng: 
Europe, he faid, promifed a continuance of peace, and 
he was induced to hope f. r an immediate reduction of 
the naval and military eftablifhments. 
The attention of parliament towards the conclulion 
of the feftion, was again forcibly drawn to the fituation 
of India. From the era of the peace of Mangalore, con¬ 
cluded by the company with Tippoo Saib in 1784, the 
power of that prince had been regarded as very formida¬ 
ble. He was.avowedly attached to the interefls of France, 
to which country he had foon after that event fent a 
fplendid embafly, and eftab.lifhed an intimate friendfhip 
and alliance. The period, however, at length arrived, 
when, France being occupied with other and greater ob¬ 
jects, a fevere vengeance might be fafely taken on the 
tyrant of Myfore, for all his perfidies and oppretfions. 
The Dutch Eaft-India company had in the feventeenth 
century conquered from the Portuguefe two forts, fituated 
within the territory of Myfore, called Cranganore and 
Acottah. Thefe they had recently difpofed of by purchafe 
to the rajah of Travancore, an ally of the Englifh com¬ 
pany. Tippoo, relenting the conduct of the Dutch, and 
affirming that the rajah had no right to make any fuch 
purchafe within the limits of his territory, marched a con¬ 
siderable military force, in <die fummer of 1789, againft 
Cranganore, with a profeffied inten*- to reduce it to his 
dominion. The conduct of the rajah in making the pur- 
chaie in queffion, on fo precarious a title, was feverely 
cenfured by the government of Madras ; and, Mr. Hol¬ 
land, the prefident, warned him to defift from his ambi¬ 
tious defigns. 
In confequence of the powerful mediation thus inter- 
poled, Tippoo withdrew his troops, Hill, however, alfert- 
ing his claim to the feudal fovereignty of the forts, and 
offering, as it is faid, to fubmit his pretenfions to any im¬ 
partial arbitration. But on the iff of May, 1790, the 
raj h, relying, as it afterwards appeared, on the fupport 
of the fuperior prefidency of Bengal, made an offenlive 
attack on the army of Tippoo Sultan ; and the war hav¬ 
ing thus commenced, the Englifh government was bound 
in honour and juftjce to defend their ally. This the com¬ 
pany were the betier enabled to, do, not merely from their 
knowledge of the (fate of France, but from the treaties 
they had actually formed with the nizam of the Decan, 
and the Mahratta (fates, for the exprefs purpofe of hum¬ 
bling the power of Myfore. The grand Carnatic army 
immediately aflembling, under the command of general 
Meadows, marched through the fouthern or Coimbetore 
country, and penetrating the ghauts or palfies of the 
mountains, advanced towards the city of Seringapatam, 
the capital of Myfore.. 
On the weffern fide, the Bombay army, under general 
Abercrombie, after reducing Cannanore, and feveral other 
places on the coal!, entered the kingdom of Myfore ; 
which, notwithfianding the opprelfion of the government, 
exhibited every where the marks of the higheft cultiva¬ 
tion and profperity. The fultan, defending himfelf with 
great refolution, and no mean difplay of military fk.ill, 
general Meadows found himfelf under the necefiity of re¬ 
treating to the vicinity of Madras; where, in the month 
of December, 1790, lord Cornwallis alfiumed the com¬ 
mand of the army in perlon. The plan of the war was 
now entirely changed, and a grand effort refolved on, to 
force a palfiage to Seringapatam, through the country ly¬ 
ing direXly weftward of Madras. On the 21ft of March, 
1791, the important town of Bangalore was taken by 
ftorm, with little lofs on the part of the Britilh, but with 
a dreadful carnage of the garrifon. 
On the 13th ot May, the army, by extraordinary exer¬ 
tions, arrived in fight of the fuperb capital of Myfore, 
defended by the lultan in perfon ; and, on the next day, 
an aXion took place, in which Tippoo was faid to be de¬ 
feated, though he does not appear to have fufiained any 
very confiderable lofs ; and the fwelling of the Cavery, 
{in an illand formed by the branches of which Seringa- 
patam is fituated,) together with the want of provifionsj 
-AND. 
compelled lord Cornwallis to begin his retreat to Ban« 
galore, almoll before his victory could be announced. 
General Abercrombie, who had advanced through the 
ghauts on the oppofite fide, with a view to form a junc¬ 
tion with lord Cornwallis, was now all'o obliged to lead 
back his army, fatigued, haralfed, and difappointed, over 
the mountains they had fo lately and with fuch difficulty 
palfied. During thefe tranfaXions, the troops of the nizam 
and the Mahrattas kept difcreetly aloof, leaving the bur¬ 
den of the war almoll entirely to the Britilh. 
But the next campaign, for which lord Cornwallis made 
unremitted preparations, opened under more favourable 
aufpices. Early in February, 1792, the eaftern and weft- 
ern armies, refuming their former plan of operations, ef¬ 
fected, before the end of the month, a junction under the 
walls of Seringapatam ; the forces of the peifiiwa and of 
the nizam encamping alfo at a fmall difiance, and furnifti- 
ing to the Britifh army a plentiful fupply of ftores and 
provifions. On the 7th of February, a general attack 
was made by moonlight on the lines of the fultan, which 
was attended with important effieCts; Tippoo being com¬ 
pelled to relinquifli his former advantageous pofition, 
which covered his capital, and Seringapatam was, in c*in- 
fequence of this defeat, clofely and completely inverted. 
The fituation of Tippoo being now in the higheft degree 
alarming and almoll hopelefs, he thought proper to (end 
a vakeel to the camp of lord Cornwallis to fue for peace ; 
which the Britilh general granted on the terms, 1. Of 
ceding one-half of his dominions to the allied powers. 
2. Of paying three crores and thirty lacks of rupees, as 
an indemnification for the expences of the war. 3. The 
releafe of all prifoners; and, 4. The delivery of two of his 
fons as hoftages for the due performance of the treaty. 
On the 26th of February, the princes, each mounted 
on an elephant magnificently caparifoned, proceeded to 
the Britilh ca^np, where they were received by lord 
Cornwallis with all poliible kindnefs and affeCtion. The 
eldeft, Abdul-Kalic, was,about ten ; the younger, Mir- 
zaud-Deen, about eight years of age. The princes were 
attired in white tnullin robes, with red turbans richly 
adorned with pearls, and they conducted themfelves with 
a politenefs and propriety which aftonifhed the fpeXa- 
tots. On the 19th of March, 1792, the definitive treaty, 
figned by the fultan was delivered by the young princes, 
with great folemnity, into the hands of lord Cornwallis; 
but the fums fpecified in the fecond article not being aXu- 
ally paid, the princes remained under the fafeguard and 
cuftody of his lordftiip until the payment was completed, 
when they were honourably reftored. See the article 
Hindoostan. 
The feflion clofed with a fpeech from the throne, 
June 15, 1792, in which his majerty exprefted to the two 
houfes “ his great concern at the actual commencement 
of hoftilities in different parts of Europe, in confequence 
of the affairs of France; affuring them, neverthelefs, 
that his principal care would be to preferve to his people 
the uninterrupted bleflings of peace.” At this crifis a 
very remarkable letter was written in confidence by the 
king of France to the king of England, exprefiing in the 
moil flattering terms his obligations to his Britannic ma- 
jefty for his impartial conduct, and making the mod 
eager advances to the formation of a treaty of amity and 
alliance. “ Between our two countries, (fays the French 
monarch,) new connexions ought to take place. I think 
I fee the remainsof that rivalfiiip which has done fo much 
mifchief to both, daily wearing away. It becomes two 
kings, who have diftinguiflied their reigns by a conftant 
defire to promote the happinels of their people, to con¬ 
nect themfelves by fuch ties as will appear to be durable 
in proportion as the two nations (hall have clearer views 
of their own interefts. 1 conlider the fuccefs of the al¬ 
liance, in which I wifh you to concur with as much zeal 
as I do, as of the higheft importance. I confider it as 
neceffary to the (lability of the refpeXive conftitutions, 
and the internal tranquillity of our two kingdoms; and 
I will 
