WAR IN THE MYSORE. 113 lore. The Bangalore fort was forthwith invested and taken in seven days. The news of the arrival of the Bombay force under Robert Abercromby marching upon Periapatna, caused Tippu suddenly to retire upon Seringapatam. He sent orders to the Commandant of Periapatna to undermine the fort, then to evacuate it and fall back towards Seringapatam. The island between the two arms of the Kàvèri was strongly fortified. Lord Cornwallis and General Meadows approached the Capital. Sir R. Abercromby and Vìraràja arrived at Muttúr near Periapatna. Tippu's garrison hastened to destroy the fortress before the arrival of the English General. Sir Robert left two Regiments at Periapatna. An engagement took place at Karighatta near Seringapatam between Tippu and the English army, in which the former was defeated. He retired to the strong position on the island under the guns of Seringapatam. The English forces moved from Karighatta to Hiróde (French Rocks) and awaited the Bombay army. On account of the setting in of the rainy season, however, Lord Cornwallis returned to Bangalore, and Sir Robert, with Víraràja, retired into Coorg. Thence he marched to the coast, left his force at Tellicherry and embarked for Bombay. "I shall return," he said, on taking leave," to the Rajah, after the monsoon. the mean time I wish to leave my military stores and ammunition in your hands. During the next six months you must collect grain and other provisions against our return and try to detach the grain dealers from Tippu by offering higher prices. The Company will furnish you with the money you may require." Vírarája replied: "I do not require money now. I shall purchase grain for you as much as possible. If my own resources fail, I shall write to you." Sir Robert left his artillery, ammunition, grain, etc. in the keeping of the Rajah and departed to Tellicherry, in June In 1791 (4893, Viródhikritu), whence he sailed for Bombay. Vìraràja, during the monsoon, purchased as much grain as he could from his own people and from the the merchants in Tippu's pay, and added to these stores a great quantity collected from Mysore by force of arms. Towards the end of November Major General Abercromby returned from Bombay with a well appointed armament. Having landed at Tellicherry and ascended the Heggala pass, he informed Vìraràja of his arrival. The latter immediately waited upon the General, and delivered to him the guns and stores, which had been given into his charge. Sir Robert wished to obtain five lacs of dangàli of rice, (a dangàli is two seers) i. e. 1,000,000 dangàlinearly 24,000 maunds, as a supply for two months. Víraràja sent the rice, which was measured and laid in store, together with sheep and goats, and whatever provisions he could lay his hand on, from Nalkanadu. These statements are fully born out by a letter of the Duke of Wellington to Lord Clive, dated Seringapatam 1st Jan. 1803 v. Dispatches Vol. I., p. 320, 321. The Duke says first, that no part of the Mysore territory can be given to Viraraja (for political reasons connected with the relation of the recently established government of Mysore to the government of the Company), and then proceeds thus: The services of the Rajah of Coorg, however, still deserve remuneration. It appears, by Capt. Mahoney's accounts (Capt. Mahoney was Resident in Coorg) that he expended sums of money, and furnished supplies of cattle and provisions, in the late war against Tippu Sultan, of a value amounting in the whole to about four lacs of rupees. If he had consented to be reimbursed this expenditure, he would have received bonds of the Bombay Government for this sum of money, bearing interest at 12 per cent. per annum, in the beginning of the year 1799, and in VIRARA'JA'S CLAIMS UPON THE COMPANY. 115 this manner would have added nearly two lacs of rupees to the sum above mentioned. It may therefore be fairly concluded, that, by the liberality of the Rajah, the Company's treasury is richer, at this moment, no less than six lacs of rupees, than it would have been, if he had taken payment of the money expended, and for the supplies furnished by him. In this view of the question, I do not take into consideration the nature of his services, or the time at which they were rendered, but I have stated particularly, what the supplies, furnished by him, would have cost the company, if they had been furnished by any other person, as I found thereon the amount of remuneration which I intend to recommend to your Lordship to grant him. When the arrangements of the territory of the late Tippu Sultan were made, in the year 1799, the Rajah of Coorg was desirous to have the districts of Panje and Bellare, to which he conceived he had a right, as they had belonged heretofore to his family, and they connected with Marka and Subra in the same province. It is supposed, that these districts are worth about 6000 canterai pagodas per annum, and they might form part of the proposed remuneration to the Rajah of Coorg. The districts in Mysore, to which the Rajah of Coorg in like manner stated a claim, are Periapatna, Beṭṭadapura, and Arkalgúdu, the value of which, by the schedule, appears to be 17,500 canterai pagodas. It will not be proper, to give the Rajah those districts; and I recommend to your Lordship, that other of equal value connected with Panje, Bellare and the Bantwal river, in the province of Canara, be ceded to him. Under this arrangement, he will have nearly 24,000 canterai pagodas per annum, which is about the value of the sum which the Company have annually by his forbearing to demand payment of the money due to : him he will have two districts in Canara to which he eonceived he had a claim, and certain other districts in the same province, connecting him with the Bantwal river, of the same value with districts in Mysore, which he is desirous to possess, but which, under existing circumstances, it is not possible to grant him. At this juncture Tippu Sultan dispatched Kàdar Khan Kesagi to the Rajah of Coorg. This was the Musulman Officer to whom Víraràja had shown extraordinary kindness at Búdicháwadi. Tippu hoped through the good offices of this apparent favorite to obtain the friendship and the now invaluable services of the Rajah. Kàdarkhan went to Coorg, carrying letters from Tippu's own hand, from Mir Sáduk the Prime Minister and Púrnayah the minister of finances, to the Rajah. The Sultan entreated Víraràja to forget the past, and to lay aside his enmity. It would be better, he said, to have friends that were at hand, than friends at a distance. The Company would in the end leave him to his fate, and forget to reward his services, while he, the Sultan, if Vìraràja would espouse his cause now and assist him in expelling and destroying the English army, offered to give him for ever Hegganadévana Kóte, Periapattana, Bettadapura, Konanùru and Arkalgúdu. This was the message which Kàdarkhan brought from Seringapatam, and which, being himself detained on the frontier of Coorg, he forwarded through his fellow-ambassador, a friend who had accompanied him from Mysore. Vìraràja carried the letters to Major General Abercromby and, after consultation with him, replied to the Sultan's overtures in the following manner: "By similar promises you have formerly deceived and ruined Coorg. God has given me one tongue with which I have pledged fidelity to the English. I have not two tongues like you." In February Sir Robert Abercromby left his Artillery and SERINGA PATAM INVESTED. 117 military stores, not immediately required, at Heggala in charge of a Regiment, command by Colonel Finch, and made an arrangement with Víraràja, to supply these troops with provisions, and to increase the general stores. The Colonel had to give receipts to the Rajah for every thing supplied by the latter, and was ordered to draw also from Tellicherry what might be required for the army actively engaged in Mysore. Sir Robert wonld indent upon the Heggala stores according to circumstances. The main body of the Bomby troops then marched to Siddhapura. In the meantime the Governor General of India, Lord Cornwallis, and General Meadows with their troops, an army of Nizam Ali, and a force of the Peishva had moved from Bangalore to Seringapatam. Major General Abercromby informed the Rajah of the movements of the Allies and told him, that he was himself now ordered to proceed to the scene of war, and inquired, if the supplies were ready. Viraraja replied that rice to the amount of 500,000 Dangàli were stored up in his granary at Kiggattnádu, under the charge of the Subhedar Kétóli Achchanna who had orders to deliver supplies to an accredited Agent of the General. Sir R. Abercromby forthwith despatched a Captain to take charge of the grain. One half of the supply was conveyed to Siddhapura, where the Bombay force was encamped. When Sir Robert had reached Gundipattana, Lord Cornwallis ordered a night attack by two regiments upon the lines of Tippu, from Kirangúr to Chandagálu, and from Pàlhalli to Ganjam, which was successful. The Musulman batteries were taken. Tippu's troops in the confusion of the nightly encounter fired and fought against their own friends. The remains of the vanquished troops found their way into the fortress. On this occasion 5000 Coorgs, who had been carried away by Tippu, with their wives and children, altogether 12,000 souls, |