INSANITY OF VIRARAJA. NEW BLOODSHED. 153

was added to the Haleri Jaghire of Lingaraja, valued at 200 Kanteray Pagodas per annum. Still Lingaraja remained confined to his village, as he had been for the last ten years. Viraraja utterly despised him as a stupid spiritless farmer. It was the conviction of his perfect insignificance and harmlessness that gave him security, not brotherly affection.

In the beginning of the year 1809 Mr. Cole, the Resident of Mysore received a message from Mercara, that the Rajah was insane, and that the assistance of an English physician might be granted. Dr. Ingledew was despatched without a moment's delay. He found the Rajah in a dangerous state. His madness came upon him in fits, which were succeeded by the darkest melancholy. The presence of an English gentleman was a relief to him. There was one man now near him, whom he could trust. On the other hand he was distracted by fears, lest Dr. Ingledew might learn the true state of the country, and receive information of the atrocities he had committed, especially during the last year. If he reported the truth to the Company's Government, Viraraja dreaded loss of character, deposition and ignonimy. He took all possible care to keep the Doctor in ignorance. But towards the end of February the black clouds again gathered around him; the evil spirit prevailed. His passion rose one day against four of his principal officers. He ordered them to be assassinated. The executioners went and cut them down. Next morning he sent for one of them. He was dead, it was reported. He called for another, and the third, and the fourth. His attendants trembling declared, that they had been killed according to the orbers of the Rajah. Viraraja was seized with an agony of remorse and despair. He bit his arm, that the blood gushed out, and went into his chamber, where he shut himself up, refusing to see any one, or to taste food. He was

not fit to live. He would die. His torments were increased by dreadful pains in his shoulder, which he had dislocated by a fall, sometime before the Doctor's arrival, and which had been unskilfully treated by a native quack.

The mind of the man was unhinged under circumstances such as these. Yet even now, the Coorg did not forget his cunning. The murder of the four chief officers could not ye hid from Dr. Ingledew. He would surely report to Mr. Cole, and Mr. Cole would report to the Governor General, (Mr. Coles, indeed did report on the 4th of March) and he would be disgraced for ever in the eyes of the Company. There was one way of escape. If it appeared undoubtedly, that his acts of atrocity had been committed in moments of insanity, if, on recovering his consciousness, he felt such utter despair, as to find life intolerable, the English authorities must hold him excused and feel inclined, rather to pity than to degrade him. As for his distress of mind and the stings of conscience, driving him almost to despair, he did not require to simulate. He felt as wretched as man could feel, but words would not satisfy the Company. Appearances of deepest grief might be suspected. He resolved, therefore, to make some attempt at suicide sufficient to convince Dr. Ingledew of the reality of his despair. Accordingly he cut his throat sufficiently deep, to inflict a serious wound, but not deep enough to endanger life. The Doctor was called in. He stayed the blood and bandaged the throat. On enquiring into the motives for such an act of despondency, he was informed by the Rajah, that he had no desire to live. The murder of his trusty servants, ordered in a fit of insanity and executed by slavish dependents, preyed upon his mind. He could not bear the thought of having disgraced himself for ever in the eyes of the Governor General and all his English

FRIENDLY ASSURANCES OF THE ENG. GOVRT. 155

friends. Dr. Ingledew tried to reassure him and to soothe his apprehensions, declaring, that acts committed in a state of insanity, and so much grieved for afterwards, would not be laid to his charge. But the Rajah would not be comforted. Shortly after, Doctor Ingledew was called again. The Rajah had swallowed a large dose of corrosive sublimate dissolved in water, which he had been advised to use as a lotion. He had called his eldest daughter, Devammaji, and desired her to give him the deadly draught. The poor girl did not understand what she was doing. Doctor Ingledew instantly administered an emetic, but had no hope of the Rajah's recovery, though his medicine acted freely. However, to his astonishment he was soon enabled to report to Mr. Cole, with whom he was in daily communication, that Viraraja was in a convalescent state. The scheme was completely successful. Dr. Ingledew had not the slightest suspicion of Virarajah's acting a part before him. Mr. Cole, the Resident, on Dr. Ingledew's report, hastened in person to Mercara. He found the Rajah oppressed by the darkest melancholy, full of sad forebodings of the displeasure of the Governor General, but improving in health. He assured him of his own sympathy, and begged him to confide in the continuance of the friendship and regard of the British Government. Acts committed during a state of insanity would be considered as a misfortune worthy of commiseration, not as crimes deserving of blame or punishment. He would, on his own responsibility, promise the Rajah amnesty for all that had passed. These assurances had the desired effect. Virarajah recovered. Favorable letters arrived from the Governor of Madras, congratulating him on his recovery. A despatch from the Governor General, in answer to the Rajah's letter of 1807, concurred in the wishes of the Company's faithful Ally, though

not as perfectly as Viraraja had hoped. The bequest of the large legacy of money to his favorite daughter was sanctioned, and the Resident of Mysore was directed to take charge of the treasure, to be invested in the name of Devammaji, Virarajendra's daughter, in the Company's funds at Madras. As to the succession, the reply was couched in general terms and the Rajah was desired to confer with Mr. Cole, who had private instructions to make due investigation as to the consistency with Coorg law and custom of the succession in the female line, before he gave the sanction of the British Government to the arrangement proposed by Viraraja. Another letter from the Governor General soon followed, full of kindness and regard. The Rajah was most affectionately assured of the uninterrupted friendship of the British Government and of the Governor General's undiminished regard. Whatever the Rajah might have done in moments, when his reason was clouded,—and his subsequent deep contribution pressed, that he had not been guilty of deliberate cruelties,-should be forgiven and forgotten. Whereupon Viraraja wrote his last letter to the Governor General. He offered his thanks for the sanction accorded by the Supreme Government to his testamentary disposal of his hereditary principality, "settling the succession in favor of the male child, which may hereafter be born of one of my daughters by my principal Rani, to the throne of my dominions, conformably to the mode prescribed by me in my letter to your Lordship. I consider the line of succession to be now settled under the sanction of the British Government, which circumstance has conferred honour upon me, and is beneficent to the interests of my Government. I desire to show forth the daily increasing ardor of my devotion to the service of the British Government, and that my children after me may successfully emulate the xample of their father."

VIRARAJA'S PLANS ACCOMPLISHED.

157

Under the 16th March Mr. Cole had already reported to Government, that "the Rajah had despatched to the Presidency Treasury the sum of about 1,70,000 pagodas, which was invested in the Company's funds under the name of his eldest daughter. I have had the honor to be introduced to this Princess and her sisters, whom his Highness recommended through me, in a very affecting manner to the protection of Honorable Government." In fact the Rajah under the idea of obtaining a kind of adoption by the Honorable the East India Company for his daughters, begged the Hon. Mr. Cole to embrace the four girls in the name of the Governor General. Mr. Cole was deeply moved, and returned a most cordial answer to the hapless Prince. A receipt was given to the Rajah soon after for Star-pagodas 1,86,000, to be invested in the Company's funds as the property of Devammaji, his eldest daughter.

This was the state of affairs in April 1809. Mr. Cole had returned to Mysore. Dr. Ingledew soon followed. His place was supplied by Mr. Clarke, a physician recommended by Dr. Ingledew. The Rajah had passed through the worst dangers. The confidence of the British Government had been only more firmly re-established. He believed that the Governor General had sanctioned, and thereby guaranteed the succession to Devammaji and her future son and heir. The Company had taken charge of her rich legacy, to which he had added with the sanction of the Supreme Government other three lacs of rupees in the Bombay funds. His daughter had been, as it were, adopted by the Company. All his wishes were realized. He might now set his soul at rest. Alas, no. He had buried his very life in the grave of Mahadevarani. The dead, the victims of his suspicious cruelty, troubled him. He knew himself to be hated by the living, and believed, that traitors had administered to him maddening