fary, and others may attribute to a difpofition to detract from his merit; his honour and private virtue have never been doubted; those who have feen him in difficulty, in victory, and at periods which appealed to his heart, may felect the very many moments of his life to evidence his elevated mind when Tippoo's hoftage fons experienced by Lord Cornwallis's reception that the exultation of victory and conqueft had not ftifled the feelings of a father, the eyes and hearts of India paid tribute to the excellence of British character, and revered him an obligation is not conferred on Lord Cornwallis by flattery, but by pointing out the means to render his objects practicable. The circumftances connected with the Carnatic evidence the neceffity not only of humane intention, but of mature reflection and inveftigation, fixed rule, and steady control, to digeft the plan, on principles and by forms, if poffible, equally applicable to every part of British India. Captain Beatfon informs us*, that the * Mr. Dalrymple's Memoir on Watering the Circars, p. 12, 1793. Company's Fageer owes its fertility to 1,480 Tanks, or refervoirs of water, fome of confiderable extent. Mr. Dalrymple, who had been one of the Committee of Circuit appointed by the Directors, informed us, that the Tanks were in a worfe ftate in 1776 than in 1764, though the annual taxes collected for their repair was very confiderable; the renters, it is faid, have usually appropriated to themfelves the share of the produce collected for this purpose, and the temporary and partial repairs the Tanks have received were ineffectual, and generally done at the extraordinary expence of the inhabitants. Dr. Anderfon's letter, and the meritorious intentions of the Governor General, and of the Governor of Madras, are more likely to be directed to their object, from the comment of Mr. Dalrymple, printed last month +, than from the zealous and well-intentioned exertions of gentlemen in Short Account of the Gentoo Mode of collecting Revenue, London, 1783, p. 11. + Memoir on Watering the Circars, June, 1793. hydraulic improvements, who were without fuch inftruments as a level: his interesting obfervations fuggeft, that previous investigation is neceffary to decide on the propriety and utility of turning the course of the Kiftna. The levels of the whole adjacent country, and the nature of the foil, can alone decide whether the new course of this vaft body of water would take the proper direction, and whether the fuperabundance of water may not deftroy the dry grain, without even promoting the culture of rice; but above all, whether it would not ruin the country to the weftward of Mafulipatam, and whether the Goadaveri may not better fuit the purpose than the Kiftna. We must admit the neceffity and importance of these works, when we read Dr. Anderfon's letter; but in the peninfula of India, we must also remember, that the profperity of the country depends much on its rivers. To the Nabob of Arcot and the Rajah of Tanjore a mound has been the frequent fource of ferious contest *. The Coleroon, properly * Memoir on Watering the Circars, p. 12. speaking, is only the waste of the Cavery, the water of which, being raised by a dam, or mound, run out from the weft end of the island Syringham, is forced in various channels through the Tanjore country; but to prevent any inundation, the Annacatt at the east end of the island of Syringham is raised to such a height, that whenever the water in the Cavery is fufficiently high for the purposes of cultivation in the Tanjore country, the fuperfluous water flows over the Annacatt into the Coleroon, and then runs wafte to the fea. This fufficiently explains the nature and objects of the works neceffary to avert famine, and also demonftrates that it must be the work of the Government; confequently, that, exclufive of military confiderations, economical purposes require unity of plan, and equitable diftribution of the waters, so far as they can diffufe profperity over the lands between the Ghauts and the fea. Dr. Roxburgh, at Samul Cotab, on 21ft January, 1793, informs Mr. Rofs at Madras, that it is too far advanced in the * Memoir on Watering the Circars, p. 20. feafon to begin any grand work, such as a dam across the Kiftna, but the fooner Tanks on a small fcale are begun, the fooner will the remaining part of the poor be enabled to live. The Rice given away in charity, and under that name, since the famine began, would have conftructed feveral large Tanks, and done infinitely more good; for then the poor would have found work and food at or near their houses, whereas, as it was, they were obliged to leave the inland parts, and try to crawl to the few places on the Coaft where rice was to be had, and very few ever returned." And he concludes with another obfervation; "fhould the fucceeding feasons be as favourable for the crops as there is a right to expect, what is to be done with the overplus produce? for there are not inhabitants left fufficient to eat half a good crop : it cannot be exported on account of the exorbitant inland duties, for only between the bills and the fea near this, they come to about 30 per cent. on grain," although the distance is only twenty miles. Mr. Dalrymple ftates, that abundance of teek wood might come down the Goadaveri if the in |