Refiftance continued to be made, from the palace of Tippoo, for fome time after all firing had ceafed from the works. Two of his fons were there, who, however, on the affirance of fafety, furrendered to the troops furrounding them; and guards were placed, for the protection of the family, moft of whom were in the palace.

It was foon after reported, that Tippoo Sultaun had fallen. Several other chiefs were alfo flain. Meafures were immediately adopted, to ftop the confufion, at firft unavoidable, in a crowded city taken by affault. The princes were removed to camp. Immediately, fearch was made for the fultaun's body, which, after much difficulty, was found, late in the evening, at one of the gates, under a heap of flain, and foon after placed in the palace. The corpfe was, the next day, recognized by his family, and interred, with all the honours due to his rank, in the maufoleum of his father.

Thus, after a fhort, but brilliant career, fell the houfe, or dynally, of Hyder. It was noble, in proportion to the lownefs of its origin (for Hyder Naig was at firft only a private in the Mysorean fervice), fplendid in its progrefs, and not inglorious in its fall. It is emi

nently diftinguifhed from all the families, or dynafties, that have ever appeared, in fuch quick fuc ceffion, in Hindeftan, by a more extenfive adoption, cultivation, and application, of European arts and arms, than had been known before in the dominions of any native power in Asia.

Those who are fond of parallels between illuftrious characters, may find many points of refemblance between Tippoo, the fon of Hyder, and Hannibal, the fon of Hamilear; both, at once fubtle and falfe, yet brave; both, studious of the knowledge of their times; both trained up by their fathers in hoftility to the first power of the age; both exciting the vengeance of all nations against that power; and, in this career, taking a wider range than that which ufually bounded the views of even ambitious and conquering princes: Hannibal, extending his intrigues from the Pillars of Hercules to the Red Sea; Tippoo Saib, from the nations to the east of Caucafas, not only to Constantinople, and other feats of power on the Mediterranean, but even to Paris. It would seem that indigna tion and refentment, against overbearing power and ambition, is, in the loftieft minds, the livelieft paffion. It was, probably, by fuch feelings, more than a calm confideration of the general welfare of the United Provinces, and of Europe, that the great king William III. was animated to fuch invincible and heroic oppofition to the ambition of Louis XIV. of France. It is unneceflary to obferve, that, notwithstanding all these refemblances, there was no comparison between the abilities of Tippoo, who was guided more by paffion than found judgement,

judgement, and the renowned Carthaginian.

On the reduction of Seringapatam, and the excifion of Tippoo, lord Mornington refolved to make fuch arrangements as might eftablish the British influence and authority in the fubdued country.— Commiffioners, appointed on the part of the company, and alfo in behalf of the nizam, on the twentyfourth of June, promulgated a fcheme of partition and fettlement. The capital, with its fortrefs, and the island in which it is fituated, with fome extenfive districts, including Mangalore, and a very confiderable extent of fea-coaft, were allotted to the English. A confiderable portion was affigned to the nizam. And a feparate territory was fubjected to the way of the Mihiffour Maha - Rajah. Kifhennai Wuddiar, a defcendant of the ancient rajahs of Myfore, whofe throne had been feized by HyderAli. The elevation of this prince, to the mufnud, took place in due form on the thirtieth of June, a day which the fuperftition of the brachmans had felected as the moft aufpicious for that purpofe. The fons of Tippoo were taken into the protection, that is, the cuftody, as well as care of the English.

But the hoftile defigns and movements of Zemaun Shah, against our fettlements in India, would not have been discontinued, in confequence of the fall of Tippoo Sultaun, if they had not been repreffed by formidable military preparations, which he did not choose to encounter. In 1796, he had advanced, with a large army, againft our fettlements, as far as Lahore, when he was called back, by a rebellion, headed by his brother, who, in the

abfence of Zemaun, grasped at the reins of government.

The fatisfaction which a native of Britain derives from a review of this profperous ftate of our affairs in India, hoftile combinations and defigns confounded, territory extended, and revenue increafed, is not, in the liberal and ingenuous mind, altogether unmixed with a painful recollection of the blood they coft, though that of an enemy, and of a princely family overthrown and reduced to a ftate of dependence on their enemies. Confiderations of political expediencey do not in every breast, and at all times, fuperfede moral fentiment. But if thofe confiderations alone were of weight, ftill the refentment, jealoufy, and new hoftile combinations, which are fo frequently excited by conquefts, might, perhaps, be deemed worthy of calculation. As a pleafing contraft to advantages gained by force, we shall conclude our chapter, on British India, for 1799, by an account, of profperity arifing from a plan conceived in a fpirit of moderation, juftice, patriotifm, and, indeed, univerfal philanthropy.

The prince of Wales's ifland, in the entrance of the firaits of Malacca, is happily fituated for the facilitation and convenience of trade with China, and other places to the eastward of China. It is of no inconfiderable extent, being thirty miles in length, and, on an average, about ten or twelve in breadth. The climate is mild and falubrious; and both climate and foil fitted not only for the production of provifions, but also of pepper, nutmegs, and other fpices. It is within ten days failing of Madras: to which place, from Ceylon, a

veffel cannot work up, against the north-eaft monfoon, in lefs than fix or feven weeks.

The prince of Wales's ifland was acquired, by the government of Bengal, as Pennfylvania was by William Penn,* in regular and voJuntary ceflion from the king of Cudda, in 1785. The importance of this place, in our poffeffion, has been illuftrated, by the protection which it has afforded to the trade carried on by the merchants in all our different prefidencies in India. From the commencement of the prefent war, few fhips to China, from Bombay, Madras, or Bengal, but have touched at Prince of Wales's ifland, for intelligence; and feveral have been chaced in by French privateers, into whofe hands they muft inevitably have fallen, if they had not been fo near a British port. Malacca affords no protection whatever to trade, as all the merchant-hips lie nearly two miles off from the garrifon, and are, confequently, expofed to be cut away from their anchors by the enemy's cruizers. On this account, prince of Wales's ifland has, fince the commencement of the war, been the rendezvous for all the Bombay, Madras, and Bengal fhips trading to China and the eastern iflands, and alfo for the company's fhips going from thofe iflands to China. It is, unquestionably, the beft harbour in India, for velfels of every kind, being, at all feafons of the year, fafe, and eafy of accefs. Since this port was first established,

a veffel has never yet been known to drive or drag her anchors. Here, alfo, the whole navy of England could be fupplied with mafts and fpars of all fizes. Admiral Rainier, about two years ago, put three lower mafts, of the wood of this ifland, in the Suffolk, the only feventy-four, it is prefumed, in the British navy, that has lower mafts of a fingle fpar; and they have stood fo well, for four monfoons, that all the men of war, in those quarters, come here to take them in. The inland is alfo fo favourably fituated for a naval port, that a fhip difabled in action, on any part of the coaft, during the fouth - weft monfoon, can run here with a fair wind, where he can eafily be refitted; and ftill the fame wind will enable her to cross the bay, and join the fleet or fquadron, if stationed on any part of the coaft to the north of Ceylon. And for winter-quarters, during the northeaft monfoon, when the fleet cannot longer remain on the coaft, this place holds out many advantages, which give it a decided preference above all others; the climate being extremely favourable to the fick, and the price of all kinds of provifions extremely reasonable. Here the principal part of what is underftood by the Malay trade, now centres. Since the fettlement formed on this ifland, the price of opium has rifen, in Bengal, from two hundred and fifty rupees, per cheft, to feven hundred and eight hundred ; and at the fales in November, 1799,

it fold as high as eight hundred and fixty rupees per cheft. This is accounted for by the advanced prices which merchants can afford to give at this mart. The Malay traders, who were formerly fupplied with opium from Bencoolen, Batavia, and a few hips fitted out from Bengal, come now to this place in their own veffels, which they navigate with fpeed and fafety. At Prince of Wales's ifland, they not only buy their opium and piecegoods at a lower price, but find a ready market for all the different articles of traffic manufactured, or produced by the earth, in their

own countries.

The pepper-plantations on this ifland, in the year 1799, produced nine thousand picoles. And there are now twenty thousand nutmeg

trees on the ifland, belonging to the company, and to individuals, though by far the greater number to the latter. The plants look as healthy, and are as ftrong, as any at either Amboyna or Banda. From its pofition, and other natural advantages, it promifes, in time, to be one of the chief emporiums of India, and to compenfate to Great Britain for any ceffions that may be made, in that country, for the invaluable bleffing of peace, to France or Holland. On the whole, the fettlement on Prince of Wales's ifland is a ftriking and pleafing proof, how much the profperity of a maritime and commercial nation, by other means than thofe of war, may be happily improved and extended.