veffel was captured by them, they repaired to Malta and fold the crew: when a fimilar misfortune happened to a Chriftian, the Turks became the purchasers and it was no uncommon matter for a Mahometan to bargain with a Mainotte to feize and carry into flavery fome particular Chriftian whofe fortune or fitua tion might excite his envy-fo little fcrupulous were they in this refpect, that the wife or child of their neighbour was equally obnoxious to their arts. So much terror and dread did this unnatural traffic occafion amongst themselves, that when any of their famous corfairs were preparing for fea, the handfome women and children were carefully fecured, left they fhould be ftolen and fold into other countries. On this fubject a pleafant ftory is related of two famous corfairs of the year 1669: Theodora and Anapliottis, friends and neighbours, connected by fimilarity of profeffion and difpofion, were married to handfome women. It happened, in the divifion of a Venetian prize, that a quarrel enfued between these venders of their fellow creatures-each in his turn vowed revenge. Theodora fucceeded in feizing on the wife of Anapliottis, and carried her for fale on board a Maltese cruiser, then at anchor in the road of Maina. The commander of the Maltese refufed to give the price demanded; urged his having on the fame day purchased a more beautiful woman for a lefs fum: and, to convince him of the truth, he ordered her to be produced. Theodora was aftonished to behold his wife, who in like manner had been carried away by the fatagem of Anapliottis. The mind of Theodora was enraged, and the idea of extricating his own was,

for the moment, loft in the favage gratification and revenge of difpofing of the wife of the other, at the inferior price offered by the purchaser. The bargain being finifhed, and both wives in the poffeffion of the Maltefe, Theodora repaired to the houfe of Anapliottis the meeting was of a different nature from what might be expected: he found Anapliottis bufily employed in fitting out a veffel to attack the Maltese, and regain the fair captive. In place of anger and reproach, they prudently agreed to join their forces, and to recover their wives by any means that might beft fuit their purpofe; but the purchafer was too judicious to oppofe, and quietly gave up what with fafety to himfelf he could not retain. The hufbands returned in triumph to their respective houses; all parties were reconciled; and mutual forgivnefs closed this extraordinary tranfaction.

to two diforders, the frequent return of which obliges him to take medicine daily.

He is from five feet eight to nine inches high; is now rather inclined to fat, although, a few years fince, he was very thin: his face is round, with large full eyes; and there is much animation and fire in his countenance: he wears whifkers, but no beard: he is very active, and fometimes takes long walks.

He has eleven children, of whom only two are in marriage; the elder, a girl of feven years; the younger, a boy of four years.

The eldest of his natural children, is a girl of feventeen years; the fecond, a fon of fifteen years-He is a great favourite, and accompanies his father upon all occafionshis name is Gullaum Heyder. Another fon, Abdul Khalick, is ten years old.

His difpofition is naturally cruel: his temper is paffionate and revengeful; and he is prone to be abufive; and his words are falfe and hypocritical, as fuit his purposes.

His policy, thus far differing widely from his father, has been ruinous to his revenues, as well as hurtful to his government. He profefles himself Naib to one of the twelve prophets, who, the Mahommedans believe, are yet to come; and he perfecutes all other cafts; forcing numbers to become Mufful, men. He is jealous of, and prejudiced againft, his father's favourites; most of whom he has removed from their offices, giving to fome lefler appointments. When compared to his father, his understanding and judgement are fuppofed to be inferior: he is efteemed as good a foldier, but a lefs (kilful general; and he is wanting in that great re

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fource, which his father fo eminently difplayed in all cafes of danger. His father difcriminated merit, rewarded it liberally, and punifhed guilt with the utmost rigour of a defpot: he gives little encouragement or reward; and he punishes more from the influence of paffion and prejudice than from any attention to juftice. His father was affiduous in gaining the attachment of his army he is rather negligent of it; and being very parfimonious, he is led to impose upon his troops, whenever opportunities offer: he fometimes retains their pay for feveral months, and has his own focars to lend his money at an enormous intereft, which is stopped when the pay is iffued.

On Tippoo's return to Seringapatam, after the conclufion of the war with the English, he took an inventory of his property of every kind, which, in treafure and various other articles,

on valuation, ftood at twenty crores of pagodas: in the treafury, Bahaudry pagodas (four rupees each), five crores: the remaining fifteen crores were in jewels, valuable clothes, &c. &c.; and

Seringapatam. Formerly fome part of it was kept in Biddinore, and it is faid, that at the time of general Matthew's taking it, there was a treasure of twenty-five lacks of pa godas, befides four crores of pagodas value, in gold, filver, &c.

The full collections amounted to five crores and ninety-two lacks of Cunterary pagodas (of three rupees each); the expenfe of febundy, &c. one and a half crore; deficiences in the collections, from various caufes, which lay over, fixty lacks; for building and repairing forts, making docks, and building fhips, one crore and eighty-two lacks; paid into the treafury, two crores. Total, five crores and ninety-two lacks.

Since Tippoo affumed the government, the revenues have diminished greatly, in confequence of his having adopted a different policy from his father. He removed from the hamauldaries, all the Brahmans, and others of the Hindû caft, who were well verfed in country bufinefs, and put Muffulmen in their places. He forbade the fale of arrack and gunja throughout his dominions, which had produced a very confiderable revenue to the circar. He removed, from the Biddinore and Soanda countries, about 70,000 Chriftian inhabitants, who were the cultivators of the ground, by which the revenues of thefe countries fuftained a great lofs. The Biddinore country alone yielded to Hyder a net revenue of eighteen hacks of pagodas: it has fince fallen to ten lacks. From these and other caufes, arifing from bad management, Tippoo's revenues have been greatly diminifhed; infomuch that his net revenue did not exceed, after the foregoing deductions, the first year, one and a half crore, instead

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of two, as in his father's time; and every fucceeding year only one crore.、 He has not thrown any money into the ftanding treafury fince his government, and he has drawn from it fifty lacks of pagodas.

Since the conclufion of the late war, he has thrown into Seringapatam, provifions for 100,000 men, for twelve months; and into his other forts, provifions in proportion to their firength and importance: and as a precaution to prevent treachery, he has appointed, to fome of his principal forts, fix killedars; to others, three; to others, two; fuch as are not inte ded for defence have only one. Although all thefe are commonly called killedars, yet, properly speaking, there is but one killedar; the others go under the denomination of munfhoor (or counfellors). The firft is buckflay, or commander of the fepoys; the fe cond, buckfhy of the peons; the third, buckfhy of the commatties and artificers; the fourth darogah, in charge of the works; the fifth, darogah, for fuperintending the making of bricks and chunam.When Tippoo writes, he addresses the killedar and munfhuraun; when they write to him, it is, in like manner, from the killedar and munfhuraun: they have all their respective orders from the circar; and each is at liberty to detect the other, if any thing is done contrary to order.

The Efiablishment of his Forces.

He rifes fometimes at 7 o'clock, but more commonly at eight or nine in the morning; on halting days, washes and takes medicines; the barber then begins to fhave him, during which the head aukbar neoife, or news-writer, comes in with the letters that have arrived by the tappauls, and relates the news of the different countries, as he has received it. The officer commanding his guard then comes in, and makes his report; after which the adjutants of corps come, and make a report of their respective corps. About twelve o'clock he goes to dinner, which is over in about an bour: he then holds his durbar, and tranfacts all bufinefs, civil and military, until five o'clock: he then gives out the parole, which he takes from the planets, or figus of the zodiac, writing it himfelt in a book, which is depofited with his own guard, where the adjutantgeneral (for each cutcherry has an adjutant-general) comes and takes it; after which he lays down and Leeps about an hour, rifes, and makes his fecond meal: the mounchies, or fecretaries, are then called in; they read the letters that have been received during the day, and he gives his orders for antwering them all this done, and the letters prepared for difpatch, about

gage in the centre: he encamps in a fquare; his infantry and guns occupying the four faces-the cavalry, within the fquare; each face has an open ftreet in its centre, with a buzzar. A koufhoun forms the picquet of the front face, and is advanced from twelve to fifteen hundred paces; a riffalla is advanced from it, about five hundred paces; and on the march all thefe picquets from the advance and rear guards, and flanking guards to the columns. The infantry are difencumbered of their baggage on the march, bullocks being allowed by the circar for carrying it.

The army marches, in common, about four cofs Sultany*; in expedition, the whole army marches abount fix or feven cofs Sultany; but a body of horfe only, in order to make a puth, have gone, in little more than a day and a night, a very confiderable diftance. During