ANNUALI fun & externes: am Socceeding leter e feline Mr. Markham. The wro nocked in terms of inct extrem: despondener, that depen peal thought n h appretenuem from too great a gth groening him in a hurt t 217 The rea ers might the Ganges, and at no great dif the ufual or principal refidence of ly fortu- the prince; and in the antique at the pre- ftile, anfwered the double purs (which pofes of a fortrefs and palace. It led to be was accordingly, a vaft pile of irach time, regular but maffy buildings, conhis return ftructed of tone, and partly lyIt feemed ing on the banks, and partly be ex- built within the very bed of the eighbour- river. Some fmall and ordinary outworks had of late years been formed as additions to its original. ftrength; and by degrees, a clofebuilt, large, and very populous town, had grown up round it. The establishment of a small standing garrifon, and of a governor, who were appointed to the charge of this place, at all times, whether during the Rajah's prefence or abfence, feems to have been merely an object of ftate-fhew and magnificence. The refidence of the court, which had given birth to the town, may be fuppofed the caufe, that the inhabitants were peculiarly and violently attached to the perfon and interefts of the prince. Juft as Mr. Markham was fetting out with his final inftructions, intelligence was received, that large bodies of armed men had crofled the river from Ramnagur, and proceeded directly to the palace where the Rajah was in cuftody. The two companies of fepoy grenadiers who formed his guard, were ftationed in an enclofed fquare, which furrounded the apartment in which he was confined. It will appear not a little extraordinary, but fully fhews, either the contempt in which the fpirit of the people was [B] held, than was reprefented; that he had fent a letter to the governor general, ftating his diftreffes, and requesting a little longer time for one payment; but that receiving no anfwer, and finding the matter preffed, he had ufed every exertion for its speedy difcharge. He gives a number of dates oppofed to fums, to fhew that the payments for the ufe of Camac's troops, were, by him, made in due time; that the remittance of it to the army was not left to him, and if it had, that no delay fhould have happened; fo that if the money was not conveyed in time, and any loss or detriment was thereby fuftained, it could not be imputed to him, but to thofe agents to whom he was ordered to pay it. With refpect to the cavalry, he ftates, that the governor general having defired by letter to know the number he could fpare, he had, in anfwer, tranfmitted to him an exact account of the whole number in his fervice, which amounted to 1200 in all; with an account of their respective ftations, which were difperfed and remote. That he never received any answer to this letter; but that Mr. Markham having afterwards given him an order for having a thousand horse in readiness, he accordingly prepared 500 cavalry, and and 500 burkendoffes, (which we fuppofe to be fome fort of militia or irregular troops) for this purpose. That he wrote an immediate account to the governor general of the ftate and readiness of these troops, expecting a confequent order for their difpofal; that no answer was returned to this letter any more than the former; and that Mr. Markham and he repeatedly expreffed their mutual furprize, that no order with refpect to the deftination of the troops had been communicated to either. He totally denied the charge, of his having fent agents, emiffaries, or any of his people whatever to Calcutta, excepting the few whom he particularly names, and who were fent openly and formally upon public bufinefs to the governor general himself. He reprefents thefe and other charges as falfehoods invented by his enemies, merely for the accomplishment of his ruin; and while he complains of and laments the unhappy effects which they had already produced, in that change of the governor general's favour which he fo forely experienced, he congratulated himself upon his arrival in the country, as he would thereby have an opportunity upon the fpot of difproving all thofe charges. The last charge, being that laid against his administration of juftice, upon the ground of rob. beries and murders being publicly committed with impunity in his country, was, in all its parts, no lefs denied. The Rajab, in that degrading ftile, which neceffity, along with peculiar habits and modes of thinking and speaking, have established in the oriental world, concludes his letter by declaring himself the governor general's flave in all cafes whatever. This fubmiffive language produced an effect very different from what might have been expected. Through whatever medium it was feen by the governor general, this juftification or defence, extorted as as it was at the inftant, without time for deliberation or council, and against charges of the moft alarming nature, was confidered by him as an infult of the highest and moft offenfive kind. He fays it was lefs a vindication of the Rajah than a recrimination on himfelf; and holds it as an anfwer nearly couched in terms of defiance. He obferves that the Rajah, in his reply, infifted much upon the many letters which he had written to him, praying to be difpenfed from obeying the orders of government, and of his receiving no answer to them. He feems to think this might be true; but he observes, in a high tone of authority, that it was the rajah's duty to obey the pofitive and repeated orders which he had received, and not to wafte his "time with letters of excufe, to "cavil with his anfwers for eva"fions, or with his filence for de"lays."-The Rajah's pleas of want of money, or inability to perform whatever was required, were held, upon all occafions, prefent or past, as direct and absolute infult. The governor general feems to have had fome doubts, on the ground of policy and public opinion, with respect to the extent and rigour of the measures which it might be proper to purfue, for the reformation of the Rajah's conduct, and the prefervation of the company's rights and interefts. He obferves, that, to have left him in the full exercife of powers which he had notoriously abufed, and which it was to be appre. hended he would employ to the most dangerous purposes, would be totally inconfiftent with the maxims of justice and prudence. On the other hand, that, to diveft him entirely of the zemindary, though juftifiable on the grounds which he had stated, would have carried an appearance of feverity, and might have furnifhed an opportunity for conftructions, unfavourable to the credit of the company's government, and to his own reputation, from that natural influence, which, he obferves, every act of rigour exercifed upon the perfons of men in elevated stations, is apt to imprefs on the minds of thofe, who are too remote from the fcene of action to judge, by any other evidence than that of the direct facts themselves, of their motives or propriety. He accordingly adopted, as a middle courfe, which might bring the Rajah to the terms, and into that ftate of dependence which he intended, without proceeding to the abfolute extreme of severity, the measure of laying his perfon under an arreft. Mr. Markham, the refident, was commiffioned to execute this bufinefs; being inftructed to proceed early in the morning, with only his customary guard, as if it had been merely a common vifit, to the villa or palace where the Rajah then refided, which lay on the banks of the Ganges, being on the fame fide of the river with the city of Benares, and at about two miles diftance; he was there to put him under arreft; to require his immediate fubmiffion in the governor general's name; and to keep him in his custody until he received further orders. Two companies of fepoys, belonging to Major Popham's detachment, were ordered ordered to follow and support Mr. Markham in the execution of this fervice. The Rajah refigned himself with the greateft fubmiffion to the arrest, and affured the refident, that whatever the governor general's orders might be, he would implicitly obey them. He hoped, He hoped, he faid, that he would allow him a fubfiftence; but as for his zemindary, his forts, and his treafure, he was ready to lay them at his feet, and his life itself, if it was required. He lamented much, and feemed exceedingly to feel, the ignominy to which he was expofed by this public difgrace; and intreated Mr. Markham that he would return to the governorgeneral, and give him an account of the full and ready obedience which he paid to his orders; hoping that he would make allowances for his youth and inexperience, and, in confideration of his father's name, release him from his confinement, as foon as he fhould prove the fincerity of his offers, and that he was deferving of compaffion and forgivenefs. To confirm his verbal fubmiffions, he repeated them in a letter which he fent by the refident, the concluding fentences being, Whatever may be your "pleafure, do it with your own "hands. I am your flave. What "occafion can there be for a guard ?" Succeeding letters foon followed Mr. Markham. These were couched in terms of fuch extreme defpondency, that the governor general thought it neceffary to prevent his apprehenfions from operating in too great a degree, by informing him in a fhort note, that Mr. Markham would explain particulars to him in the afternoon; and defiring him to let his mind be at reft, and not to conceive any terror or apprehenfion.-The following broken paffages in the Rajah's letter will ferve in fome degree to fhew the agitation of his mind, under the mixed effect of the various paffions of fhame, grief, and difmay, which then operated upon him." It depends on you alone "to take away or not to take away the country out of my "hands. In cafe my honour is “not left me, how fhall I be "equal to the bufinefs of the fir"car? Whoever, with his hands "in a fupplicating pofture is ready with his life and pro" perty, what neceffity can there "be for him to be dealt with in "this way?" The refident had given him an early caution and charge, that he fhould order his people to behave in a quiet and orderly manner, for that any attempt towards his rescue, would be attended with inevitable deftruction to himself. Upon Mr. Markham's departure, he had left the Rajah in the cuftody of Lieutenant Stalker, who commanded his own guard, and of the Lieutenants Scott and Simes, who led the two grenadier companies of fepoys. The inftructions given to thefe officers were, that they fhould difarm every fervant of the Rajah's; that they should allow him any eight or ten of his domeftics, whom he might choofe or approve of, for the attendance of his perfon; that to guard against any deception, these perfons, fo appointed, were to be particularly fhewn to the fepoy guard; |