arrived this morning; the day before he left Sattimungalum, a merchant came to that place from Mangalore, and related that Curreem Sahib was in arrest, and that Mahomed Ali had poisoned himself: the disgrace of the latter is said to have arisen from his having taken under his protection the killedar who surrendered Mangalore to General Matthews, and who was doomed to punishment by Tippoo. Mr. Swartz will detail this event, and some other anecdotes to your Lordship."

Two days after his return to Tanjore he wrote to Mr. Sullivan as follows:

"I have thought on the letter to Lord Macartney," (doubtless containing the official report of his late journey,) "the whole day, but one thing or other interposed. However, to-morrow I hope to send it to you open, for your perusal."

He then refers to the request of Mr. Sullivan to exert his influence with the natives, as on a former occasion.

"As to the inhabitants and their assisting us to bring in grain, I will cheerfully do what I can. What success I shall have, I cannot say; for I fear that the people being oppressed by Baba,' have, in great measure, left the country, because

1 The rajah's sirkeel, or prime minister. The wretched state of Tanjore at this period will be morè fully noticed hereafter.

VOL. II.

C

CHAP.
XIII.

1784.

XIII.

CHAP they see themselves deprived of almost all the benefit of the crop.

1784.

"Your cowle and that of the rajah will be necessary, though the sincerity of the latter will be much doubted.

"Alas! that the rajah should so far forget his own interest, by abandoning the inhabitants to the enormous exactions of his manager. One need not be superstitious to call that oppression a bad omen."

The anxiety of Lord Macartney that Swartz should be present at the negotiations at Mangalore, induced him to direct an application to be made to Tippoo Sultan, to grant him a pass, who in reply expressed himself in the following words:

Agreeably to your desire, I have sent orders to the amildars of Sattimungalum to permit the Rev. Mr. Swartz to go to you through their districts."

The select committee at Fort St. George, in communicating this letter to the resident at Tanjore, observe, "We entertain a hope that this second attempt to join the commissioners may be attended with better success, more particularly if Mr. Swartz were to take the route of Tellicherry; we are thus earnest on this point, as

1 A written agreement or engagement.

we are of opinion that great advantage may result to the negotiations from Mr. Swartz's assistance, his knowledge of the language, and his distinguished integrity."

The following letter to his friends at Vellore explains his reasons for declining a second attempt to reach the commissioners, and gives some account both of his recent journey, and of his own feelings during this trying period.

"Hitherto a gracious God has preserved, guided, and comforted us. This is, and ought to be, our first consideration in the midst of all the calamities which we have experienced. How many dangers have we escaped-how many of our fellow creatures fell on our right hand and

our left; but God has hid us under the pavilion of his kind providence! The 103rd Psalm should be precious to us; for it expresses and magnifies all the divine benefits which God has so richly bestowed upon us. But not only in words ought we to express our gratitude, but in and by our lives. Surely God deserves to be obeyed by us, particularly as we only reap the benefit of it.

"I heartily wished to see you, and I entertained a lively hope, that in my return from

CHAP.

XIII.

1784.

XIII.

CHAP. the Mysore country I should meet you. But God has been pleased to lead me by another road."

1784.

Here he mentions his late expedition, his detention by Tippoo's officers, and his return to Darapuram. He then continues:

1

"To this day I do not know the reason why I was not permitted to proceed. One said it was because Tippoo would not treat till Mangalore was in his possession. Some entertained other conjectures. I thank God for his mercy and providence over me. I should have been very glad if I could have been an instrument in that great work of peace-making. But who knows but there might have been temptations too great for me? In short, whatever God does is right, and the best for us. After my return, the governor desired that I would take a second trip by the way of Tellicherry; but having a severe scorbutic eruption on my legs, I found myself unable to go

I therefore declined it. Even now I am not free from that complaint. But if I had made another attempt, I could not have forced my way to Tippoo. If he refused to admit me, what could I do? Two refusals I met with. I wrote first from Tanjore, and the second time from Sattimungalum. To

1 Colonel Wilks supposes that it was in conformity to the system of universal insult which Tippoo deemed requisite to his

XIII.

1784.

spend my time in roving about the country to CHAP. little or no purpose was disagreeable. If government had sent me with the commissioners, I should have attended them. I entreat God to bless them with wisdom, resolution and integrity, to settle the business to the welfare of this poor country. But alas! we ourselves are so dividedone pulls one way, the other quite a different one. When one considers all, high and low, rich and poor, rulers and those that are ruled, one is struck with grief, and a variety of passions. What blindness, insensibility, and obstinacy, greediness, and rapaciousness!-a thousand times I think with myself, Good God, must all these people diemust they all give a strict account of their lives -must they all appear before the tribunal of Jesus, the mediator and judge? How little do they mind their end, and the consequences of their lives!'

"But, however, in spite of all these horrid confusions, which are so prevalent upon earth, God has some likewise, who serve him faithfully though imperfectly. This morning we read the fourteenth chapter of the Revelation; wherein Jesus is represented as the lamb sacrificed for us, and our redemption, and with him 144,000, who had the name of God written on their foreheads. O that we may openly and sincerely confess the name of our God on all occasions! They were singing a