Thus have I given your Honours a short recital, from the first landing of your arms on the 12th of December, to the reduction of Mangalore on the 9th of March; in which short time a series of success has attended us that can hardly be paralleled. All the enemy’s marine has fallen in our hands, among which are eight ships of the line, either built or on the stocks; and five of them might be sent to sea in a short time. After informing you of the happy and glorious success of your arms, it is painful for me to tell you, that dissention in the army, on account of plunder and booty, has arisen to such a height as to threaten open mutiny. I have informed your Honours of the terms that the Jemadar required, and that I in your name granted; and you know in how peaceable a manner this capital was resigned to you. I am sorry to say, that His Majesty’s Officers have been foremost in the clamours; and that the agents appointed by them have occasioned me much trouble and anxiety, and a great deal of discontent throughout the army. I shall send you copies of the several letters that have passed, for your determination. They may suppose that I have appropriated treasure to my own use, or bargained to restore the private property of the Jemadar to him; or that I should agree that he should call all treasure and jewels his private property, to the exclusion of what of right should belong to the Honourable Company or the captors. I have only to assure your Honours, that I have made no bargain whatever, either public or private, but what was expressed in the cowl sent from Hyderghur, to which Captain Campbell was witness; and as I have frequently mentioned to my friends, that I would not receive a present of consequence without the consent of the Honourable Company, I shall inform you, that on say first visit the Jemadar insisted on making me a present of a lack of rupees; and when he pleased to give a donation to the army of two lacks and thirty thousand of rupees, which sum waits your pleasure, he requested I would accept of another lack of rupees. To both of these requests respecting myself, I replied, that provided your Honours would give me leave, I should certainly embrace that fortunate moment to gain an independence, and shall wait your orders as to the disposal of two lacks of rupees. How far my former and the present services may entitle me to your good opinion, and to your acquiescence in thus rewarding me, is left to the generality of your Honours; but I beg that you will believe, that, during the course of my services, every thing of a similar nature shall be laid before you.
If it were possible to satisfy the avidity of a body of men, this little army would have a sufficiency of honour and profit to fill the most greedy; but the infirmities of nature are not to be controuled by reason. Avarice of the most pernicious tendency has pervaded the limits of sense, and stepped beyond the bounds of duty. The army, not content with acquiring, at the different places that has been taken on the coast in ships of war, naval stores, merchandize, &c. &c. and in goods of various kinds at Bidanore, which altogether the Jemadar says may be valued at thirty lacks of pagodas; they seek to deprive the Jemadar of his private property, under pretence of the lawful rights of war; and assume a style and manner in their clamours and united addresses, that appears intended to force from me what I think ought to be preserved for the public service, and for the benefit of the Honourable Company. The manner that the fort and city was delivered to the Company, does not authorize me to touch private property; and the cowl implies a perfect security for all such. Would your Honours be pleased, that by any rapacious action of your Commander in Chief, that he or the troops should forfeit the good opinion that may be entertained of them from their rapid success, or that the public service should be considered as a secondary object? Our name has fallen almost to contempt; but, as far as lays in my power, it shall be recovered, if not raised to its former eminence.
Mangalore, March 16, 1783.
FINIS.
Transcriber’s Note
The printer utilized two and frequently three hyphens for long dashes. Those with two hyphens are replaced with a single em-dash, and those with three will a doubled em-dash.
The text is in three parts and an appendix. The pagination of each section begins with ‘1’. References to the text here include the leading part number, as well as the page and line.
The following have been retained as appropriate for the era: caracature, p. 1.9, harrassed, p. 1.15; imbecillity, p. 1.28; fidlers, p. 1.29; primmer, p. 1.143; achme, p. 154; ecclairecissement, p. 1.162; syren, p. 163; carcases, p. 1.166; attrocious, p. 166; ancle, p. 168; tyrrany, p. 173; choaked, p 2.57, p. 3.19, p. 3.81; Haram, p. 2.57; developes, p. 2.72; bikering, p. 2.75; monkies, p. 2.106, 2.107; merchandize, p. 2.110, 2.111; exhilerating, p. 3.20; artizans, p. 3.92; finikin, p. 3.95; choreltry, p. 3.109; ecstacy, p. 3.125, negociation p. 3.151.