the enemy out of the country, defeated them in three different engagements, in one of which Hyder's brother-in law, who was Viceroy of the kingdom, was killed. He took the city of Calicut, and every other place of ftrength in the kingdom: he made a treaty, and procured a new ally in the King of Trancavore, who reinforced him with twelve hundred men. This King was the moft powerful prince in the Peninfula of India next to Hyder Ali.-By this means he got poffeffion of a large and fertile track of country, which fupplied his army with every thing that was wanted; and as the civil government on the coaft did not even favour him with orders, he was left entirely at difcretion; but conducted himself with the wisdom and moderation that might be expected from a mind enlightened and humanized by cultivation, and naturally poffeffed of the moft amiable virtues. The enemy having been off their guard, not expecting that an handful of men would thus poffefs themselves of the whole kingdom of Calicut, left one of the most important pofts in their whole territories expofed. This was the ftrong fort Paliacatcherry, which commands the pass thro' the Gaute Mountains. The poffeffion of this poft would have laid Hyder's richeft provinces open to our incurfions, while it would always give us a fafe retreat in case of superior numbers, and fecure the newly acquired kingdom of Calicut from the depredations of the enemy. The Colonel, perceiving the great importance of this poft, and making up in enterprife of mind what he wanted in force, determined to attempt the fiege of it, though really above his force. But by this time the enemy had taken the alarm, feeing the very heart of their dominions threatened: and the danger of this important pass drew Tippoo Saheb, Hyder's eldeft He fon and beft general, upon us. drew together, and put in motion, with the greateft expedition, the flower of his father's army, with the celebrated Monf. Lally ; his force confifting of upwards of 30,000 men, near 14,000 of which were cavalry, with 24 pieces of artillery. These troops had already acquired great reputation by the defeat of colonel Baily, by the capture of colonel Brathwait and all his army, and by feveral fmaller exploits. It was now that our leader had occafion for all the refources of his mind; and it has been in retreats that the greatest exhibitions of generalfhip have been fhown both in ancient and modern times. He had exact intelligence of the enemy's motions, and endea voured to regain the coaft, where, at Paniane, he had a ftrong poft and his magazines. Tippoo marched with the most incredible celerity, and with a certainty of overpowering the fmall handful of British troops; and he came up with them when they were yet thirty-fix miles from their poft, and had three large rivers to crofs. Our little army was now furrounded with multitudes of cavalry on every fide; and whichever way they turned their eyes, they faw their numerous enemies covering the country. They marched through this hoft with an inconfiderable lofs of men, without any lofs of artillery or baggage; and having left them behind by a rapid march, regained the fort of Paniane. This the enemy attempted to force, but were repulled with the lofs of a thoufand men ; and Tippoo was foon after called away by the death of his father to a conteft of greater importance. Though this campaign did not terminate in any permanent acquifition, yet it proved extremely ufeful, by giving refpect to the British arms, and caufing a diverfion from the other coaft, where the enemy were Life of Colonel Humbertone. were ravaging our rich provinces in the Carnatic, hitherto the principal feat of the war. Colonel Humberftone was the firft who carried the war into the enemy's country; and by dividing their force, gave fuch a turn to affairs as produced the peace that was concluded in the end of the following year. It is also justly confidered as a fine fpecimen of the moft promising military genius; and had it been on a larger fcale, could not have failed to immortalize the enterprife, courage, and skill of this young leader, who was at this time only eight and twenty. It ought alfo to be remarked, that in confequence of unbecoming jealoufies between the King's and Company's fervice, and between the civil and military departments, these transactions were never duly and fairly communicated to the public; a circumstance to be regretted, not only as it tended to rob a deferving individual of his honeft and well-earned fame, but as the general tendency of fuppreffing fuch facts must be to damp the ardour of thofe generous minds who court di ftinctions in encountering danger and hardship, and who hold a good name to be the best recompence of their deferts. Soon after this, that is, in the end of the year 1782, Colonel Humberftone and his detachment were called to ferve under a fuperior officer, General Matthews. During the operations of this campaign, that General gave fuch convincing proofs of mifconduct, of rapacity, and injuftice, that Colonel Macdonald and Colonel Humberstone carried complaints to the Council at Bombay, and backed them with fuch convineing evidence, that he was fuperfeded in his command. 323. It was in returning from thi piece of duty, that this gallant young officer loft his life, by one of thofe deplorable and unforeseen fatalities against which human wisdom is never provided. He went from Bombay to the fouthern part of the coaft by sea, for the greater expedition, and the fmall veffel which carried him fell in with a fquadron of large fhips of war belonging to the Mahrattas. We had been at war with that barbarous people, but peace had been concluded; a circumftance known to our people, though not to the enemy, Refiftance, however, was made with, perhaps, unwarrantable temerity. The small vessel was overpowered after a fharp engagement, in which the greater number on board were killed or wounded. Among the lat later was Colonel Humberstone, who died of his wounds foon after at Geriah, a fea-port belonging to the Mahrattas. Too much cannot be faid in regret of a perfon who promised to be the ornament of his family and country, and a moft useful member of the ftate; and no panegyric is neceffary but the tranfactions in which he had been engaged. These may be confidered as an earnest of greater future exploits, to which his afpiring and enterprifing genius would naturally have carried him, when in a fituation to which his high rank would have intitled him in more mature life. If we were to look for a character in this war parallel to that of General Wolfe in the former war, I question if we could find any thing more resembling it than that of Colonel Humberstone. New Ann. Regifter. VARI Standing Stanes of Lundy, Sc. ARIOUS have been the conjectures as to the origin of the erection of the three ftones in the annexed plate; they are commonly known by the name of the Standing Stanes of Lundy, a feat belonging to a very old family of the name of Lundin, now to Sir William Erskine, near Largo in Fife. Tradition tells us, they were placed there in memory of that victory gained by Conftantine 11. over Hubba, one of the generals of the Danish invaders, about the year 874. It is certain that battle was fought near this fpot; but whether these were in memory of the action or not, I cannot determine: It is more than probable they were of a much older date. I have been found fault with for looking farther back than I fhould upon a former occafion, and by a perfon who never examined the fubject which I endeavoured to give an account of. I fhall not here controvert his arguments; I do not fit down for that purpose: My aim is to amufe myself at a leifure hour, and add my mite to an useful and entertaining publication. But I wander from my fubject. Very foon after the conflict abovementioned, Conftantine, flushed with fuccefs, purfued the flying Dane, who retired to a camp rudely fortified, near Crail in the caft corner of Fife; then fure of victory, he attacked the army commanded by Humber, now joined by thofe of Hubba's forces, who had efcaped the laughter, near Leven. The Danes, rendered defperate by their fituation, hemmed in on every fice, fought with the utmoft fierce nefs; and whether by the treachery of Conftantine's army, who fled presipitately, or by their own fuperior fkill, the Scots were totally routed, and their king difgracefully put to death in a cave near the place of action, flill known by his name. Had he here alfo gained the advantage, I fhould have the readier come into the ftory of these ftones being erected by him; but when I confider the unfettled ftate of his army after a defeat, which was more the effect of furprife than any thing else, and the Danish army under Humber lying near them, I can hardly be perfuaded that they fhould rear fuch amazing ftones, which must have employed a great number of their men, and taken up a confiderable time; befides, they were to be brought from the fea-fhore, along which the enemy were pofted under Humber beforementioned, at the time of the battle and for fome days afterwards, and who, on account of the water of Leven being much fwelled with rain, could not join with Hubba. For thefe reafons I muff, and notwithftanding all that may be faid against me by the critics, will look back to a diftant period, when fimilar ftructures were raised to ferve a religious purpofe. It is well known the Druids inhabited many different places on the eaft coaft; their remains of circular monuments, are numerous; the number of ftones compofing them various, owing to different caufes; that of 12 more frequently oc curs than any other number, either in honour of the 12 fuperior deities, or to fome national customs of 12 perfons of authority meeting there in council upon important affairs, or alluding to the 12 months of the year. The greateft number I have heard of amount to 77 in one circle. The figure of thefe fort of monuments is either fimple or compounded: of the first kind are exact circles, elliptical or femicircular. The conftruction of thefe is not always the fame : fome having their circumference marked with large ftones only; others having ridges of fmall ftones intermixed; and fometimes walls and feats ferving to render the inglofure more com plete. |