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POLITICAL MAGAZINE;

For

JANUARY,

1786.

**A few days ago was published a SUPPLEMENT to the POLITICAL MAGAZINE for 1785-and in anfwer to a correfpondent who complains of our bringing out a Supplement, after having promised our Purchasers not to exceed the expence of Twelve Shillings a year, we have a very fufficient excufe to plead, in the great and unprecedented length of the Parliamentary Debates of laft fefons, owing chiefly to the Plan of the Irish Commercial Propofitions; a circumftance of fuch magnitude and importance as may not again occur in the course of half a century.

Obfervations on a late Narrative of the Operations of the Troops under General Matthews in India.

THE

HE deftruction of the principal part of General Matthews's army in Bednore, and the rigorous treatment of the furvivors, were circumftances that deeply interefted the public, when they firft became known, and the remembrance of them is now revived by the publication of Dodfey's Annual Register for $783.

It is a matter of great regret to the candid part of mankind, that the unfortunate commander in that expedition, did not furvive; in order that he might have come before the public, at least with an explanation of his conduct, if not with a full anfwer to the accufations of his enemies; amongst whom, I take it, we are to reckon the Governor and Council of Bombay, whole charges, by being inferted in their letters to the Company, become a matter of public record, and are, if I mistake not, the ground work of the hiftory of the Bednore campaign, in the Annual Regifter. I am not going to undertake a defence of General Matthews, but am only withing, for the fake of common juftice to the fame of an unfortunate individual, that he could have been enabled to tell his own ftory. Thus much I may fay, however, that he had establish ed a good character, both as a foldier, and as a man, previous to the expedition, which coft him his life: and that the conPOL. MAG. Vol. X. JAN. 1786.

duct of the Bombay Government indicat ed a strong portion of refentment against him, in the manner of removing him from the command.

But placing General Matthews, individually, out of the Question, I have a ferious wish to refcue his army in general from the charge of favage and unprovok ed cruelty for as matters are reprefented in the above hiftorical account, the mis fortunes which befel the furvivors, appear to be the just punifament of their crimes. So that the whole confolation, which, on ordinary occafions, belongs to the relations of thofe who fall in their country's caufe, namely that they died honourably, is here done away; and the public are taught to regard the fufferers, rather as malefactors, condemned by the wrath of Heaven, than as men who glorioufly fuffered in the cause of their country..

The charge of rapine not being fufficient, they are taxed with committing murder; even the murder of innocent women. In page 91, is an account (faid to be that of an officer prefent) of the massacre in the fort of Annampore, a dependency of Bednore, where 400 beautiful women lay expiring, under the wounds of the Sepoys' bayonets. Now, if this account gains belief, how I pity the parents and connexions of the officers who commanded B

and.

that corps! but can any body believe it? Is it probable? or is it the practice of modern war amongst civilized people, to maffacre women 2

If it be true, that fo many women did really lie bleeding of wounds, and thofe wounds inflicted with a pointed weapon, I have no difficulty in referring the deed to the Hindoo cuftom of facrificing their women, rather than they should fall into the hands of their enemies; and conclude that it was done by the garrison themselves, previous to the ftorm. The officer who furnished the account, was probably ignorant of this horrid cuftom amongst the Hindoos; and from a fuppofition that it was impoffible for men to imbrue their hands in the blood of their innocent wives and daughters, concluded that it must have been done by the Sepoys. He does not fay, that he faw the Sepoys kill them; but that he faw the bodies lying, &c.

That fuch was the cafe, I have no doubt; and happy fhall I be to refcue the characters of my countrymen (for their charac ters are undoubtedly committed, in the public actions of the troops which they command) from fuch an imputation. And from my own knowledge of the Sepoys, I am clear that they were incapable of fuch an act. The public ought to be informed that the country of Bednore, is amongst the most fequeftered of the provinces of the Peninfula of India; and was one of the laft Hindoo governments, that fubmitted to the Mahomedan conquerors. Hence, we ought to expect, that the Hindoos of that country, have preserved the originality of their customs, much more inviolably, than the people of those countries, which have a greater mixture of Mahomedans amongst them (for customs, repugnant to the laws of nature, and of humanity, muft by degrees wear out, if conftantly fubjected to the animadverfion of a different fect of religionists.) Befides, the firuation and circumftances of Annampore make it likely that the women from other parts of the country, were fent this ther as to a place of fecurity, agreeable to the known practice of the Hindoos. If any thing more than a rhetorical flourish is meant by the epithet beautiful, when applied to 400 women, found in one fortrefs, we may understand that they were moftly, or perhaps all of them fightly per fons: and this makes it more likely that they were collected from different parts of the country.

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It will be the caufe of unspeakable pleasure to me, if what I have faid may

contribute towards fetting the public right for when a piece of intelligence is vouched by one of the parties prefent, it comes with a degree of authority that may weH command public belief; efpecially when that public is in a great meafure ignorant of the cuftoms and habits of the people amongst whom the tranfaction happened; and how far the tranfaction might have a reference to their cuftoms. Had the au thor of the hiftorical part of the Annual Regifter been informed of the above Hin doo cuftom, his candour would, doubtlefs, have led him to mention it; and then have left his readers to decide on the probability of the fact, as stated by the officer.

In order to convinte your readers' that accounts of maffacres of Hindoo women, by their husbands and relations, are to be found on record in the hiftories of latter times, I will beg leave to transcribe from Mr. Orme's elegant Hiftory of the Mili tary Tranfactions of the British Nation in Hindoftan, the account of the affair of Bobilee, in the northern Circars, in the year 1757. So common has the practice been, that there is a proper term for it in the Hindoftanic language. It is called performing the JOAR Anglice, the BUTCHERY.

"The firft in rank of thefe Polygars, who call themselves Rajahs, was Rangarao of Bobilee the fort of this name ftands close to the mountains, about 140 miles N. E. Wifagapatem; the diftricts are about 20 fquare miles. There had long been a deadly hatred between this Polygar and Vizieramrauze, whose person, how much foever he feared his power, Rangarao held in the utmoft contempt, as of low extraction, and of new note: on the other hand Vizeramrauze was received by M. Buffy with every mark of respect, and employed the favor in which he food, to the gratification of an animofity, which had long been the leading paffion of his mind.'

"The Polygar, befides his other towns and forts, has always one fituated in a most difficult part of his country, which is intended as the laft refuge for himself and all of his own blood. The conftruction of this fort is adequate to all the inten tions of defence amongst a people unused to cannon, or of the means of battery. Its outline is a regular fquare, which rare ly exceeds 200 yards; a large round tower is raised at each of the angles, and a fquare projection in the middle of each of the fides. The height of the wall is about 22 feet; the whole of tempered

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clay, raifed in diftinct layers, of which each is left expofed to the fun, until thoroughly hardened, before the next is applied.

M. Buffy marched against Bobilee with 750 Europeans, four field pieces; and 11,000 Peons and Sepoys, the army of Vizieramrauze, who commanded in perfon. When in fight of the fort, M. Buffy divided his troops into four divifions, allotting one, with a field piece, to the attack of each of the round towers. Rangarao was here, with all his parentage, 250 men bearing arms, and nearly twice this number of women and children.

The attack commenced at day break (on the 24th January, 1757,) with the field pieces against the four towers; and the defenders, left fire might catch the thatch over the rampart, had pulled it down. By nine o'clock, feveral of the battlements were broken, when all the leading parties of the four divifions ad vanced at the fame time, with fcaling ladders; but, after much endeavour for an hour, not a man had been able to get over the parapet; and many had fallen wounded; other parties followed with as little fuccefs, until all were so fatigued, that a ceffation was ordered, during which the field pieces, having beaten down more of the parapet, gave the fecond attack more advantage: but the ardour of the defence encreased with the danger. The garrifon fought with the indignant ferocity of wild beasts, defending their dens and families: feveral of them stood, as in defiance, on the top of the battlements, and endeavoured to grapple with the first afcendants, hoping with them to twift the ladders down; and this failing, ftabbed with their lances; but being wholly expofed themfelves, were eafily fhot by aim from the rear of the efcalade. The affailants admired, for no Europeans had ever feen fuch excess of courage in the natives of Indoftan, and continually offered quarter, which was always anfwered by the menace and intention of death: not a man had gained the rampart at two o'clock in the afternoon, when another ceflation of the attack enfued; on which Rangarao affembled the principal men, told them there was no hopes of maintaining the fort, and that it was immediately neceffary to preferve their wives and children from the violation of Europeans, and the more ignominious authority of Vizeramrauze. A number called without distinction, were allotted to the work; they proceeded, every man with his torch, his lance and

poinard, to the habitations in the middle of the fort, to which they fet fire indifcriminately, plying the flame with ftrav prepared with pitch and brimftone, and every man ftabbed without remorfe, the woman or child, whichfoever attempted to escape the flame and fuffocation. Not the helpless infant clinging to the bofom of its mother, faved the life of either from the hand of the husband or father. The utmost exceffes whether of revenge or rage, were exceeded by the atrocious prejudices which dictated and performed this horrible facrifice. The maffacre being finished, those who accomplished it, returned, like 'men agitated by the furies, to die themfelves on the walls. M. Law, who commanded one of the divifions, obferved, whilft looking at the conflagration, that the number of the defenders was confiderably diminished, and advanced again to the attack: after feveral ladders had failed, a few grenadiers got over the parapet, and maintained their footing in the tower, until more fecured the poffeffion. Rangarao, hastening to the defence of the tower, was in this inftant killed by a mufket ball. His fall increased, if poffible, the desperation of his friends; who, crouding to revenge his death, left the other parts of the rampart bare; and the other divifions of the French troops, having advanced likewife to their respective attacks, numbers on all fides got over the parapet without oppofition: neverthelefs, none of the defenders quitted the ramparts, or would accept quarter; but each fell, advancing againft, or ftruggling with an antagonist; and even when fallen, and in the laft agony, would refign his poinard only to death. The flaughter of the conflict being compleated, another much more dreadful, prefented itself in the area below: the tranfport of victory loft all its joy all gazed on one another with filent aftonishment and remòrfe, and the fiercest could not refufe a tear to the deplorable deftruction fpread before them. Whilft contemplating ir, an old man, leading a boy, was perceived advancing from a diftant recefs: he was welcomed with much attention and refpect, and conducted by the croud to M. Law, to whom he prefented the child with these words;

This is the fon of Rangarao, whom I have preserved against his father's will." Another emotion now fucceeded, and the prefervation of this infant was felt by all as fome alleviation to the horrible cataftrophe, of which they had been the una fortunate authors. The tutor and the B 2

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child were immediately fent to M. Buffy, who, having heard of the condition of the fort, would not go into it, but remained in his tent, where he received the facred captives with the humanity of a guardian appointed by the ftrongest claims of nature, and immediately ordered patents to be prepared, appointing the fon Lord of the territory which he had offered the father in exchange for the diftricts of Bobilee; and ordered them to be strictly guarded in

the camp from the malevolence of enemies.

The third night after this tragedy, Vizeramrauze was affaffinated in his tent, by two of Rangarao's foldiers, who had fecreted themfelves for that purpose. They gave no less than 32 wounds during the fhort interval between the alarm occafioned by the first groan, and the entrance of the centinels.

Further Remarks on the fame Subject as the foregoing Article.

S.IR.

WISH through the channel of your Magazine to call moft earnestly upon the officers of his Majesty's troops, and in the Eaft India Company's fervice, who were employed in the expeditions upon the Malabar Coaft, during the late war, and to intreat them to defend their own honour and the honour of their country, from the illiberal and unjust attacks which have been made upon both in two late publications, the Annual Register for 1783, and the New Annual Regifter for 1784. I have as yet feen no tolerable account of the Campaign under General Matthews His fuccefs was for many months moft brilliant-but how an officer, who had feen the fervice that General had feen, could fuffer himself to be inclofed in the city of Bednore is most incomprehenfible. If avarice had been his ruling paffion, and if he had in his poffeffion the immenfe fums which he is faid to have accumulated, he might have retreated with his army to Mangalore with perfect security; and we know that Major Campbell, with a very flender garrifon, defended Mangalore against the whole force of Tippoo Sultan; though flushed by their victory over Matthews, and aided by their French allies. I could with fo refpectable an· officer as Captain Pine, whofe life was miraculously preferved, or fome other officer of reputation, would favour the world with a narrative of the operations of Matthews's army. But the mifconduct, rapacity, and avarice of General Matthews, if he did deserve what has been reported of him, are of lefs confequence than the weighty charges which have been brought against his army in general. They are accufed of the moft wanton, and unprovoked cruelties, and the progrefs of the army, is compared to that of Cortez in Mexico, or Pizarro in Peru. I know,

Mr. Editor, that the British character for humanity, has in no part of the world been better fuftained than in India; nor is there a State or Prince in India, who will not acknowledge the juftice of this remark. But to pafs over all general reflections upon cruelty, devaftation, blood and rapine, in which both publications abound; I will take the facts as they are stated by the authors themselves, and leave it to the informed part of mankind to determine how far they are justified in the illiberal abuse they have heaped upon their countrymen. It does not appear that any wanton damage was done by the troops on their march through Tippoo's dominions on the Malabar Coaft: it does not appear that villages were burnt, or crops ready for cutting down were deftroyed, though Hyder's army, in the carnatic, made every place they occupied a defart, and were guilty of the moft fhocking acts of barbarity, cutting of the nofes, ears, and hands of men not in arms, and incapable of refiftance all that I can find is, that two places were taken by ftorm, Onore, and Annampore, In the first fort 1200 prifoners were taken, from which we may fairly infer, that the British officers exerted themselves to ftop the effufion of human blood to the utmost of their power; but hard, indeed, is the case of a military officer, if he is to be taxed with cruelty and inhumanity, because many lives are loft when a fortrefs is taken by storm. Is there a man at all acquainted with the military hiftory of any country, who does not know that when a town is taken by affault, however fevere the difcipline, acts have been invariably committed by the troops at which humanity fhudders. I have not a doubt but that at Onore the British officers acted as they always have done, that they exerted themfelves to ftop the carnage, and the numbers of prifoners

taken

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*

taken is a proof of it. The fecond and only remaining inftance mentioned in the two Annual Regifters, is the ftorm of Annampore; when the gallant Major Campbell of the 42d regiment commanded our army, the fame officer who fo bravely defended Mangalore, against Tippoo's whole force. This officer unfortunately died of the wounds he received, and the fatigues he indured at Mangalore; but I trust he has fome friend who will do his character justice, and explain to the world, how it happened that no quarter was given at Anampore if the fact is true, which I much doubt. For the prefent, I fhall content myfelf with faying, that I never yet read a fyllable either in the Annual Regifter or

any where elfe, that carries conviction to my mind, of our officers having forfeited their national character in India; but I wait impatiently for a juftification from fuch charges from one of their own body. With respect to the unfortunate General Matthews, he appears as far as we have heard, to have been infatuated from the time he acquired the Province of Bednore. The characters of Hyder, Tippoo, and Suffrein are known to be directly the Reverfe of what they are defcribed in both Annual Regifters; and I trust they have been efpecially mistaken in what they have faid of the operations of our countrymen in the West of India.

Original Anecdotes of PETER the GREAT.

IN 1716, paffing through Dantzick in his way to Holland, and finding that divine fervice had just begun, he defired that he might be conducted to church. The burgemaster immediately waited upon him, and conducted him to the most confpicuous feat, that of the chief magiftrate. Peter having feated himfelf, obliged the burgomafter to fit down by him. He then liftened to the fermon with great attention; but finding his head grow cold, he all of a fudden, and without faying a word, pulled off the magiftrate's huge periwig, and gravely put it on his own head. They both remained in that ludicrous ftate till the end of the fermon, when the Czar, with a nod by way of acknowledgment, returned the periwig.

At the famous affair at Pruth in 1711, the Czar's anxiety being much greater for his empire than for himself, he difpatched the following letter to his privy council at Petersburgh I have now to inform you, that without any fault of mine, but from falfe intelligence, I find myfelf, together with my whole army, furrounded by the Turks (who are four times our number,) and cut off from every fort of provision. Without the immediate interpofition of heaven I can expect nothing but a total defeat, or to be made prifoner by the Turks. If the laft fhould happen, you muft no longer confider me as your fovereign, nor execute any of my commands. although written by my own hand: If I should be cut off, you must immediately proceed to choose from among yourselves him whom you think moft worthy of being my fucceffor.

N. M.

The following is a striking inftance of the intrepidity and prefence of mind of this great man. During the rebellion of the Strelitz, a company of his foldiers, under command of two of their officers, Sikel and Sukawnin, had refolved to affatlinate the Czar; and the better to effectuate their purpose, to fet fire to Moscow at different places at the fame inftant. Upon the day appointed, the confpirators affembled.at the house of Sukawnin, dined there, and agreed to continue drinking till midnight. About eight o'clock, two of them, who were ftruck with the atrocity of their enterprife, having retired, they concerted meafures between themselves, and finally refolved to go without any delay to the pa lace, and difcover the whole confpiracy. Returning then to their companions, they foon found a pretext for obtaining leave to be abfent till the hour appointed, and engaged to rejoin them then at the place of rendezvous. They immediately haftened to the palace and throwing themselves at the feet of the Emperor, made a complete difcovery. As foon as the Czar had ordered them to be fecured, he wrote with his own hand to the captain of the guards to affemble his company without notfe, to draw them up about eleven o'clock before the house of Sukawnin; and the moment the hour ftruck, to rush in and feize every perfon he fhould find there. The captain punctually obeyed. Peter, however, forgot that he had appointed eleven o'clock, and thought he had mentioned ten; he therefore imagined that all would be over half past ten. Becoming impatient about that time, he went down to the street, and

was

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