nly as a matter of
honour, but it would have been of no real efficiency. Of course, if we
had dethroned Tippoo and annexed all his territory, we should
undoubtedly have got at all the prisoners, wherever they were hidden.
But we could hardly have done that. It would have aroused the jealousy
and fear of every native prince in India. It would have united the
Nizam and the Mahrattis against us, and would even have been
disapproved of in England, where public opinion is adverse to further
acquisitions of territory, and where people are, of course, altogether
ignorant of the monstrous cruelties perpetrated by Tippoo, not only
upon English captives, but upon his neighbours everywhere.

"Naturally, I am prejudiced in favour of this treaty, for the handing
over of the country from Amboor to Caroor, with all the passes and
forts, will set us free at Tripataly from the danger of being again
overrun and devastated by Mysore. My people will be able to go about
their work peacefully and in security, free alike from fear of
wholesale invasion, or incursions of robber bands from the ghauts. All
my waste lands will be taken up. My revenue will be trebled.

"There is another thing. Now that the English possess territory beyond
that of the Nabob of Arcot, and are gradually spreading their power
north, there can be little doubt that, before long, the whole country
of Arcot, Travancore, Tanjore, and other small native powers will be
incorporated in their dominions. Arcot is powerless for defence, and
while, during the last two wars, it has been nominally an ally of the
English, the Nabob has been able to give them no real assistance
whatever, and the burden of his territory has fallen on them. They
took the first step when, at the beginning of the present war, they
arranged with him to utilise all the resources and collect the
revenues of his possessions, and to allow him an annual income for the
maintenance of his state and family. This is clearly the first step
towards taking the territory into their own hands, and managing its
revenues, and the same will be done in other cases.

"Lord Cornwallis the other day, in thanking me for the services that
you and I and the troop have rendered, promised me that an early
arrangement should be made, by which I should rule Tripataly under the
government of Madras, instead of under the Nabob. This, you see, will
be virtually a step in rank, and I shall hold my land direct from the
English, instea