ploughshare is again in every quarter turning up a soil which had for very many seasons never been stirred, except by the hoofs of predatory cavalry.

Here, then, is a display of general advantage, and an exhilirating promise of public quiet. Every one of the facts on which I have founded the representation, is capable of being disproved by each of you with little trouble of inquiry, if I have advanced them incorrectly. I have strangely hazarded my character if they are liable to refutation. If they are not, what we have done is befitting the policy, the equity, the benignity of our country.

You justly appreciate the admirable energy of the officers commanding the divisions to which the more active part of the service fell; and the zeal of the whole of the troops, with the splendid gallantry of those who were on any occasion en. gaged, merits all the praise which you have offered.

I concur ardently with you in the sentiment you express, of our obligation to aim at rendering what we have done still more beneficial to the inhabitants of India. The main obstacles to our infusing improvement are removed; and we may certainly disseminate useful instruction, without in the slightest degree risking dissatisfaction, by medling with the religious opinions of the natives. Informations on practical points is what is wanting to the people: for, from the long course of anarchy in those parts, all relations of the community are confused. This go

vernment will not lose sight of the object. We may surely succeed in inculcating principles of mild and equitable rule, distinct notions of social observances, and a just sense of moral duties, leading, perhaps, in God's good time, to a purer conception of the more sublime claim on the human mind. At least let us do what is in our power. Let us put the seed into the ground, and Providence will determine on its growth. Should it be the will of the Almighty that the tree should rise and flourish, and that the inhabitants of those extensive regions should enjoy security and comfort under its shade, we shall have done much for many of our fellow creatures; but we shall have done well also for that in which our liveliest interest is fixed. The cherished memory of our forecasting beneficence will remain to future times in India the noblest monument of the British name.

The subsequent events, of which intelligence has reached England, may be comprised in a brief summary. Appa Sahib, the captive rajah of Nagpore, had found means to make his escape from a British force under capt. C. Brown, which was escorting him to a place of safety, and flying to the Maha Deo hills, found harbour with a barbarous and independent tribe called the Goands. From the wrecks of his own force, and that of the peishwa, he was speedily enabled to collect around him a body of 3,000 Arab mercenaries, and being joined from time to time by troops of the vagrant Pindarries was enabled to recommence a predatory

a predatory and irregular warfare. Captain Sparkes, with a gallant little band of 100 men, was cut off after a desperate resistance by this sanguinary chief, who would listen to no terms of surrender : several neighbouring forts were captured by him, and the adjacent villages mercilessly plundered. His troops were regularly defeated by the British whenever they could be brought to action, and his quarters so straightened as frequently to reduce him to great extremities; but the difficult nature of the country has proved his security, and no accounts have yet been received of his death or captivity. The deposed peishwa, whom it was judged necessary to separate by a vast space of country from the scene of his former greatness and the kind of superstitious reverence surrounding the chief of the Mahratta nation, was announced to have reached Mutra in the month of November on his way to Bataur, near Cawnpore, his appointed place of exile. Above three months had been occupied in his journey; a delay arising partly, it is said, from the severity of the rains, by which two rivers were rendered for a time impassable, and partly from British humanity, which dictated the delicate attention of permitting the vanquished prince to repose on the numerous days of illomen according to his calendar, and of Mahratta festival, which occurred at this period of the year.

A still more gratifying instance of the benign and enlightened policy of the governor-general was exhibited in the treatment of

the Pindarries. The remains of this people, after its complete destruction as a hostile force, were collected together, and formed, under the protection and at the expense of the company, into two colonies, one of which was planted at Goruckpour in the Bengal provinces, the other, and more considerable, in Bhopal, a small state to the north of the Nerbudda. Thirty large villages were here constructed and occupied by the "reformed Pindarries," who are described as a simple, inoffensive tribe, perfectly willing to lay aside the habits of vagrancy and . rapacity forced upon them by necessity, and to occupy themselves with peaceful industry, in fertilising the territory they formerly devastated.

Dispatches from major-gen. sir W. Grant, published at Bombay in Feb. 1819, gave an account of the capture of the strong fort of Rainea, belonging to the state of Sawunt Warre in the Walwan district, in consequence of which this territory returned to the relations of peace and amity with the British, which it had lately violated. The important fortress of Asseerghur, between the Nerbudda and the Tapty, which had been held out by one of Scindiah's refractory chiefs, was stormed in the month of March by major-general Doveton; the chief and his principal officers, reduced to an unconditional surrender, were to be given up to Scindiah, and the garrison sent to their respective countries; measure which would effectually pacify that district. A strong hold in Berar, garrisoned by 600 predatory Nauicks, was likewise

a

reduced

reduced by major Pitman, commander of the Nizam's regular forces in Berar.

In the district of Patna, Achel Sing, a rebel chief who had seduced the inhabitants from their allegiance to their own rajah and their friendship with the company, found occupation for another British corps. Major-gen. Keir, immediately after his successes in Sawunt Warree, was dispatched to reduce to order the province of Cutch, where the rajah had treacherously murdered his brother, an act which it was resolved to resist as a contempt of British authority. This prince who had vainly imagined his fortress of Booj an impregnable asylum, saw it taken by escalade in a few hours, and himself a prisoner to general Keir. Several other affairs of detachments took place in various quarters, all tending to enhance the credit of British valour and discipline, and to impress upon the native powers a strong sense of the vigilance of the governor-general and of the hopelessness of all attempts to disturb the general tranquillity of the country. It is needless to dwell on the particulars of these actions, small for the most part in themselves, but great and splendid in their combined result, which has been thus comprehensively stated. From the mouths of the Indus north-east to the Sutledge, from the Sutledge south-east to Chittagong, from thence to Cape Comorin and Ceylon, an area containing thousands of miles, and embracing 25 degrees of latitude and 22 degrees of longitude,—all is now at peace-we have no public

enemy to oppose. It is little more than twelve months since we were threatened by a confederacy of the native powers, which had for its aim the renewal of every sort of plunder and devastation, and the reduction of the British authority where it had long been paramount. The whole is now dissolved. The turbulent spirits which broke forth, boasting of their strength and power, have shrunk into nothing. The hosts that assembled tumultuously to support their pretensions, are overthrown and dispersed.

"Our attitude during the war was imposing and grand, and the accomplishment of the legitimate objects of the contest has now placed us in a situation to diffuse, with a liberal, hand, the comforts and blessings of a wise and enlightened government. The happy effects of an impartial administration of just laws are now beginning to be felt over all the states recently overrun by robbers, and plundered by the rapacious chiefs to whom they in vain looked up for protection."

Ceylon. The insurrection of the Candian provinces in favour of a pretender to royalty set up by certain rebellious chiefs, which had occasioned so much embarrassment and danger to the British authorities in that island, has been brought to a fortunate termination. By the following general order, dated head quarters, 31st October, 1818, intelligence was communicated of the capture of the most important among the insurgent leaders.

"The commander of the forces congratulates his majesty's and

the

the hon. company's troops under his command, on the important and decisive event of the capture of the two principal rebel leaders, Keppetapole and Peleme Telawe, which may be considered as the death-blow to that rebellion their efforts have successfully been pointed at to subdue. This important capture was effected in consequence of the unceasing and unremitted pursuit and exertions of the detachment under the command of capt. Fraser, aid-de-camp to the lieut.-gen., during the most inclement weather, and with many privations, and which were rewarded by a division of that detachment, under the immediate command of lieutenant Wm. O'Neill, 83rd reg. coming unexpectedly and by surprise on the residence of these and the third noted rebel Madugalle, and other inferior leaders, near to Parawahaganime, on the borders of the Seven Korles and Nieuvre Kalaweye, on the 28th in the afternoon, after a fatiguing march of sixteen miles, when the party succeeded in making prisoners the two primary objects of their search, and the others, who have fled, may be expected either to surrender or be quickly made prisoners."

Madugalle and another chief named Ihagamma, afterwards fell into the hands of the British.

All the four were then tried as rebels and received sentence of death; and the Ceylon Gazette thus relates the characteristic circumstances which attended the execution of Keppetapole and Madugalle.

The two prisoners were carried in the morning, according

to their own request, to the chief temple in Kandy, called the Dalada Malagawe, or temple of the sacred relic, where they went through their devotions, attended by the priest, in a small room adjoining to that in which the relic is deposited. Keppetapole then came out into the antiroom, where he entered with much composure into conversation with Mr. Sawers, observing that no person could alter the destiny that was allotted to him, and quoting in support of this vain theory of predestination an apposite passage from the books of Boodha. While he was speaking a noise was heard within the temple, and it appeared that Madugalle had run into the inner apartment, and claimed sanctuary under the protection of the relic; he was soon removed, and both the prisoners were then marched under a strong guard to the place appointed on the bank of the Bogumbera tank, near the spot where Ellapola had suffered. When they arrived on the ground both the prisoners requested some water, which was immediately brought, and they washed their faces and hands; Keppetapole then tied his hair up in a knot behind, and sat down upon the ground near a small shrub, which he grasped with his toes, apparently to keep himself firm in his position. For a few minutes he recited some verses out of a small Pali book, which he requested might be delivered to the care of Mr. Sawers for his younger brother. When the book was taken away, he continued to repeat Pali verses until the executioner at two blows

severed

too

severed his head from his body. His whole behaviour was manly and collected, and he met his death with a firmness of resolution worthy of a better cause.The conduct of Madugalle was just the reverse; he was much agitated either to tie up his hair or to bend down his head himself: he was able only to make a faint cry of Arrahhaug, one of the names of Boodha, when his head was struck off also at two blows. A very great concourse of Kandyans, among whom were many chiefs, assembled to witness this execution.

Pelime Talawe and Ihagamma, whose sentence of death has been remitted to that of banishment, set out on the day of the execution, with two other prisoners, under a strong escort, for Colombo.

A general surrender of arms through every province of the interior speedily followed these and some other acts of vigor, and all appearance of resistance being thus ended, the governor was enabled to quit Candy for the seat of government. All was loyalty and submission among the natives as he passed, and addresses of congratulation from the inhabitants of Columbo hailed his second victorious return from the Candian provinces.

In the Malayan archipelago, some subjects of discussions of a rather unpleasant nature appear to have arisen between the British and the officers acting under the authority of the king of the Netherlands; and the following official documents on the subject appear worthy of being laid entire before our readers:

Protest of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, lieutenant-governor of Fort Marlborough, against the aggressions of the Dutch in the Malayan Archipelago.

Protest. The honour and interests of the British government rendering it indispensable that a public and formal protest should be made against the proceedings of the Dutch authorities in the Malayan Archipelago; I do hereby, as the nearest British authority, solemnly and publicly protest against the following proceedings of the representatives of the Netherlands government.

-When the agents of the British government_transferred the government of Java to their excellencies the commissioners of his Netherlands majesty, they called upon the commissionersgeneral to fulfil the engagements which the British government had contracted with the native princes during its administration of Java. The British authorities considered themselves bound and entitled to insist on their doing so, that having accepted the benefit of those acts which were favourable to them, they could not reject the burden of those which they deemed otherwise. No provision was made in the engagements with the native princes, for the contingency of the colony returning to Holland. Holland, indeed, did not then exist as a nation, and the authorities who administered Java would have been fully warranted in resigning the whole country to the native princes. The language which was in consequence held out to the natives, was that of a government competent to make agreements