from that moment commenced his lasting and deadly operations against Mysore. All ranks flocked to their hereditary Rajah; the Mysorians were driven out of the country with severe loss, and followed deeply into their own country, which was devastated as far as the revengeful Coorgs could reach. Mercara, or Jaffer-abad, however, still held out, nor had the Rajah the means of reducing it. The walls, 20 feet high, are surrounded by a ditch; and the ramparts, 8 feet thick, with a slight but well-built stone and mortar parapet, would have resisted the trumpery artillery at the Rajah's command. It is situated on a table-land, and, although it may be commanded at some distance, guns could hardly, in the face of an enemy, have been brought by the Coorgs up the difficult passes which lead to the table-land; each of which is strongly defended at the summit, and occasionally flanked. The fort is an irregular heptagon with small bastions, and its size does not much exceed a square furlong. The Coorg Rajah applied to the Bombay, government for assistance, which being refused, he cut off all supplies from the garrison, which coming to the ears of Tippoo, he sent a force to their relief. The Coorgs attacked this party, and after a distant cannonade they came to close quarters with swords, when 500 Mysorians were killed and 200 wounded. The remainder betook themselves to a small rising ground, where they were surrounded by the Coorgs, Veer Rajunder, hearing that Kauder Khan commanded, who had once showed him hospitality when he was benighted, offered to spare his life, and sent for him. Kauder Khan came and told the Rajah that if he spared his life Tippoo would massacre his family, and therefore begged to be allowed to throw some succour into Mercara and retire. Veer Rajunder granted his request, for friendship sake, and permitted him, after fulfilling his object, to retire unmolested to Seringapatam. Veer Rajunder then gave the Killadar of Mercara the option of standing a siege, or retiring unmolested. The Killadar replied that he would yield the fort when his provisions were exhausted: this he did, but reporting, at the same time, that the garrison had no money to pay their expenses back to Seringapatam, the Coorg Rajah sent them 1000 pagodas to be divided amongst them. I have thus related how he became possessed of his capital, to give some insight into his chivalric character. Professing on all occasions the most boundless attachment to the British, and with a faith above suspicion, he was a better friend to us than ruler of his people. The escapes of his youth had accustomed him to danger; but his personal intrepidity, though sometimes guided by the most exalted generosity, was at others sullied by a savage fierceness. He was superior to the trammels of caste-a good husband, and a good father; but after the death of his Ranee, which deeply affected him, and appeared to impair his intellect, he became savage and morose: and his death, in 1809, was hailed as a deliverance by those whose situations compelled them to be near his person. He built the trumpery palace at Nackanaad shortly before his death, which, at this time, was occupied by his silly successor with a force of 1500 Mysorians, and about the same number of Coorgs. It was, however, confidently expected, from the exaggerated accounts he had heard of our prowess, that he would not venture to stand a siege; not but that the position is strong enough; and the twenty miles of road from Mercara there was crowded with defences. The first half-way the road is tolerably good, but I counted no less than fourteen cuddungs or breastworks, some with broad ditches filled with the strong black thorn; and one timber stockade. Many of these cuddungs are old works, and, twisting about the jungle in all directions, return nearly to the point they started from; others are circles, and all are very difficult to turn. The latter half of the road is nearly impracticable for artillery, and might be defended inch by inch; however, both breastworks and stockades occur, but I did not count them. The whole distance is through dense forest. Nackanaad itself is strongly situated on the summit of a small but steep hill. Though commanded at the distance of 500 or 600 yards, it would have cost much time and labour, and many lives, to reduce it, had the Rajah chosen to put his own person in peril. This not being expected, the troops halted in anticipation of his delivering himself up, which he did on the night of the 10th to Colonel Lindsay, accompanied by about 2000 unarmed men, and 50 palankeens, with his women. The day before this some of his people made a dash at a picquet of the 51st Native Light Infantry near Manantoddy, which lost one havildar and thirteen privates before it could be supported. Colonel Waugh now joined Colonel Lindsay at Mercara. Colonel Fowlis, leaving a detachment at Veer Rajunder Pettah, took up a position at Mootramoody, a small village about eight miles from Mercara; from whence, on the 13th, the 20th N.I. marched to take possession of the palace of Nackanaad, which they effected without hinderance, and where they subsequently found a little treasure. I believe the whole amount of prize-money amounted to about thirteen lacs of rupees, and have reason to know that a Sub.'s share was about 2701. (all paid), a very liberal allowance for our few days' skirmishing. 14 Commissioned Officers. 2 Commissioned Officers." 1139 Non-commissioned, rank and file. 144 Non-commissioned, rank and file. 9 Native rank and file. 4 Native followers killed, and 16 missing. In conclusion, I can only hope that my short narrative will be deemed correct by my old friends in this country and in India. My intention has been to recall days past in a distant land; and if any of the old Peninsula heroes should treat our little campaign with disrespect, I will only add, that, as they had the good luck to live in happier days, they should not laugh at the ill fortune of those who at present seem sentenced to form threes and fours in the barrack-square for the term of their natural lives. I. W. S. " 1 U. S. JOURN. No. 115, JUNE, 1839. STORIES OF GREENWICH. No. VI. 66 NOTHING can be more interesting to the minds of most men than to ramble through the domiciles of the Greenwich pensioners-those quiet havens where, after enduring the adverse gales of a stormy voyage, they may rest in security, or where, as the old song says, they may "Coil up their ropes, and safe anchor on shore." At every step the attention is arrested by some object capable of exciting wonder or admiration: wonder, when we reflect upon the dangers passed through by some of these men during their "wide career;" and admiration as we behold the grey-headed noble veteran, perhaps reciting, with an air of modesty worthy of being copied, some of the moving scenes of his early days. These are my feelings, however, let others think as they may; and it was under their influence that I, a short time back, entered a ward, bearing the name of the immortal Nelson, set apart for aged and infirm men. This ward is divided into rooms, or cabins, on either side, a passage of six or eight feet in width separating them; and each cabin has four fixed bed-places. As I entered the door the first person who took my attention and hailed me was the character I am about to introduce. To attempt to convey the full gratification I received, while beholding and listening to this remnant of as good a seaman as ever put foot on a ship's deck, would be vain; but it is worth the trial, and at the risk of rendering tame and stupid tales of spirit and relations of noble deeds, I attempt it. "Ah, English," said I, "how goes the world with you now?" The old fellow replied by giving my hand a hearty shake, and adding, "Very well, for eighty-six. I'm only eighty-six come my next birth-day," "Only eighty-six ?" I repeated, in some little astonishment. "Why, yes," said he, "that's all, but my father lived to be a hundred and twelve, and my mother died at ninety-eight; but then they lived a better life than me." "But you seem very strong," I continued, "there's twenty years more in you yet." "Yes, thank God," he answered, "I'm hearty enough; but come and sit down, for I'm not so strong on my legs as I used to be." I readily complied with the old man's invitation, and he began and ran through the various scenes of his busy life with a rapidity and strength of memory which made it difficult to follow him; and I was at last under the necessity of catechising, in order to obtain, with any degree of sequency, a sketch of his life. And where did you tell me you were born?" said I, as my old friend paused to take breath. "Leith," he replied; "but I ran away from home when my twin brother died, and made my way to Sunderland, where I bound myself 'prentice to a captain of a merchant-ship. The ship was wrecked on one new-year's-day, along with fifty-seven sail, in Yarmouth roads, and only myself and another lad saved out of the crew. After that I joined another merchant-ship, out of which I was passed into the King's service, and sent on board the Jupiter, 50, Captain Reynolds. "One day," continued the old man, 66 we took a fine craft on the coast of Ireland. The Jupiter looked for all the world like an East Indiaman, and a large cutter gave chase to us. We made all sail away, just to lead her on, or else we knew we should stand no chance of getting near her. The cutter sailed very fast, and just as it was dark she got alongside, and hailed us to heave-to. 'Give him a few of the foremost guns,' said Captain Reynolds, for I shouldn't like to hurt such a handsome craft.'. We opened a fire from our upper-deck guns, and the French Captain was quite taken aback, and hauled down his colours. She was a fine large cutter, mounting twelve guns; and our First-Lieutenant, Mr. Cox was his name I think, was sent into her, and afterwards had the command." This incident, though not of an uncommon nature (similar good fortune having attended many other ships of the description of the Jupiter), will show the power of memory in the narrator, for it must have taken place at least sixty years since. "Where did you get that cut in your forehead?" I inquired, pointing to what must have been at one time a severe wound. "That was in the Jupiter," he replied, "boarding a French frigate that we engaged and took.* I can't think of the ship's name now, to save my life, but I remember how it happened. I was quartered abaft on the quarter-deck as a sail-trimmer and rigging-man, and, after firing a few broadsides, Captain Reynolds ordered us to board. The frigate had got boarding-nettings triced up fore and aft, and while I was cutting the stops of it adrift with my cutlass I was knocked down and fell on the deck. I got up again, and there was the man who wounded me lying dead on the deck, shot by the man who was close behind me. I felt something warm trinkling down my face, but I laid up right and left with the cutlass, and we carried the frigate. I never knew that my forehead was cut till our Lieutenant said to me, after the fight was over, English, my man,' says he, What's the matter with your forehead ? Not much, Sir,' says I; only a little blood;' for the blood was running down my face in a stream. Go down to the Doctor, my man, and get it bound up,' said he; but I stopped to do my work first, and then went below. "The Jupiter was sent to cruise in the Channel after Paul Jones, just after he had captured the Serapis,† along with Captain Pearson, he that was afterwards in the college. We caught sight of his ship once, and chased her into the Texel-got near enough to give her a broadside." "Did you ever see Paul Jones?" I inquired, anxious to learn some thing original of that celebrated character. I have taken some trouble in endeavouring to find out whether any such action as the one here related is upon record, but without success. The reader must, therefore, do as I am obliged to do,-rely upon the old man's veracity, who certainly has a very trifling inducement, at this distant period, to romance. This must have been after Captain Reynolds received his flag, as he was promoted to the rank of Rear of the Blue in 1777, and the action of the Serapis took place in 1779. Captain Sir Richard Pearson was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Hospital, 66 No," said he, "I never saw him myself, but I was shipmate long with plenty who knew him very well. He was in the pay of the French Government, and a desperate chap he was. Never would be taken." "Not if he could have well helped it," I said. "that "He always wore leaden boots in action," continued English; was because, if it came to the worst, he could jump overboard, and his boots would sink him." Well, that's singular enough, thought I to myself; he was determined then that his heels should save his head, one way or other. "How long were you in the Jupiter altogether," I asked. M "Six or seven years, I dare say; but it's a good deal of log to bring up. We had another action off Cape Finisterre with a French seventyfour, and fought her until she struck. The M- frigate, Captain was in company with us at the time, but she kept her wind and wouldn't come down to lend us a hand; and, as our ship was so much cut up in hull, spars, and boats, we could not manage to take possession. When our ship arrived at Lisbon afterwards, Captain Reynolds refused to see Captain M, and, as Captain M went down the side into his own boat, he was pelted out of the Jupiter's lower deck ports with wads.* I stopped in her till such time as she was paid off, and then the Captain recommended me to Captain Inglefield, who had just commissioned the Centaur, going to the West Indies." “Then I suppose you were in Rodney's action ?" I remarked. "To be sure I was," returned the old man ; "I was in the 9th and 12th of April too; I don't call it Rodney's action, for my part, Sir Samuel Hood was the man that done the work that day. There wouldn't have been much done if it hadn't been for him." Oh! thought I, here's something new. I encouraged him to proceed, however, because I feel quite satisfied that Rodney's character is too firmly based to be easily shaken. "Yes, Sir Samuel Hood," continued the old man; "he that was afterwards Lord Hood, and Governor of this College-worth a dozen Rodneys; he was the man that got the day. The French Admiral, Count de Grasse, refused to give up his sword to Rodney. I strike to that ship,' said he, pointing to the Barfleur, and to no other. He was a brave man, that Sir Samuel Hood, and a good officer-beloved by every man in the ship, and so he was in the College, as I've heard." The old man's lungs were evidently untouched, for, although he had been talking for nearly an hour, he was fresh as ever, and, in fact, his previous exertion seemed only to have had the effect of getting him into better tune. The fondness of telling a long story to an attentive listener is inherent to all ages, it is, therefore, not at all surprising that those who, like English, have traversed many thousands of miles upon the vast ocean, and, in the course of a long life spent in active service, have seen and endured much, should delight in recounting their adventures. I watched the blood warm within his aged veins, and the fire of youth rekindle in the eye dimmed by time, as I recalled to him, circum * I give this story to the reader as I have it; but have left both the name of the ship, and the honourable name of the Captain, blank, in order that it may give no pain, at this distant date, to the family. The old man also adds that, had Captain M.'s brother fallen in with him, he would to a certainty have shot him......... |