"Honourable Company" to support the cause of Lingah Rajah, and to establish him on the throne which he, and his successors continued to occupy until upwards of a quarter of a century had elapsed.

Then, and not till then, the discovery appeared suddenly to have been made, that the Court of Directors had during this length of time, countenanced a set of usurpers, without a shadow of claim, to the position they had so long held; and that as all the family of the rightful heirs of Beer Rajindrah had become extinct; it would, therefore, be more consonant with the ends of justice to expel the intruders, and to appropriate, for the benefit of the "Honourable Company," all their dominions and revenues; goods, chattels, and estates.

Hence originated the Coorg war of 1834; and on referring to history, it will be found, that, with equal rectitude, have originatedsince the days of Clive,-nearly all our interferences, quarrels, and destructive wars with the native powers of the East:-those little differences of opinion, always ending with the "annexation" of the conquered or forfeited territory to the overgrown and unjustly-acquired dominions of this all-grasping clique. Such a

-he offered his "mediation" in a dispute which had arisen as to the succession.

Unfortunately for these mountaineers, this offer was accepted; of which Hyder took advantage, first to destroy one candidate, next to imprison the other, and finally to take possession himself, of the whole territory of the rival competitors.

Beer Rajindrah, the imprisoned Rajah, contrived however under Hyder's successor, Tippoo Saib, to effect his escape; return to his native mountains, and resume the sovereignty of which he had been so unjustly deprived.

On his demise, in 1808, he-contrary to the established usages of the country-bequeathed his dominions to his daughter, Dewa Amajee; thus excluding from the succession, his brother Lingah Rajah; who, according to immemorial custom, was the rightful heir.

Here, therefore, was an opportunity for officious interference, not to be lost sight of by the "Honourable Company;" who were not more backward than had been Hyder Ali, in availing himself of a similar pretext.

An annual bribe of 8000 pagodas, was the weighty inducement which moved this

stockades; but the result of such an unequal contest could not long be doubtful.

In less than a fortnight, after enduring in this guerilla warfare much hardship, exposure, and privations, in spite of — (as usual) the most egregious military blunders on our part -and with a loss of upwards of three hundred killed and wounded; the campaign was brought to a close, by the surrender of Veerajunder Woodiar, and the consequent absorption of his petty sovereignty into the vast territories of the "Honourable Company of Merchants trading in the East."

*

*

After the wandering, independent sort of life I had so long led in the wild jungles of the Nerbuddah, where I was so completely my own master, and the subsequent excitement of our short but active campaign; I must confess to feeling at first, not a little disgusted with the dull ordinary routine of regimental cantonment work.

I might, no doubt, on application, have been replaced in my former appointment; but felt broken-spirited and downcast by recent losses and misfortunes. My health was likewise worn out by such constant exposure

in those unhealthy districts; and I was, moreover, suffering from jungle fever, contracted when returning with my regiment from Coorg, through the pestilential jungles of the Wynaud.

On the other hand, being still without the "break," if I returned to England with my corps (which was now first on the list for home service), I had before me the unenviable prospect of becoming, perhaps for life, a subaltern on "half-pay."

Whilst thus situated, and hesitating whether or not to effect an exchange into some regiment remaining in India; my kind friend and patron, Colonel Sandham, fell a victim to the same disease, under which I was myself so severely suffering; and as there was no reason to doubt but that the vacancy would be filled up in the corps; (a move, which by placing me beyond the "break," would have enabled me to remain on full pay)—I now, therefore, determined on returning with my regiment to England, whenever it should be ordered home.

66

CHAPTER XXII.

SOUTHERN AFRICA, AND SERVICE IN

KAFFIRLAND.

Lean, raw-boned rascals! who would e'er suppose
They had such courage and audacity?"

SHAKSPEARE.

SHORTLY after the conclusion of the operations in Coorg, we received instructions to proceed to Madras; where, until the order for our embarkation arrived, we occupied for some time, our former quarters at Fort St. George.

It is time I should here state what I ought to have stated before-that my kind friends, the Talbots, were no longer at Madras.

Mr. Talbot having some time since, completed his term of service, had quitted India for good, and returned to England on the handsome civil allowance he was entitled to; which enabled him to retire in comparative affluence and ease.