Beatson, Alexander: A view of the origin and conducts of the war with Tippoo Sultaun: comprising a narrative of the operations of the army under the command of Lieutenant George Harris, and of the Siege of Seringapatam (London, 1800)

4

VIEW OF THE ORIGIN AND CONDUCT

to the enemy to invade and desolate the Carnatic, without fur^
nishing the means of repelling the invader. This alarm and
despondency originated in a Proclamation* issued by the Gover-
nor-general of the Isle of France, which reached Bengal early in
June, i/^8; and the apprehensions entertained from the designs
of Tippoo Sultaun were certainly, at that period, considerably in-
creased by the bold and decided measures of preparation and
defence which the Marquis Weilesley judged proper to adopt a
very few weeks after he had taken charge of the supreme govern-
ment of India.
This proclamation, which made its first appearance at Calcutta,
in a newspaper, on the 8th of June, states, that an Embassy had
arrived at the Isle of France with letters from Tippoo Sultaun,
addressed not only to the Government of that Island, but to the
Executive Directory of France, proposing to conclude an offensive
and defensive alliance with the French; to subsidize, and supply,
whatever troops the French might furnish to the Sultaun ; and to
commence against the British power in India, a war of aggression,
for which the Sultaun is declared to be fully prepared, awaiting
with anxiety the moment when the succour of France shall enable
him to satisfy his ardent desire of expelling the British nation from
India. The proclamation concludes by offering encouragement to
the subjects of France to enter into the service of Tippoo Sultaun,
on terms to be fixed with his ambassadors then on the spot.
Although the Governor-general was inclined, in the first
instance, to doubt the authenticity of this extraordinary publica-
tion, he thought it advisable to transmit a copy of it on the ^th

* Proclamation, Appendix, 1.