1783. but lost a 74 gun fhip in re-entering the harbour. This was the fourth battle that had been fought between Sir Edward Hughes and Monf. de Suffrein within feven months. Never before had there been fo obftinate a competition for the mastery of the Indian ocean. Though the bravery and skill of the British admiral and failors prevented Suffrein's availing himself of his fuperiority for the capturing of his enemy's fhips, yet he displayed uncommon courage, and exerted himself in fuch a manner, as fhowed him to be an able commander and a determined foe. About the 20th of September, Sir Richard Bickerton, with a squadron of five ships of the line, and near 5000 men, arrived at Madras,

In December laft Hyder Ally died. Upon which gen. Mathews was ordered by the prefidency of Bombay, to proceed with his whole force into the country of Canaree, in order to poffefs Bednore, the capital, where Hyder's immenfe treafures were fuppofed to be, together with all his magazines for war. As the place was incapable of refiftance, it was delivered up to the British general upon his appearing before it, together with the province, by capitulation. The general imprisoned the Indian governor in direct violation of the articles, and committed various irregularities. After that the general befieged Mangalore, the principal fea port and marine arsenal of Hyder Ally, which furrendered on Mar. the 9th of March. Tippoo Saib, who had fucceeded to his father Hyder Ally's defigns as well as his power, refolved to relinquifh the Carnatic; and marched with above 100,000 men to refcue Bednore. Gen. Mathews, though he had only between 2 and 3000 troops, of whom about 700 were Europeans, determined to march out of

9.

the

the capital, and give battle to Tippoo Saib in an open 1783. plain. The contest was short; his handful of men was totally routed with great flaughter; and he was obliged with the broken remains of his force to take shelter in the fortress, which stood upon an eminence nigh the town. After a fiege of near three weeks, the garrison obtained terms from Tippoo Saib, fecuring their private property upon their delivering up what was public, and promifing them fafe conduct to Bombay. These conditions depriving them of the immenfe booty they had acquired, they determined upon eluding the fame by dividing the treasure among themselves. Tippoo Saib, when the contrivance was discovered, confidered the articles as annulled by this breach of faith; put both officers and men under confinement, and stripped them of all they poffeffed. When they had fuffered many indignities, they were fent to a fort up the country loaded with irons. The general and several officers are thought to have been put to death with circumftances of great cruelty. The fuccefs that followed the recovery of his capital, encouraged Tippoo Saib to befiege Mangalore; and the garrison was reduced to great extremity. But they were relieved by the news of the general peace, which arrived in July.;

Sir Eyre Coote went by fea to Bengal for the reco very of his health. When upon his return to Madras, he was chafed forty-eight hours by two French men of war. The folicitude and fatigue he underwent in continuing nearly the whole time upon deck, occafioned a relapfe. He got fafe into port on the 26th of April, and died the day after his arrival, at a juncture when his abilities were greatly wanted. Though the res

treat

1783. treat of Tippoo Saib from the Carnatic was of eminent fervice; yet the prefidency of Madras were not fatisfied, while the French poffeffed Cuddalore in the neighbourhood. General Stuart, who had succeeded to the command of the British army, was ordered to reduce it. The garrifon was numerous, and composed of chofen hardy veterans from among the French, and a number of Tippoo Saib's beft troops whom he had left with them. The general began to befiege the place about the beginning of June, and while he preffed it by land, Sir Edward Hughes lay off the harbour to cut off its communication by fea. But on the 20th of June, Mr. de Suffrein approached him with 17 fhips of the line, two more than Sir Edward had. An engagement commenced about four in the afternoon, and lafted three hours. The French retired in the night to Pondicherry, whither the British followed them. The fiege was continued, till the news of a general peace in Europe put an end to all hoftilities.

When the preliminary articles of peace came to be taken into confideration by the British parliament on the 17th of February, upward of 450 members were present in the houfe of commons. Great debates enfued, and the conteft between ministry and oppofition was fupported with unabating fervor on each fide during the whole night. When the divifion took place at eight the enfuing morning, the proposed ministerial addrefs on the peace was rejected by a majority of fixteen, 208 voting for it, and 224 against it, in favor of an amendment proposed by lord John Cavendish. Mr. Thomas Pitt, who opened the debate, and moved for the addrefs, afferted, that from the papers on the table it appeared, that the last

difgraceful war had coft the nation confiderably more 1783. than the glorious war of the duke of Marlborough, and the still more glorious war of lord Chatham, and indeed than all the wars put together in which the nation had been engaged from the revolution to the peace of Aix la Chapelle. In the house of lords, the addrefs moved by miniftry was carried in their favor by 72 votes against 59.

› When the preliminary articles between Great Britain, France and Spain, were agreed upon, a fufpenfion of arms took place with refpect to Holland. But it was not till the 2d of September, that preliminary articles between the Dutch and the British were signed at Paris ; by which a reciprocal restitution of all the places and territories taken on either fide, Negapatam excepted, was agreed upon. The navigation of the eastern seas was also to be free and unmolested to the British shipping in all parts. Thefe two articles are the only objects worthy of special notice!! Trincomale will be reftored to the Dutch by the French, agreeable to the declaration made by Mr. de Vergennes on the 2d of December. 1782, in his moft chriftian majefty's name, that it was his invariable intention to restore to their highmightinesses such of their colonies as might remain in his hands, whenever the conclufion of a general peace would enable his majefty to give the republic this new mark of his affection toward it. The ratification of the preliminary articles 'was exchanged with the duke of Manchester on the 29th of September by the plenipotentiaries of their high mightineffes.

F

On the 3d of September, the definitive treaties be- Sept. tween Great Britain, France and Spain, were signed at 3Verfailles

1783. Verfailles by the duke of Manchester, and the plenipotentiaries of the faid courts. On the fame day, the definitive treaty with Great Britain and the United States of America was alfo figned at Paris, by David Hartley efq; the British plenipotentiary, and the plenipotentiaries of the faid ftates. On the 10th, John Adams efq; wrote to you (as his own hand will inform you, should not the letter miscarry)—"I hope that private honefty will not be violated in any debt, and that as much moderation may be fhown towards the tories as poffible, The ftipulations fhould be facred, and the recommendations at least treated with decency, and seriously confidered. I cannot help faying, I wish they could be complied with. When I agreed that congrefs fhould recommend, I was fincere. I then wifhed and ftill with, that the recommendation may be agreed to. This is unpopular no doubt: but treaties are folemn things, in which there fhould be no mental reservations. When New York and Penobfcot are evacuated, the people may be cooler-it will be an ugly bone of con- . tention, I always dreaded it, and would have avoided it, if it had been poffible, but it was not." The proper communication of this letter may produce, at least in the Maffachusetts ftate, a degree of moderation to ward the royalifts, the want of which is too glaringly evident in the proceedings of your various town-meetTM ings.

Now that the operations of war have ceafed, a fubject entirely novel has offered, which engages the attention and admiration of all orders of people.

It having been obferved, that a ball filled with inAammable air would afcend till that and the external