MYSORE , C ANAR A, AN® MALABAR. 6oz

of deftroying every monument of the former government, had razed Myfore, andremoved the ftones of the palace and temples to a neighbouring height, where hewas building a fort ; which, from its being fituated on a place commanding anextenfive view, was called Nazarbar. This rortrefs could have been of no poffibleufe in defending the country, and was probably planned merely with the view of ob-fcuring the fame of Myfore, the former capital. At a great expence, and to the greatdiftrefs of the peafants working at it, the Sultan had made confiderable progrefs inthe works of this place, when he began to confider that it afforded no water. Hethen dug an immenfe pit, cutting down through the folid black rock to a great depthand width, but without fuccefs ; and when the fiege of his capital was formed, thewhole work was lying in a mafs of confufion, with a few wretched huts in it for theaccommodation of the workmen. Into the belt of thefe, in July laft, the young Rajawas conducted, and placed on the throne. At the fame time the rebuilding of theold palace of Myfore was commenced. It is now fo far advanced, as to be a com-fortable dwelling ; and I found the young Prince feated in it, on a handfome throne,which had been prefented to him by the Company. He has very much recoveredhis health, and, though he is only between fix and feven years of age, fpeaks, andbehaves with great propriety and decorum. From Indian etiquette, he endeavours inpublic to preferve a dignified gravity of countenance ; but the attentions of ColonelClofs, the refident, to whom he is greatly indebted for that officer’s diftinguiffiedefforts in his delivery, make him fometimes relax; and then his face is very lively andinterefting.

The fovereign Raja of Myfore is called the Curtur ; in order to diflinguifh himfrom the head of another branch of the family, called alfo Raja, but diftinguiffied bythe title of Dalawai, or Putarfu. The two families generally intermarried ; and thepower of the Curtur was frequently as much controlled by the Dalawai, as it was af-terwards by Hyder. The Dalawai family ftill exifts, having been fpared by themagnanimity of Hyder, although they had attempted to procure his deftru&ion ; andthey had funk too low in the eftimation of the people, to be objedts of Tippoo ’sjealoufy. By the Muffulmans, they were in derifion called the Pettahutty Rajas ; butthe head of this branch, a handfome young man, being now penfioned by the Raja,and treated by the refident with refpedt, the fubjedls pretend to be ignorant of theappellation Pettahutty, and he is fpoken of by his proper titles, although he has noauthority. Numerous other branches of the Myfore family, in the male line, arefcattered over the country, and are called Arfu Mocalu, or Raj’bundy. They arelittle refpe&ed ; and few of them are poffeffed of wealth fufficient to fupport the ap-pearance of rank.

The palace of the Sultan at Seringapatam is a very large building, furrounded by amaffy and lofty wall of ftone and mud, and outwardly is of a very mean appearance.There were in it, however, fome handfome apartments, which have been convertedinto barracks ; but the troops are very ill lodged, from the want of ventilation com-mon in all native buildings. The private apartments of Tippoo formed a fquare, inone fide of which were the rooms that he himfelf ufed. The other three fides of thefquare were occupied by warehoufes, in which he had depofited a vaft variety ofgoods; for he aSed not only as a Prince, but alfo as a merchant.

Thefe goods were occafionally diftributed among the amildars, or governors ofprovinces, with orders to fell them, on the Sultan’s account, at a price far above theirreal value ; which was done by forcing a ffiare of them upon every man in propor-tion to his fuppofed wealth. This was one of the grand fources of oppreffion, pecula-vol. vm, 4 h tion,