rity to our north-western frontier in Hindustan, in the supposition of Scindia's reduction. 14. You will apprize his Excellency General Lake, through the most expeditious channel (if any more expeditious communication should offer than through Calcutta) of your plan of political and military operations under these instructions. 15. Scindia's retreat across the Nurbuddah (after his insolent and hostile declaration to Colonel Collins of the 28th of May) will alone be a sufficient proof of his pacific intentions; unless, there fore, Scindia shall have afforded full satisfaction and security in your judgment, you will pursue him across the Nurbuddah, if you should deem that movement ad. visable for the purpose of reducing his means of mischief. 16. The same principle applies to any movement of the Rajah of Berar or of Holkar. The retreat of Ragojee Bhomslah or of Holkar to any place situated within their respective territories, or elsewhere, will not exch sively amount to a sufficient degree of satisfaction and security, after the recent proofs which the confederacy has disclosed of determined hostility and arrogant ambition. 17. You will consider what steps may be taken to excite Cashee Rao Holkar against Jeswunt Rao; and if, in prosecuting hostilities, you should be able to obtain possession of the person of Kundee Rao Holkar, you will avail yourself of that advantage. 18. The precise time of action from Oude and in Cottack cannot now be stated; but 1 will seize Agra, Delhi, take the person of the Mogul under British protec tion, and occupy the Doab, toge ther with Cottack, at the earliest practicable moment after I shall have learnt that you deem hostilities inevitable, or as soon as such measures of precaution may appear to me to be requisite. 19. In the movements of your army, and in all your proceedings under these instructions, you will advert to the precarious state of the Nizam's health, and to the necessity of preserving our inte rests at Hydrabad in the event of his Highness's decease. The Resident at Hydrabad will apprize you of the orders which he has received from me respecting the succession to the Musnud of the Deccan. 20. Although a division of the French troops is already arrived at Pondicherry, and the remain. der may be soon expected, I desire that you will not be induced, by that event, to precipitate an accommodation with any of the Mahratta powers. The effectual security of our interests in the Mahratta empire is the strongest barrier which can be opposed to the progress of the French interests in India; the early reduction of Scindia (if that chief should compel us to resort to hostilities) certain, and would prove a fatal blow to the views of France. An imperfect arrangement with the Mahratta powers, or a delay of active measures, might open to France the means of engaging, with advantage, in the aflairs of the Mahratta empire. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) WELLESLEY. Fort William, 27th June 1803. INCLOSURE (F.) Memorial from the Resident with Dowlut Rao Scindia to him. Copy of a Memorial addressed to Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia, by Colonel Collins; presented by Moonshee Mirza Bauker Khan on the morning of the 12th of June 1803. WHEN Colonel Collins had the honour of an audience with Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia, on the 6th of Safter (28th May), the Colonel, by order of his Excellency the Most Noble the Governor General, urged many cogent reasons and persuasions to induce the Maharaja to declare, without delay or reserve, whether the late negotiations carried on between this court, the Berar Rajah, and Jeswunt Rao Holkar, had been entered into for the purpose of obstructing the completion of the engagements lately concluded at Bassein between his Highness the Feishwa and the British government. But although Colonel Collins was extremely urgent with the Maharaja to give him instant information On this important point, and although the Colonel particularly pointed out the line of conduct which the British government would be compelled to pursue, should the required explanation be withheld, yet the ministers of this Durbar repeatedly declared that Colonel Collins must not expect any satisfactory answer to this question until a meeting had taken place between the Maharaja and the Rajah of Berar; Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia also said, that he could not, without a violation of his faith, give Colonel Collins the satisfaction he demanded, until he (the Maharaja) had conversed with Ragojee Bhomslah; but that af ter his interview with that Rajah, the Colonel should be informed whether there would be peace or war. The proposed conference between Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia and the Rajah of Berar having taken place, Colonel Collins now expects that the Maharaja will, conformably to his promise, explicitly declare whether it is his design to obstruct the completion of the treaty of Bassein, either by means of his own power or in conjunction with Ragojee Bhomslah and Jeswunt Rao Holkar; and Colonel Collins further requires that Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia will state, without reserve, whether it be his present wish and intention to maintain and preserve the rela tions of friendship which have so long subsisted between his Sircar and the British Government :— Finally, in performance of his duty, Colonel Collins apprizes the Maharaja, that should he now refuse or delay to give explicit answers to the foregoing questions, and continue with his army south of the Nurbuddah, such refusal or delay will be regarded by his Excellency as an avowal of hostile designs on the part of this court against the British government: Colonel Collins therefore hopes that motives of moderation and justice, as well as a proper sense of his own in. terests, terests, will induce Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia to act on the present occasion conformably with the relations of amity which have so long subsisted between the two states, and which have Bever been violated on the part of the English, and consistently with the declaration that he (the Maharaja) made to the Colonel on the 29th of Zeacadeh (24th March): but should the Mahataja decline giving Colonel Col. lins the satisfaction which he now demands, in this case the Colonel requests that Maharaja Dowlut Rao Scindia will furnish him with a party of horse to escort him as far as Aurungabad, together with supplies of grain sufficient for the subsistence of his Sepoys and followers, until their arrival at that city. A true Copy. ) (Signed) J. COLLINS, Res. D. R. S. INCLOSURE (G.) Letter from the Resident with Dowlut Rao Scindia, to the Governor General; dated the 6th July, 1803, No. 265-To his Excellency the IN the afternoon of the 4th instant I had an interview with Dowlut Rao Scindia, and with Ragojce Bhomslah, at the tent of the latter chieftain. I was attend. ed on this occasion by Captain Paris Bradshaw, Moonshee Mirza Bauker Khan, and Gunput Rao; Sereedhur Punt, Cashce Rao, the eldest son, and the brother of the Berar Rajah, were present at this conference; also Jadoon Rao Bhasker, Unna Bhasker, Eithul Punt, and Ambajec Inglia, on the part of Scindia. 2. After an interchange of compliments, I commenced the conversation by observing, that I had for some time past been ex. tremely anxious to obtain an audience of those chieftains, in order to learn their final determination respecting the line of conduct which they intended to pursue, in consequence of the engagements lately concluded at Bassein be tween his Highness the Peishwa and the British government; and I concluded with expressing my belief that the result of the present meeting would enable me to assure your Excellency of the friendly disposition of both chieftains towards the British Government. 3. Here I paused, in the expec tation of a reply; but as none was given, I proceeded to state, that the treaty of Bassein was purely of a defensive nature; that it contained no stipulation whatever injurious to the just rights of any of the Deccany Sirdars, but on the contrary had expressly provided for the security and in dependence of the feudatory Mah. ratta chiefs; that the principalobject of the treaty of Bassein was to preserve the peace of India; that your Lordship re garded Dowlut Rao Scindia and Ragojee Bhomşlah as the ancient friends of the Honourable Com. pany, and was, on this account, willing willing to improve the existing 4. Instead of making any observations on the foregoing discourse, Sereedhur Punt entered into a most tedious explanation of the conduct which ought to have been adopted by the Feishwa, previously to his forming a new 5. Here again Screedhur Punt made a long speech, containing, for the most part, professions of the friendly disposition which his master master entertained towards the British government. He ended by remarking, that the English troops, having crossed the Goda. very, were advancing towards the Ghaut of Adjuntee. In consequence of which, he requested I would write to the Honourable General Wellesley, for the purpose of prevailing on him to recall that detachment. I excused myself from preferring any request of the kind; and observed, that the British troops generally advanced when any army was approaching them, but never retreated. I then recurred to the question which I had so frequent ly stated. Sereedhur Punt said, that he had a great many remarks to make on the different articles of the treaty of Bassein; 1 replied, that these remarks might be committed to writing, and hereafter be sent to your Excellency, but in the mean time I expected he would answer my question. The Bhomslah's minister then objected, that the Peishwa had not, to this hour, informed either Scindia or Ragojec of his having concluded a new treaty with the English. minded Sereedhur Punt of the duplicate letters which both the Maharaja and the Berar Rajah had received through me from his Highness the Peishwa, and in which his Highness expressly mentions having improved the friendship that had so long sub. sisted between his government and that of the Honourable Company. Both Jadoon Rao and Screedhur Punt admitted the correctness of this statement; but said, that their masters had never received the originals, and gave me to understand that they yielded no credit whatever to the I re duplicates. 'On this head much warm conversation ensued; but both Sereedhur Punt and Jadoon Rao declared, that it was necessary, for the satisfaction of the Bhomslah and of Scindia, that they should receive the foregoing information from the Peishwa himself, and that for this purpose they intended deputing two confidential persons to Poona. In the mean time they assured me, that their masters had no design whatever to oppose any engage. ments which the British might have contracted with his Highness; and they also promised that their armies should not advance towards Poona, nor ascend the Adjuntee Ghaut. After giv, ing these assurances, they requested 1 would endeavour to prevent the nearer approach of the British troops under the com mand of Colonel Stevenson. I replied, that to evince the sinceri ty of their present professions, it was indispensably requisite that Dowlut Rao Scindia should re cross the Nurbuddah, and the Bhomslah repair to Nagpoor; that while they continued in this quarter with their armies, it was impossible for your Excellency to rely on their friendly promises ; and I added that if the Maharaja and the Berar Rajah would im mediately return to their respective capitals, that I had no doubt of obtaining the consent of the Honourable General Wellesley to withdraw his forces also. But although I persisted in contending and urging this point a considerable time, and did not fail to state that the continuance of the Mahratta armies in this quarter would most probably be productive of serious evils, yet I could obtain no satisfactory as surance |