The pre

general league against their European masters. valence of such feelings could not be hidden from the watchful and discerning eyes of men who, having helped to build up rapidly an empire with the most heterogeneous materials, knew how insecure were its foundations, and how ill cemented was its apparent strength. What they deemed most formidable, was a community of religious suspicion, or a community of new religious belief. Political unity in India there had never been, and they were sure there could never be; but" if the leading natives should turn Christian, we should lose the country;" and the popular dread of proselytism was likely to prove equally embarrassing.

Throughout the war with France our mercantile marine had suffered severely from cruisers, well equipped and armed, which issued from the harbours of Mauritius and the Isle of Bourbon. It had long been an object to get rid of this source of danger to our trade, the transport service not being protected by convoy. In 1809 a daring attempt was made on the lesser island by Captain Rowley and Colonel Keating, who, with a small detachment, not only effected a landing, but succeeded in taking the town of St Paul. The scantiness of the numbers at their command rendered it impossible for them to establish themselves in the island at that time; but they had succeeded in ascertaining that the strength of its defensive works had been greatly exaggerated; and the following year a powerful expedition was despatched for its reduction, as well as that of Mauritius, which has ever since remained a dependency of the British Crown. In 1811 Lord Minto conceived the idea of effecting a still more brilliant achievement. Holland was no longer an independent Power, and its greatest colony in the East lay too near our possessions to

1 The words of one who held high office under Lord Minto.

render safe the use that might be made of them by an enterprising enemy. After due preparation, a squadron under Commodore Rowley, having on board a sufficient land force, sailed from Malacca, and, somewhat to the surprise of many who had regarded Lord Minto as too much a man of peace, he himself accompanied the expedition. A landing-place near Batavia had been left unguarded, and the debarkation was effected without molestation. The city having been occupied without resistance, a brief campaign in the hilly part of the island ended, without much bloodshed, in the surrender of the forts and harbours which had for many generations belonged to the Dutch, but which had recently been treated as colonial dependencies by Napoleon. There was no longer left in the Indian Ocean any place of strength over which the British flag did not

For three years Batavia had for its Governor Sir Stamford Raffles, and at the conclusion of the war it was honourably restored to Holland. On the mainland, Lord Minto adhered to his pacific policy, from which he could not be provoked into departing either by the occasional plundering of the Pindharries, or the exaggerated importance given by many about him to the swaggering demeanour of the Ghoorka Chiefs. He was not blind indeed to the real condition of the country under his charge, which he felt required repose. It was as much as he could do to maintain the credit of the Government, without adding to taxation which the people were unfit to bear, or withholding a comparatively moderate dividend, which the Company expected.

Economy was the order of the day. Conquest had had its fling; and having sown its wild oats, the time was said to have come when it must lead a more sober and frugal life, retrench wasteful expenditure, and if it did not clear of

debt, contrive at least for the future to pay its way. It was not easy to cut down the cost of the army; it was not considered safe to seem even to do it. The ablest and most thoughtful men who had been engaged in the work of provincial administration did not dare to disguise the truth, that what had been won by force was held only by the influence that fear inspires. Our situation in India," said Metcalfe, "has always been precarious. It is still precarious, not less so, perhaps, at the present moment, by the fault of the system prescribed by Government at home, than at any former period. We are still a handful of Europeans governing an immense Empire, without any firm hold on the country, having warlike and powerful enemies on all our frontiers, and the spirit of disaffection dormant, but rooted universally among our subjects." To disband any important number of troops, or even to reduce the muster-roll in any perceptible degree, might jeopardise all. There was no other alternative but that of parsimony in the civil administration; and to this every one objected who had a voice in the matter at home, because it implied curtailment in the number of primary appointments; and everybody objected in India who had advancement to seek for himself or his friends. Still something was effected by Lord Minto; and, unlike most of those who had gone before him, he was able to say that, in his time, nothing had been added to the debt.

1 Lord Metcalfe, Selections from Papers, Edited by J. W. Kaye.

CHAPTER XIX.

O

SCINDIA AND HOLKAR.

1814-1817.

"I think it well to sketch what appears to me the corrective for many existing embarrassments. Our object ought to be to render our Government paramount in effect, if not declaredly so. We should hold the other States as vassals, in substance, though not in name; not precisely as they stood in the Mogul Government, but possessed of perfect internal sovereignty, and only bound to repay the guarantee and protection of their possessions by the British Government with the pledge of the two great feudal duties. First, they should support it with all their forces on any call. Second, they should submit their mutual differences to the head of the Confederacy (our Government), without attacking each other's territories. A few subordinate stipulations on our part, with immunities secured in return to the other side (especially with regard to succession), would render the arrangement ample without complication or undue latitude."

-LORD HASTINGS.1

IN the stormy days of the Regency, Lord Moira was one

of the conductors kept at Carlton House to save it from popular wrath. He was chiefly known for his fine manners and fine sentiments, parliamentary pliancy, and a measureless load of debt. By profession a soldier, by trade a courtier, and by occupation a spendthrift, one vainly seeks for any act worth remembering, or for any performance to account for the position of influence he held in the world of politics and fashion. More insensible to party ties than to personal considerations, he clung, like Sheridan, to the Prince, when nearly all his early friends felt that he had deceived

1 Private Journal, vol. i. p. 54.

them. The Regent was said to be incapable of gratitude; but he understood the value of an instrument fit for his purpose when he had it. For him the Earl was thoroughly trustworthy, and accordingly, he trusted him in 1812 with the task of attempting to form a Coalition Cabinet, in which he only failed because, though there were many able Whigs and accomplished Pittites, there was only one Moira, and neither section shared the royal confidence in him. Next year witnessed his compensation and reward. Those who knew what manner of man was really needed sighed the Directors shrugged their shoulders, and took care to explain privately that the selection was not theirs: but the creditors of the insolvent Earl were enthusiastic in their approval, and met to pass votes of congratulation on the propitious event. They did more. As a signal proof of the interest they took in the welfare of their fascinating debtor, they proceeded to appoint an official assignee to receive his splendid salary every quarter. This attaché-extraordinary was actually sent out to Calcutta, and there awaited his Excellency's arrival.

Lord Moira visited Madras on his way out, and reassured by kind and courtly words the Nawab of the Carnatic that he need not fear from him any further degradation" of his already abject condition;" observing that "he would always construe the terms of existing treaties in a way most considerate towards the party whose security was in reliance on the honour of the other." On returning his visit, the Viceroy was struck by the inanity and ennui to which the Nawab's life must be a prey, living amid great magnificence without pursuit or power of any kind. He adds expressions of pity at seeing one occupying his situation subjected to many vexatious restraints; such as being compelled to negotiate for leave to enjoy the pleasures of the chase,