two perfons were defired to examine them one after another. This, however, appeared endlefs, and as it was now becoming dark, a light was procured, and I accompanied the Killedar into the gateway. During the fearch, we difcovered a wounded perfon laying under the Sultaun's palankeen: this man was afterwards afcertained to be Rajah Cawn, one of Tippoo's moft confidential fervants; he had attended his mafter during the whole of the day, and, on being made acquainted with the object of our fearch, he pointed out the fpot where the Sul. taun had failen. By a faint glimmering light it was difficult for the Killedar to recognize the features, but the body being brought out, and fatisfactorily proved to be that of the Sultaun, was conveyed in a palankeen to the palace, where it was again recognized by the eunuchs and other fervants of the family. When Tippoo was brought from under the gateway, his eyes were open, and the body was fo warm, that for a few moments Colonel Wellesley and myself were doubt. ful whether he was not alive: on feeling his pulfe and heart, that doubt was removed. He had four wounds, three in the body, and one in the temple; the ball having entered a little above the right ear, and lodged in the cheek. His drefs confifted of a jacket of fine white linen, loofe drawers of flowered chintz, with a crimson cloth of filk and cotton round his waift; a hand. fome pouch, with a red and green filk belt hung acrofs his fhoulder; his head was uncovered, his turban being loft in the confufion of his fall; he had an amulet on his arm, but no ornament whatever. Tippoo was of a low ftature, cor, pulent, with high fhoulders, and a short thick neck, but his feet and hands were remarkably fmall; his complexion was rather dark; his eyes large and prominent, with fmall arched eye-brows, and his nofe aquiline: he had an appearance of dignity, or perhaps of fternness, in his countenance, which diftin. guished him above the common or. der of people, Letter from the RAJAH JESSWONT SING, [who died in the be ginning of the year 1678], to AURENGZEBE. [From ORME's liftorical Fragments of Hinduftân]. ALL due praife be rendered to the glory of the Almighty, and the munificence of your Majesty, which is confpicuous as the fun and moon. Although I your well-wisher have feparated myself from your fublime prefence, I am neverthelefs zealous in the performance of every bounden act of obedience and loyalty. My ardent wishes and ftrenuous fervices are employed to promote the profperity of the Kings, Nobles, Mir zas, Rajahs, and Roys of the province of Hinduftân, and the chiefs of Eraun, Turaun, Room, and Shawn, the inhabitants of the seven climates, and all perfons travelling by land and by water. This my inclination is notorious, nor can your royal wifdom entertair a doubt thereof. Reflecting, therefore, on my former fervices, and your Majefty's condefcenfion, I prefume to folicit the royal attention to fome circumftances, circumftances, in which the public as well as private welfare is greatly interested. I have been informed that enor. mous fums have been diffipated in the prefecution of the defigns form. ed against me, your well-wither; and that you have ordered a tribute to be levied to fatisfy the exigen. cies of your exhausted treasury. May it picafe your Majefty, your royal ancestor Mahommed Jelaui-ul-Deen Akbar, whofe throne is now in Heaven, conducted the affairs of this empire in equity and firm fecurity for the fpace of fiftytwo years, preferving every tribe of men in eafe and happiness: whether they were followers of Jefus, or of Mofes, or of David, or Mahommed; were they Brahmans, were they of the fett of Dharians, which denies the eternity of matter, or of that which afcribes the exiftence of the world to chance, they all equally enjoyed his countenance and favour; infomach that his people, in gratitude for the indifcriminate protection he afforded them, diftinguished him by the appellation of fuggut Graw (Guardian of Mankind). His Majefty Mahommed Noorul-Deen Jehangeer, likewife, whofe dwelling is now in Paradife, extended, for a period of twenty-two years, the fhadow of his protection over the heads of his people; fuc cefsful by a conftant fidelity to his allies, and a vigorous exertion of his arm in bufinefs. Nor lefs did the illuftrious Shah Jehan, by a propitious reign of 32 years, acquire to himfelf immortal reputation, the glorious reward of clemency and virtue. Such were the benevolent incli. nations of your ancestors. Whilft they purfued thefe great and generous principles, wherefoever they directed their fteps, conqueft and profperity went before them; and 5 then they reduced many countries and fortreffes to their obedience.During your Majefty's reign, ma. ny have been alienated from the enpire, and farther lofs of territory muft neceffarily follow, fince deva. ftation and rapine now univerfully prevail without restraint. Your fubjects are trampled under foot, and every province of your epire is impoverified; depopulation fpreads and difficulties accumulate. When indigence has reached the habitation of the Sovereign and his Princes, what can be the condition of the Nobles? As to the foldiery, they are in murmurs; the merchants complaining, the Mahommedaus discontented, the Hindûs deftitute, and multitudes of people, wretched even to the want of their nightly meal, are beating their heads throughout the day in defperation. How can the dignity of the Sovereign be preferved who employs his power in exacting heavy tributes from a people thus miferably reduced? At this juncture it is told from caft to weft, that the Emperor of Hinduitân, jealous of the poor Hindû devotee, will exact a tribute from Brahmans, Sanorahs, Joghies, Berawghies, Sonaffees; that, regardlefs of the illuftrious honour of his Timurean race, he condefcends to exercite his power over the solitary inoffenfive anchoret. If your Majefty places any faith in those books, by diftinction called divine, you will there be inftructed, that God is the God of all mankind, not the God of Mahommedans alone. The Pagan and the Muffulman are equally in his prefence. Diftinctions o colour are of his ordination. It is he who gives exiftence. In your temples, to his name the voice is raised in prayer; in a houfe of images, where the bell is fhaken, ftill he is the object of adoration. To vilify the religion or customs of other other men, is to fet at nought the pleafure of the Almighty. When we deface a picture, we naturally incur the refentment of the painter; and justly has the poet said, " Prefume not to arraign or fcrutinize the various works of power divine." In fine, the tribute you demand from the Hindus is repugnant to juftice; it is equally foreign from good policy, as it muft impoverish the country; morever, it is an innovation and an infringement of the laws of Hinduftan. But if zeal for your own religion kath induced you to determine upon this measure, the demand ought, by the rules of equity, to have been made frit upon RAMSING, who is cfteemed the prin cipal among the Hindus; then let your well-wither be called upon, with whom you will have lefs dif. ficulty to encounter: but, to tor ment ants and flies, is unworthy of an heroic or generous mind. It is wonderful that the Minifters of your Government should have neglected to inftruct your Majefty in the rules of rectitude and honour. The tranflation of this fpirited and elegant letter was made and given to us by Mr. C. Boughton Roafe, now Sir Charles William Roufe Boughton, Bart, one of the Commifioners for auditing the Pub. lic Accounts.] A Narrative of the Reigns of the Succeffors of MAHOMMED, containing a Description of the Schifm which took place in the Musfulman Religion, by which it became divided into two Selts, the one who affumed the Title of Sooney (or orthodox), and who branded the oppofite Party with the opprobrious Epithet of Shiah (or heterodox), in confequence of their maintaining that the Sovereign Imamut belongs by right exclufively to the Defcendants of Ally. (From the BIBLIOTHEQUE ORIENTALE.) WHEN the death of Mahommed became divulged, a party in the city of Medina, who were diftinguifhed by the title of Anfar, fignifying protectors, on account of their having protected Mahommed in his retreat to their city, affembled together for the purpofe of clecting a fucceffor; when they were about to nominate Saud one of their compatriots for this dignity, their affembly was joined by feveral of the principal men of Mecca, who had accompanied Mahommed in his retreat; and on account of their having been driven out of their Q city, they were from that circum. france called Mohageroux (or refu gees): the latter remonftrated against the election of Saud, and obferved that they also had an equal right to nominate a fucceffor; but fooner than divide Muffulmanism into two fac tions, which would ultimately tend to its deftruction, they, rather than avail themselves of their privilege, would prefer that a fucceffor fhould be elected by the unanimous confent of all Mahommedans, without hav ing recourfe to the diftinction of protectors or refugees. Great altercation enfued, and the debate was long and tumultuous, although the principal Muffulman chiefs prefent at the affembly, having made choice of Abubekre, who had greatly exerted himself in pacifying the two parties, he was accordingly elected the fucceffor of Mahommed on the day of the decease of the latter, and on the following he was univerfally acknowledged as fuch by the multitude. purpose of waging war with Heraclius, who had levied a large army to oppofe the depredations of the Arabs, who had refused to pay the cuftomary tribute. Khalid encamped his troops on the brink of the river Barmuc, in view of the Gre cian army: they did not exceed at that time 36,000 men, whereas thofe of the enemy amounted to upwards of 200,000. He was on the point of giving battle, when a courier arrived from Medina, who informed him of the death of Abubekre. Khalid cautiously conceal The followers of Ally, however, to this day ftrenuously affert that their fpiritual guide never gave his confent to this election, and that he was equally averfe to the fucceffioned this news, and publifhed in his of Omar and of Othman. The death of Mahommed occafioned a revolution in the minds of feveral of the Arab tribes, who, having renounced the Creed of the Prophet, had reverted to their ancient religion: fo that the first care of Abubekre was to chaftife these apoftates, and to bring them back to the Muffulman perfuafion; for which purpofe he detached one of his braveft and most experienced Ge. nerals, by name Khalid, the fon of Walid, who knew well how to use the powers of perfuafion and of arms to bring about the implicit obedience of thefe infidels. This fchifm having been properly adjufted, and the authority of Abubekre well eftablished in Arabia, the roving inclination of the Mahommedans in clined them to meditate foreign conquefts. Abubekre accordingly a fecond time detached Khalid with a powerful army, to fupport Mothana, who had, at that period, pe. netrated far into the interior of Irak, or Chaldea, at that time in the poffeffion of the Perfians. Thefe two Generals made themselves mafters of the cities of Hira, Aubar, and feveral others. Mothana remained in the country to govern them; and Khalid received inftructions to march with his army into Syria, for the camp that he had received advice of the march and near approach of a reinforcement of 12,000 horfe: he thought this report would infpire his troops with fresh courage, who began to be difpirited at the difpa rity of numbers between themfelves and the enemy. Having, in this mode, encouraged his army, Khalid fecretly interrogated the courier on fundry fubjects, and amongst other queftions, afked him who had been nominated fucceffor to Abubekre? The courier having informed him that Omar was the perfon; upon which Khalid obferved, "then I am no longer General of the army," for he well knew, he obferved, he. was not agreeable to the inclination of the new Khalif; in answer to which, the courier immediately faid," he had understood fo, and that Abou Obeidah was to supply his place." Khalid having learnt this intelligence, did not fail notwithstanding to give battle to the Greeks, which he, however, could not avoid doing. He gained a complete victory over the enemy, and having pillaged their camp, he found an immenfe booty. Having thus gloriously terminated the war, Khalid fought for Abou Obeidah, who hav ing found, he communicated to him the the intelligence he had received from Medina, and refigned to him the command of the army. This great change having been effected, they proceeded to divide the fpoils taken from the Greeks, the fifth fhare of which was fent to Mecca, and the four others diftributed be. tween the chiefs and foldiers. But to return to Abubekre; find. ing himself attacked by a flow fe. ver, in the 13th year of the Hejira, which speedily reduced him to a very emaciated state, he took the refolution of nominating his fucceffor; for which purpofe he turned his attention towards Omar, and although fome of the family of Abubekre oppofed this felection, their objections were furmounted, and he died in peace. Omar, immediately after his deceafe, offered up a folemn prayer for his foul, and caufed the body to be interred in the house of Aifha, the daughter of the deceafed, and by the fide of the tomb of Mahommed, his fon in law. Abubekre died at the 63d year of his age, and only reigned two years and three months. Mahommed gave the title of Judik, (or juft,) to Abubekre, in confequence of the latter having attefted the miracle of his afcenfion to heaven, which, at this day, is folemnly celebrated by the Arabs on the 28th day of the moon Rejub, by the name of Miraj. Abubekre was the first perfon who affumed the title of Khalif, which fignifies both vicar and fuceefior. He alfo collected together the fcattered sheets of the Alcoran, which having formed into a volume, he divided into chapters, and named it, by way of excellence, Almathaf, fignifying The Book. The real name of the first of the Khalifs was Abdullah, and he acquired the name of Abubekre, or father of the virgin, in confequence of his daughter Aisha having been the only one, amongst the wives of Mahommed, whom he married as a maiden. Omar Ben-ul-Khitab was the fecond Khalif, and fucceffor of Abu. bekre, having been fo declared by the latter on his death.bed. He commenced his reign in the 13th year of the Hejira, and was flain in the 24th of that era. In the reign of this Khalif, which only lafted ten years and a half, the Arabs fubjugated Syria, Chaldea, Mefo. potamia, Perfia, and Egypt; and Khondemir remarks, that in thefe few years they made themfelves mafters of 36,000 cities and caffles, destroyed 4,000 churches belonging to the Chriftians, and temples of the idolaters, and caufed 1400 mofques to be built for the performance of their religious worship. The par. ticulars of thefe wonderful events are as follows: In the 14th year of the Hejira, and 2d of Omar's reign, the city of Damafcus, the capital of Syria, although fupported by the army of the Emperor Heraclius, was taken by Khalid and other Generals of Omar. In the 15th year, the remainder of that great province experienced the deftiny of its capital, it having been abandoned by the Emperor Heraclius, who had before arrived to defend it in perfon. In the 16th year, Omar attended the fiege of Jerufalem in perfon, which had been commenced by his troops previous to his arrival; and the city having furrendered to him, Omar granted to the patriarch, and to the rest of the inhabitants, a very honourable capitulation, in confe quence of which the Muffulmans were guilty of no diforder. Omar only, with great modefty, required of the patriarch to fhew him a fpot whereon he could build a mofque, as |