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Embassadors, of their journey towards Constantinople, convinced, altho’Your
commands in question are not. forcible on the subject, by my own knowledge
of the infamous Contents of the Letters under their charge from Tippoo Sultan,
and by Your Lordship’s acquaintance with the Mahomed an Character, that
Your Lordship could not possibly disapprove a policy, which had for its object
the judicious prevention of the circulation thro’ the Turkish Dominions, of
scandalous falsities, calculated to establish opinions extremely unfavorable to
the British Name, and likely looally to diminish in an injurious and essential
degree its present general Credit and Honor.
I however yielded with apparent cordiality to the suggestions of the
Mussaleem, and assured him that I was only induced to do so by unlimited
confidence in his friendship, and by a conviction of my right to claim the
Embassadors, and their attendants, as Subjects of the British Crown, whatever
might be the nature of the orders respecting them expected from Bagdat.
On the 23rd Ultimo the Orders from Bagdat respecting the Embassadors
were received, and they directed the Mussaleem to furnish them with requisite
means of immediately prosecuting their Journey to Bagdat. The Mussaleem
immediately communicated the tenor of those Orders to me, with an assurance,
that altho* he must apparently yield obedience to them, he was ready to join
me in any plan that my prudence and good judgment might suggest to me,
to induce the Embassadors to relinquish their journey.
With the Mussaleem’s concurrence and knowledge I immediately sent to
the Embassadors Akan Mahomad, Nebeo, accompanied by the Factpry. Linguist
and a Factory Janissary instructed to point out to them, and to Hussun Alii,
the real situation of- the Dominions of their late Master, their consequent
position' as British Subjects, the eligibility of their acknowledging Your
Lordship’s authority, and the necessity of their yielding obedience to it, to explain
to them the probable consequences to themselves of an obstinate resistance of
your wishes, and the probable state of misery to which, in a foreign Country,
they might be exposed subsequent to their arrival at Constantinople where the
Ottoman Emperor could not possibly, on account of his Political Situation
and Connection with great Britain, shew them any favor or countenance ;
to inform them that it was my positive determination not to allow them to
leave Bussora, and to send them to Bombay on the Antilope ; altho* I rather
wished such an arrangement to result from their own inclination than com­
pulsion ; and to assure them, that in the event of their consenting to my wishes
with cheerfulness, they might depend on Your Lordshipls liberality towards
them, and on my recommending them to your favor and patronage.
The communications made in my name by Akan Mahomed Nebee to the
Embassadors, and to Hussun Alii, operated the desired effeot. They expressed
a confidence in the Intelligence received of the Death of Tippoo Sultan, the
Capture of Seringapatam, the division of the Conquered Country, the Establish­
ment at Vellore of the Sons and Family of the late Sultan, and Your Lordship’s
liberality towards his Subjects. They acknowledged themselves to be subjects
of the British Crown. They consented to relinquish their intention to
prosecute a Journey to Constantinople, and to proceed to Bombay on the
Antilope.
On the 25th Ultimo the Embassadors signified to the Mussaleem the
change which had taken place in their sentiments.
On the 26th Ultimo the Embassadors visited the Mussaleem, and publioly
acknowledged, in the Hall of Audienoe at the Government House, their