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subjeotiori to British Power and tboir desire to obey the wishes rospooting them
of the Right Hon’ble the Governor-General, on whioh oocasion the Mussaleem
expressed his inclination to afford them every honorable and requisite assistance
in the accomplishment of a Journey to Bagdud, if they wishod to undertake
it, and that ns long as they claimed his protection ho should, considering them
as Guests in his House, feel it his Duty to afford it to them, but that if> they
felt and understood themselves to bo British Subjects, and if they wished to
acknowledge British authority, and to submit to the orders and commands
of the British Government in India, he could not withhold his consent to
their immediate Return to that Country, in conformity to the wishes of the
British Resident.
On the 27th Ultimo the Mussaleem assembled a Divan for the purposo
of submitting to the consideration of the Members of it the determination
of the Embassadors of the late Tippoo Sultan to roturn to India, and his
consequent official situation as the Representative at Bussora of the Bacha
of Bagdat, on which occasion thfey gave it as their unanimous opinion- that he
(the' Mussaleem) was not authorized to permit the Embassadors to deviate
from the command? of their late Sovereign. The Mussaleem however
resisted this opinion,, and declared his determination, originating in mature
reflection on the increasing amity by whioh the Ottoman and British Empires
are now fortunately united, to yield to my reasonable official Representations
to him', of the necessity of his delivering up to me the immediate subjects
of my Sovereign, particularly1 as it was their own wish to submit to my
authority.
On the evening of the 28th Ultimo the members of the Divan went publicly;
to the late Erench Eaotory, and required from the Embassadors a declaration
of their'final Determination respecting their Journey to Constantinople, or
their return of India.
On the morning of the 29th Ultimo the Mussaleem adopted a similar
measure.
On both these occasions the Embassadors declared, that as by the permis­
sion' of God their late Sovereign Master, Tippoo Sultan, had ceased, to live
and as his Dominions had been placed by Eortune under the Jurisdiction of
the British Nation, they considered their Mission as annulled, and deemed ,it
now to be their Duty, as British Subjects to return to India, in conformity
to the wishes and Commands of the Right Hon’ble the Governor-General,
communicated to them by the British Resident.
On the Evening of the 29th Ultimo further Debates took place,.at the
Government House between th’e Mussaleem and the Members of the .furbish
Divan, respecting the Embassdors, ;and the Letters and Presents with whioh
they were charged for the Ottoman Emperor subsequent to which the
Mussaleem informed me, through Akan Mahomed Nebee, that I might <?pnsider
myself at.liberty to cause the conveyance to India, of the Embassadors from
the late Tipoo Sultan, whenever I-pleased,, under the stipulation fjhat the
Presents and Letters which the deceased Prince had, during the existence
of his Sovereign Power, destined to the perusal and use of the Ottoman Emperop.
should previous to their Departure, be delivered to him for transmission to
Bagdat, to be by the Bacha held at the Imperial disposal,
This information from the- Mussaleem did not surprize■ me. I had.
foreseen the probability of his being either inclined by a sense of Duty, or
of his being forced by the conduct and measures of the inferior Officers of. his