he brought with him no materials but a few loose notes, taken hastily in the course of business, and hence for the most part irrelative, or incomplete. Moreover, an accident which separated him from his baggage, books, and papers during the voyage home, and led to the loss of several of the latter, must further have defeated such a purpose, had the design been seriously entertained. Nevertheless, it seemed to the Author, before he had been long in England, that many circumstances combined to revive the public interest in Indian affairs. He found also that his work was in demand, though long out of print; its utility as an authentic exposé of the events of the period not having been superseded by any of the publications which had since appeared. The time, therefore, appearing favourable, the Author was encouraged to undertake the superintendence of a new edition through the press, and hence it became necessary for him to complete the narrative from such materials as he could command, and more especially to endeavour to bring down the according to the results to the latest period, original design. From what has been stated, however, it will be evident that this part of the work has been executed under great comparative disadvantages. The author has no longer had the same means of ready reference to official and private correspondence under which it was his boast to have compiled the original narrative. He is sensible, also, that much of the favour, and still more of the credit and authenticity with which his first publication was viewed, were owing to the official situation he then filled, and the intimate relation with the head of the Indian government, in which, from that circumstance, he was supposed to be placed. This certainly is an advantage he cannot claim for any thing new in the present edition; moreover, the distance from his friends, amongst the actors and parties concerned in the events recorded, has deprived him of the power of reference to their judgment and superior intelligence, an advantage of which he before largely availed himself. In the present instance, therefore, the public have the fruit of the Au thor's unaided labours; and for any errors or imperfections, or incorrect opinions which may be found, the responsibility is entirely his own. With respect to the form of publication, it has been the author's aim to place the work as extensively as possible within the reach of those connected with India here or abroad, and to make it as useful as a regard to their convenience and its scope and design have allowed. To have annexed copies of the treaties, and copious notes and references in support of the text, would have had the effect of needlessly swelling the size of the volumes; for the few who require these minute details, can have no difficulty in procuring the entire correspondence as published at the India House, while the abstract contained in the body of the narrative, will suffice for every purpose of general information. The plans and views introduced into the quarto volume, in illustration of the events of the Mahratta War, have, with exception to the general map of the seat of operations, been omitted in this edition, several of them having been found to be more or less incorrect, and all greatly inferior to the topographical delineations in the works of Colonel Blacker and Lieutenant Lake, to which any one needing such illustrations may refer. The few, however, having relation to the events of the Nipâl War, are retained, as necessary to show the nature of that country, and its positions, and not to be found elsewhere; one or two additional maps of the seat of operations against that nation, have further been inserted for the same reasons. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS. State of India on Lord Moira's arrival. Relations of the 1-53 |