Page:Sir Thomas Munro and the British Settlement of the Madras Presidency.djvu/58

 50 SIR THOMAS MUNRO

' There was no use in keeping it,' he writes, ' when I could not venture to send it to those for whose amusement it was intended. It mentioned what ought to have been the general plan of the war ; explained the impolicy of commencing it in Coim- batore, which I believe I took notice of before General Medows joined the army ; the propriety of advancing from the Karnatik to Bangalore ; pointed out the mistake of the Seringapatam expedition as well as the manner in which it ought to be next attempted and the government of Tipu entirely overthrown ; and by a discussion of the nature of Maratha armies, their method of marching, and the way of supplying them with provisions, showed how little cause there was of apprehension from them.'

The details he gives of the siege of Bangalore and of the subsequent operations are published in Gleig's Life, and are well worth reading, but are too long to quote here. So also are the letters he wi'ote when the idea was entertained of a speedy accommodation with Tipii. Against this he argued strongly, and derided the policy of maintaining in India the balance of power. 'Men read books,' he wrote, 'and because they find that all warlike nations have had their downfall, they declaim against conquest as not only dangerous but unprofitable, from a supposition that the increase of territory must be always followed by a proportionable increase of expense. This may be true when a nation is surrounded by warlike neigh- bours, which, while it gains a province on one