Often would they have died of
hunger, were it not that Tippoo's own troops took pity on them, and
supplied them from their store.
"Some of the boys, drummer boys, or ship's boys, or little ship's
officers, were kept in the Palace and trained as singers and dancers
for Tippoo's amusement. Very many of the white prisoners were handed
over to Tippoo by Admiral Sufferin. Though how a Christian could have
brought himself to hand over Christians to this tiger, I cannot
imagine.
"Others were captured in forays, and there were, till lately, many
survivors of the force that surrendered in Hyder's time. There are
certainly some in other towns, for it was the policy of Hyder, as it
is of Tippoo, always to break up parties of prisoners. Many were sent
to Bangalore, some to Burrampore, and very many to the fort of
Chillembroom; but I heard that nearly all these died of famine and
disease very quickly.
"While Tippoo at times considers himself strong enough to fight the
English, and is said to aim at the conquest of all southern India, he
has yet a fear of Englishmen, and he thus separates his captives,
lest, if they were together, they should plot against him and bring
about a rising. He knows that all the old Hindoo population are
against him, and that even among the Mohammedans he is very unpopular.
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