As
there were, in the garrison, many officers who had served on the
general staff in the last war, Dick soon found some of his former
acquaintances, and the story of his long search for his father, and
its successful termination, soon spread, and gained for him a place in
civil as well as military society.
The next year passed peacefully, and was an unusually quiet time in
India. That Tippoo intended to renew the war, as soon as he was able,
was well known to the government, and one of its chief objects of
solicitude was the endeavour to counteract the secret negotiations
that were constantly going on between him, the Nizam, and the
Mahrattis.
Tippoo was known to have sent confidential messengers to all the great
princes of India--even to the ruler of Afghanistan--inviting them to
join the confederacy of the Mahrattis, the Nizam, and himself, to
drive the English out of India altogether. Still greater cause for
uneasiness was the alliance that Tippoo had endeavoured to make with
the French, who, as he had learned, had gained great successes in
Europe; and, believing from their account that their country was much
stronger than England, he had sent envoys to the Mauritius, to propose
an offensive and defensive alliance against England.
Pages:
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557