Add MS 39857-39858

JOURNAL of the Commissioners appointed by the President and Select Committee of Fort St. George, Madras, to conclude a treaty of peace on behalf of the East India Company with Tipu Sultan, Nawab of Mysore, recording correspondence received and despatched during the embassy, minutes of conferences, etc.

31 Oct. 1783-10 May 1784. Two volumes. Owing to the dissensions between Anthony Sadleir, Member of Council at Fort St. George, and George Leonard Staunton (1st Bart. 1785), Secretary to Lord Macartney, Governor and president of Fort St. George, the two Commissioners officially appointed, John Hudleston was added to their number. The Commissioners left Madras on 9 Nov. 1783 and were presented to Tipu at Mangalore on 5 Feb. 1784, and the Treaty of Mangalore (cf. 39858, f. 315 b) was signed 11 Mar. 1784. For accounts of the negotiations see Wilks, South of India, ii, chap.

xxix, and Thornton, British Empire in India, ii, pp. 284-292. Other copies, differently arranged, of a large part of the contents of these volumes are in Add. MS. 22452, and the private letter from Lord Macartney to Staunton entered in 39858, f. 112 b, is printed in Sir G. T. Staunton's Life and Family of Sir G. L. Staunton, p. 289. At the end (f. 350) of 39858 is an index of the contents. Paper. ff. i + 321 and ii + 387. Large folio. A.D. 1783-1784. Belonged to George, Earl Macartney (bookplates ; sale-cat., 27 Jan. 1854, lot 1052), and Sir Thomas Phillipps (MSS. 14190, 14191 sale-cat., 27 June 1919, lot 732).