which variance might have arisen,
and to arrange a scheme that would be satisfactory to them both.

To this letter no answer was received for five weeks, by which time
Lord Mornington had arrived at Madras. He then received a letter
containing a tissue of the most palpable lies concerning Tippoo's
dealings with the French. Two or three more letters passed, but as
Tippoo's answers were all vague and evasive, the governor general
issued a manifesto, on the 22nd of February, 1799, recapitulating all
the grievances against Mysore, and declaring that, though the allies
were prepared to repel any attack, they were equally anxious to effect
an arrangement with him.

But Tippoo still believed that a large French army would speedily
arrive. He had received letters from Buonaparte in person, written
from Egypt, and saying that he had arrived on the borders of the Red
Sea, "with an innumerable and invincible army, full of the desire to
deliver you from the iron yoke of England." Tippoo well knew, also,
that although the governor general spoke for himself and his allies,
the Nizam was powerless to render any assistance to the English, and
that the Mahrattis were far more likely to join him than they were to
assist his foes.

The manifesto of Lord Mornington was speedily followed by action, for
at the end of January an army of nearly 37,000 men had been assembled
at Vellore. Of these some 20,000 were the Madras force. With them were
the Nizam's army, nominally commanded by Meer Alum, but really by
Colonel Wellesley--afterwards Duke of Wellington--who had with him his
own regiment, the 33rd; 6,500 men under Colonel Dalrymple; 3,621
infantry, for the most part French troops who had re-enlisted under
us; and 6000 regular and irregular horse.

Dick, who had now attained the rank of captain, had been introduced by
one of Lord Cornwallis's old staff officers to General Harris, who, as
general of the Madras army, was in command of the whole. On hearing of
the services Dick had rendered in the last war, and that his perfect
acquaintance with the language, and with the ground over which the
army would pass, would enable him to be equally efficient on the
present occasion, General Harris at once detached him from service
with the regiment, and appointed him to a post on his own staff.

Had it not been that Dick had seen, for the last two years, that
hostilities must ere long be commenced with Tippoo; he would, before
this, have left th