‘Colonel Wellesley.’ He spoke softly with a slight lisp. ‘I am delighted to meet the man responsible for the defeat of Dhoondiah Waugh.’
Before one of his courtiers could translate Arthur replied in Hindoostani. ‘The pleasure is mine, sir.’
The Peshwa’s expression revealed his surprise and he smiled again. ‘You speak our tongue well, Colonel.’
‘You are very kind, sir.’
‘No, it is you who are kind, Colonel. Not many of the white men in India have made an effort to learn the local tongues.’ He laughed. ‘They just speak louder in the hope that volume will compensate for clarity.’
Now it was Arthur’s turn to laugh. ‘You have the measure of my people, sir. It is a peculiarity of the British that they find it hard to speak other languages.’
‘And yet you do, Colonel.’
‘I try to make up for the shortcomings of others, sir.’
‘How admirable of you. But I wonder, can one such as you make up for the depredations of so many of your fellow countrymen? Or at least the Honourable East India Company?’
‘I can assure you that British affairs in India are no longer the sole responsibility of the Company. The world is changing, sir.’
‘Yes, it is,’ the Peshwa replied thoughfully.
Arthur gestured to the dragoons, still waiting in their squadrons. ‘Would you care to inspect my men, sir?’
‘Indeed.’
The Peshwa rode down each line of horsemen and surveyed them with a genuinely curious expression. At the end he turned to Arthur. ‘Thank you, Colonel. A fine body of men. I only wish I had such soldiers in my army.’
There was a hint of feeling that went beyond politeness and Arthur felt his pulse quicken as he replied. ‘All India knows that the Mahratta people field the finest native soldiers in these lands.’
‘That is true, but some of my warlords abuse that advantage by waging war on each other, and occasionally on me. Sometimes, I fear, I am ruler of the Mahratta federation in name only.’
‘Then you might consider a more formal alliance with Britain, sir.’ It was a bold suggestion and Arthur feared that he might have overstepped the bounds of diplomacy. For a moment the Peshwa stared at him, and then he shook his head sadly.
‘An interesting thought, Colonel, but with so many Frenchmen advising the Maharatta warlords, I fear that I would not long survive such an alliance. But come now, we are not here to bewail the ways of the world. I am your host and you and your men are here to celebrate the end of Dhoondiah Waugh.’
While Colonel Stevenson led the column back to Mysore, Arthur and a small escort remained the guest of the Mahrattas for several more weeks. He took every opportunity to explore the lands and get to know the most prominent of the warlords. He entered notes of his observations in a small book in a private code he shared with his brothers. Then, in November, he returned to Seringapatam.
Now that the brigands had been defeated, the kingdom was enjoying newfound prosperity and the routes that linked the towns and cities flowed with merchandise and travellers. Arthur was greeted with respect and gratitude in every settlement he passed through and it seemed that the vision of the Wellesley brothers was at last taking root in Mysore.
He reached the capital just after sunset one night, and rode quietly round the walls of the city until he reached the Dowlut Baugh. There was sure to be a mass of paperwork and other duties awaiting his attention, but Arthur promised himself a good night’s rest before he resumed his duties as military governor.
There was one letter he did attend to. It was from Richard in his own hand and Arthur broke the seal and read it while a servant prepared a bath for him. Richard was delighted by his success against Dhoondiah Waugh. No one in India could now doubt Arthur’s potential as a military commander. He had brought peace to a land larger and more populous than all the islands of Britain. His return to Seringapatam was fine timing, since the need to mount an expedition to seize Java was more pressing than ever. Richard offered his brother the task of planning the operation, preparing the men and supplies required, and ultimately commanding the force. He concluded, in words that warmed Arthur’s heart:
I employ you because I rely on your good sense, discretion, activity and spirit. I cannot find all those qualities united in any other officer in India.
Arthur set the letter down and leaned back in his chair to gaze out of the window. Outside, the moon gleamed in the starry sky, bathing the ornate gardens of the palace in a silvery loom, and the Cauvery flowed like a black ribbon across the lush landscape of Mysore.The feeling of being at peace was overwhelming, and Arthur realised that, finally, he had achieved a recognition he could be satisfied with.
Chapter 60
Trincomalee, Ceylon, January 1801
Out in the harbour the transports lay at anchor, while around them the placid waters teemed with small craft from which the natives sold fruit, carvings, jewellery and jugs of spirits to the sailors and soldiers aboard the ships. Despite the fact that the ships had arrived in the harbour some weeks earlier trade was still thriving and at least it gave the men something to do while the preparations for the expedition continued. Arthur and his small staff had been obliged to make their headquarters in the offices of a burgher trader, since the Governor of Ceylon - the Honourable Frederick North - had declined to offer them accommodation at the fort. Indeed, his lack of hospitality and helpfulness was causing considerable delay in making Arthur’s small flotilla ready to sail.
There were over five thousand soldiers aboard the transports and North had refused to allow them permission to land, not even to carry out exercise and training. The reason he gave was that Ceylon had been in British hands for less than five years and the last thing the Governor needed was for some insensitive, or inebriated, soldier to cause offence to the natives or the local population of Dutch traders and their families. So the men remained crowded in the transports while Arthur did his best to complete the loading of supplies into the transports’ holds. There were still shortages of biscuit, salt beef, medicines, spirits and above all ammunition. Once again, the officials of the Company were proving reluctant to authorise the release of their stocks of powder. At first Arthur had tried to persuade North and his officials to see reason and co-operate with him, but after a week he gave in and sent a message to Calcutta, begging Richard to intercede and make it quite clear that Arthur should have unrestricted access to whatever resources he needed to prepare the expedition. It would take at least three weeks for a reply and Arthur had to resign himself to yet more delay.
In the meantime, he did his best to repair relations with the Governor and his staff by hosting a dinner aboard his ship for the senior officers of his command, those of the garrison at Trincomalee and Admiral Rainier and the captains of the squadron assigned to support the expedition. The warships were anchored slightly further offshore where they would be free to put to sea in the event that any French vessels appeared on the horizon. Arthur was aware that there was a strong animosity between the Governor and the admiral, but he braced himself to doing his best to repair relations all round. It frequently surprised Arthur how often personal differences of opinion were permitted to stand in the way of the vital interests of the state, as if such men felt that they were more important than the nation they professed to serve.
On the morning of the appointed date, Arthur’s mood was not improved by the receipt of a private message from Richard, which had crossed the letter he had sent to Calcutta. Once he had decoded the message Arthur’s brow creased into a frown. There was a possibility that the Java expedition would once again have to be cancelled. The situation in the Mediterranean was such that the expeditionary force might be enlarged and redeployed to Egypt instead. Arthur was told to make the force ready to sail either to the east, towards Java, or west, towards the Red Sea. The final decision would be communicated to him as soon as possible.