seemed to afford him interest, was turning over the leaves of Ayscough's Index, apparently with many a pleasing reminiscence. His ear was so accurate, that when he heard an opera, he generally brought away the most striking movements. And his taste in paintings was sufficiently manifested by his collection, which, though small, contained some excellent pieces, especially a portrait of James II. as Duke of York, which is generally allowed by artists to be a first-rate picture; while many of his own sketches manifest great skill and talent, and a remarkable knowledge of light and shade. Towards the close of his life, his judgment continued accurate long after his memory had failed. Yet, even in regard to the recollection of facts, his well-stored mind sometimes gave evidence in his latter days of most retentive powers; and once, when he was referred to for the explanation of something respecting the evacuation of Toulon, in Archenholtz, an able historian of Germany, he rectified some inaccuracies respecting the positions of the ships, with no small precision. strength, however, and his faculties gradually declined; and at length, almost without a struggle, and to all appearance unconscious of the awful change which was taking place, he solemnly passed from this sublunary state to an unseen and eternal world. The Admiral departed this life at Ramsgate, of an apoplectic attack, on the 3d November, 1832, in the 70th year of his

age.

His

On the 20th of April, 1791, Admiral Boys married Catherine, daughter of John Impett, Esq. of Ashford, Kent, by whom he had one son, the Rev. Thomas Boys, M. A.

Principally from "The United Service Journal."

61

No. V.

SIR JOHN MALCOLM,

MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE SERVICE OF THE HON. EAST INDIA COMPANY; G.C.B.; K.L.S.; AND F.R.S.

THIS highly distinguished soldier and diplomatist was born on the farm of Burnfoot, near Langholm, on the 2d of May, 1769. This farm was granted to the paternal grandfather of Sir John, at a low rent, by the Earl of Dalkeith, in 1707; it subsequently became the residence of George Malcolm, the father of Sir John, who married Miss Pasley, daughter of James Pasley, Esq., of Craig and Burn, by whom he had issue seventeen children, fifteen surviving to maturity. His brothers, Sir Pulteney, Vice-Admiral, R. N., and Sir James, Lieut.-Colonel in the Royal Marines, are both Knights Commanders of the Bath. Burnfoot is still inhabited by the Malcolms.

In the year 1782, young John Malcolm, then scarcely fourteen years of age, went out as a Cadet to India; where, on his arrival, he was placed under the care of his maternal uncle, the late Dr. Gilbert Pasley. He soon acquired an intimate acquaintance with the manners of the natives and with the Persian language. The first service of any moment in which he was engaged, was the celebrated siege of Seringapatam, in 1792, where his abilities attracting the notice of Lord Cornwallis, his Lordship appointed him to the situation of Persian interpreter to an English force, serving with a native Prince. In 1794, the state of his health, impaired by unintermitted exertions in the discharge of his public duties, obliged him to revisit his native country.

In 1795, he re-embarked on board the same ship with General Sir Alured Clarke, who was proceeding to Madras as second in Council, and Commander-in-Chief at Fort

St. George, and intrusted, in his way, thither, with the command of a secret expedition against the Cape of Good Hope, upon the arrival of the fleet in False Bay. General Clarke conferred upon Lieutenant Malcolm a conditional appointment, as his Aide-de-Camp, and employed him in procuring 400 recruits for the Madras army, from among the German troops who had been taken prisoners of war at the Cape. For these services he obtained the recorded approbation of that General and of the Madras Government, by whom he was appointed, 29th January, 1796, Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, and on the 21st January, 1798, to succeed Major Allan as TownMajor of Fort St. George. In September, 1798, Captain Malcolm was appointed Assistant to Captain Kirkpatrick, the resident at Hyderabad; in November following he was called from thence, by express summons, to Calcutta, where he arrived, charged by Meer Allum with some verbal communications to the Governor-General, Lord Mornington, of considerable importance. He immediately accompanied his Lordship on his way from Calcutta to Madras. In December, he quitted the Governor-General, and received instructions. to proceed immediately to join the Nizam's contingent force; and the January following (1799) he was invested with the chief command of the infantry of that force, which continued to act under his direction during the campaign that terminated in the death of Tippoo Sultaun, and the surrender of his capital to the British army. During that campaign, he was not only political agent with the Nizam's army, and commanded all the regular troops of that Prince, but was, with Sir Arthur Wellesley, Colonel Close, and Major Agnew, one of a political commission: he had also charge of all the supplies from the Deccan. He was publicly thanked for his services on this occasion, particularly for the peculiar talent he had manifested for conciliating the Sirdars of the allied forces, and for directing their exertions to objects of general utility, in a manner foreign to their habits of service; for his ability in applying the unconnected power of resource possessed by the contingent force in aid of the general supplies of the

army; and for the important assistance he had given with the corps of the Nizam's regular infantry under his command.

After the fall of Seringapatam, Captain Malcolm was appointed jointly with Captain (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, Secretary to the Commissioners, to whom was entrusted the adjustment of the affairs and division of the territories of Mysore, and the investiture of the young Rajah with the government of the country.

Shortly after the termination of the Mysore war, and the arrangements of the conquered territory were completed, it was deemed expedient that a commission should proceed from the Supreme Government of India to Baba Khan, in order to ascertain the intentions and power of that Prince, and more particularly of Zemaun Shah; and, under the apprehension that the latter was meditating the invasion of Hindostan, to engage the Court of Persia to act with vigour and decision against either him or the French, should either attempt to penetrate to India through any part of the Persian territories. For this service, involving the most essential interests of the East India Company, Captain Malcolm was selected, and ordered to quit Hyderabad in October, 1799, and proceed to Bombay, there to embark for Persia; and, should the season admit of it, to touch at Muscat in his way thither, in order to endeavour to adjust any points relating to the British interests at that place, which the Bombay government should recommend to his attention.

On the 1st of February, 1800, Captain Malcolm reported to the Governor-General his arrival at Bushire, and his having concluded an agreement with the Imaun of Muscat, which provided for the future residence there of an English gentleman in the capacity of agent of the British Government. And on the 20th February, 1801, he transmitted to Bengal copies of two treaties which he had concluded with Persia, the one political, the other commercial. Captain Malcolm reached Bombay, on his return from Persia, 12th May, 1801, and arrived in Calcutta in September following, when he was appointed Private Secretary to the Governor-General; who

stated to the Secret Committee, that "he had succeeded in accomplishing every object of his mission, and in establishing a connection with the actual government of the Persian Empire, which promised to British natives in India political and commercial advantages of the most important description."

On the decease of the Persian ambassador, Hajed Kulleel Khan, who was accidentally shot at Bombay, in 1802, Major Malcolm was immediately despatched to that presidency, invested with authority to conduct all affairs respecting the embassy from the King of Persia to the British Government, and to make every necessary communication to the King of Persia and his minister; also, with instructions to console, and, as far as possible, compensate the family and relations of the deceased ambassador, and to make the necessary arrangements for their return to Persia. The Bombay Government were instructed, upon this occasion, to receive Major Malcolm at Bombay with the honours due to an envoy to any foreign state, from the supreme British authority in India. In August, 1802, Major Malcolm quitted Bengal for Bombay, and returned in November, having, as is stated in a letter from Bengal to the Secret Committee, "completely succeeded in accomplishing the objects of his mission, without subjecting the Honourable Company to any considerable expense, or imposing any important permanent burthen on the Honourable Company's finances, &c."

In November, 1802, while Major Malcolm was at Bombay, Governor Duncan received a communication from the Peishwa, stating the extremity to which he was reduced by the intrigues of Jeswunt Rao Holkar, and requesting an asylum in the British territory: before any answer was returned to this letter, it was judged proper to consult Major Malcolm, who, at the request of the Government, communicated to them his detailed sentiments on the conduct which he judged it advisable for them to pursue on that occasion.

Major Malcolm was nominated, in February, 1803, to the Residency of Mysore; and to act without special instructions;