town are defended by a ftone wall; but, like thofe of the fort, being hollow within, would fcarcely hold out one day's battery. To the fouthward of the White Town is a Small fuburb, inhabited only by the black watermen and fifhermen, confifting of little low thatched cottages; and beyond it is an out-guard of blacks, who ferve to give intelligence to the fort. Adjoining to the White Town northward is the Black Town, inhabited by Portuguefe, Armenians, Indians, and a great variety of other people. It is built in the form of a fquare, and is above a mile and a half in circumference, furrounded with a brick wall feventeen feet thick, with baftions at proper distances, after the modern method of fortification: it is also washed on the weft by a river, and by the fea on the caft; and to the northward a canal is cut from the river to the fea, and ferves on that fide for a moat; fo that Madras, confidering its fituation, may be reckoned a town of ftrength when properly garrifened. The company's affairs are under the directions of the governor and his council, fubordinate to the prefidency at Calcutta. There is also a court held by the mayor and Aldermen twice a week at the Town hall, where the Afiatic inhabitants fue for their debts and implead each other. Thefe magiftrates appear in their gowns, and have a mace carried before them; but, civil caufes among the Europeans are ufually decided by a jury in the court of the judge-advocate, to which belong two or three attornies, and as many bailiffs, who arreft for debt, &c. There are alfo juftices of peace, who hold their feffions in the Black Town on criminal affairs among the inhabitants. A court of admiralty is alio held for maritime affairs, and the governor fometimes permits the officers of the land forces to hold a court martial, and inflict punishments on the foldiers. The governor has not only the command of Fort St. George, but of all the fettlements on the Coaft of Coromandel, and the weft coaft of the island of Sumatra; he is alfo captain of the first company of foldiers, as the fecond in council is of the next; yet his falary amounts to no more than three hundred pounds per annum. The great advantages made by the governor arife from his trading on his own account. On his going abroad he is paid as much respect as a fovereign prince. The guards are all drawn out, the drums beat as he paffes by, fifty or fixty armed blacks run before him, and fome of the handfomeft young fellows he can pick out of the European foldiers run by the fide of his palanquin armed with blunderbuffes: he is alfo attended by a numerous train of fervants, and with the mufic of the coun The fix perfons who compofe the coun have falaries, from an hundred to for pounds a year, according to feniority; b thefe being great merchants, depend mo on the trade than the company's allowanc There are alfo two fenior merchants, w have eighty pounds a year each; two juni merchants, who have thirty pounds; fi factors, each of whom is allowed fifte pounds; and ten writers, who have fi pounds a year each. Thefe dine at the com pany's table, and have lodgings provide for them; but it is faid that no people in th world work fo hard for fuch a trifling falar as the company's writers. Their friends in deed ufually fupply them with fomething trade with, or no man would undertake f hazardous and tedious a voyage in the quality of a writer, who was fenfible of the fatigue he must undergo. Befides thefe officers, who tranfact the bu finefs of the company, they allow the two clergymen of the fort an hundred pounds a year each; the furgeon of the fort has a falary of about forty pounds a year; the judge advocate is allowed an hundred a year; and the attorney-general, as he is called, has only twenty-three pounds a year. The company had likewife two aflay-mafters of their mint, who had an hundred and twenty pounds a year each: but all thefe officers make very great fortunes by availing themfelves of the advantages which their fituation affords them to carry on a beneficial traffic. As to their military forces, a lieutenant is allowed fourteen pagodas, or fix pounds fix hillings, a month an enfign is allowed four pounds nineteen fillings a month; the ferjeants have two pounds five fhillings a month; the corporals and gunners of the fort one pound five fhillings a month; and the pri vate foldiers one pound two fhillings and nine pence a month each; upon which they may five very comfortably. There is not a common foldier in the place who has not a boy to wait on him; the Indians fuffering their children to ferve the English for a trifle, from no other motive than that they may learn the language. This colony produces very little of its own growth, and scarcely any manufactures for foreign markets; and the trade is in the hands of the Armenians and Gentoos. The chief things in which the English deal, are diamonds, callicoes, chintz, muslims, and like. The diamond mines are but a week's journey from this city. Some years ago there were computed to be in the town and villages belonging to Fort St. George eightythousand inhabitants, and above five hun dred Europeans. As the country does not produce food fufficient for the fupport of the people, they have rice from Ganjam and Orifla, wheat from 1786. Curious Cafe of a pretended Forgery. from Bengal and Surat, and wood for fuel from the inands of Diu: hence they might rafily be diftreffed by an enemy who has a Superior force at fea. This city was taken by the French in 1746, who reftored it after the peace. But in 1758 the French army, under the command of M. Lally, attacked it again: it was then defended by the colonels Lawrence and Draper. But though the French entered the Black Town, the garrifon in the fort made fo judicious and fo brave a defence, that they at length obliged the enemy to retire and abandon the enterprize. It was expoled to imminent danger in the year 1781, when Hyder Ally over-ran the Carnatic, but was faved by the judicious difpofitions and confummate generalfhip of Sir Eyre Coote. About feventy miles to the weftward of Madras, is the city of Arcot, the capital of a province under the government of a nabob, who for many years has cultivated an alliwith the English at Madras, always der the fufpicion of harbouring fome hid dea and infidious defigns, which have led to lavish his wealth upon the principal people of that fettlement, whilft he difcover a difpofition to improve his military force inviting European officers into his army. has even retained, at a vaft expence, ettors of his political schemes in the Briparliament. But whatever were his real defigns, they were purfued by measures fo vak and ruinous, that when Hyder Ally catered the Carnatic the nabob found himutterly incapable of making head against m; and fo general was the fpirit of diffection among his fubjects, that his capital came an eafy prey to that formidable in rader. Of this city and territory little is faid by y authentic writer. 31 in a few days after Mrs. Macleod and Mr. Henderfon were also brought before them. It was manifeft that the Dutchess of Gordon's acceptance was a forgery; but the point in difpute was, whether the forgery was contrived by Mr. Henderson the drawer and indorfer, or Mrs. Macleod the indorfee. Upon the 5th of May, Petrie was brought before the magiftrates, and told the manner in which he came by the bill. Henderfon was at the fame time brought before them, and denied all knowledge concerning it. Mrs. Macleod, when apprehended, and confronted with Henderson, judicially declared, that the bill and other deeds challenged were written by Henderson; who again denied all knowledge of them: upon which both he and Mrs. Macleod were committed clofe prifoners. The charge brought against Mr. Henderfon by his Majefty's Advocate was, that he had counterfeited the Dutchefs of Gordon's acceptance to a bill drawn by himself for 581 that, upon being informed on the 3d of May of the bill's being intimated to her Grace, he ftruck himself on the breaft and exclaimed, "all would be ruined;" and that, upon being told of the Dutchess's declaring the had no concern with the bill, he granted a fresh obligation for the fum, and fubfcribed the fame before witneffes. A complaint was, at the inftance of Mr. Henderfon, prefented to the court against Mrs. Macleod, fetting forth, that he had counterfeited the above acceptance, and that, when the bill came to be challenged as forg ed, the had counterfeited an obligation, bearing to be fubfcribed by Hender.on be fore witneffes for 581. being the amount of the faid bill. Mr. Henderson in his complaint against Mrs. Macleod alledged, that the bill was not fabricated by him; for, Imo. The name of the drawer adhibited to it, was not of his Curious Cafe of a pretended Forgery. A Circumfiantial Account of the Trial of hand-writing, nor did it bear any resemblance Mr. George Henderson for a Forgery fup- to it. 2do. He had no acquaintance or pofed to bave been committed by bim. dealings with the Dutchefs of Gordon, fe as from Arnot's "Collection of Criminal to give a plaufible colour to a forgery upon Trials in Scotland," lately published.] her Grace. 3tio. He had no acquaintance or dealings with Mrs. Macleod, to whom the beginning of May 1726, it was the bill was indorfed, nor did he ever see her covered that one Petrie, a town-offi- fave once, about three years ago; although in Leith, held the Dutchefs of Gordon's Mrs. Macleod, with an effrontery acquired for 81. which had been delivered to him, by proper habits, had been pleafed judicially kindorfed, by Mrs. Macleod, as a fe- to declare, in prefence of their Lordships and for 61. for which her husband had of himself, that it was he who indorsed her aid in prifon. The bill was drawn by this bill. 4to. That he did not grant her an George Henderson, accepted by her Grace, obligation to pay the fum of 581. when the red by Henderson the drawer to Mrs. bill was difcovered to be a forgery. And, Mcleod, and blank indorfed by Mrs. Mac- ultimo, that on the 3d of May laff, the day d; and in virtue of this blank indorfe- on which he is faid to have fubfcribed that eat, Petrie the town-officer held it. The obligation in a houfe in the Canongate, in der of the bill was apprehended and prefence of witneffes, he was not without Fght before the magiftrates of Edinburgh; the ports of Edinburgh during the whole day; day; and at the hour in the evening at which it was alledged the obligation was fubfcribed, he was engaged with company in his own house. On the other hand, the Lord Advocate in his complaint againft Mr. Henderfon, and Mrs. Macleod in her anfwers to the complaint at his inftance against her, set forth, Imo. That the bill produced was a forgery,' which, indeed, was acknowledged on all hands; and fo clumsily was it executed, in fo far as it refpected the acceptor, that half the name was omitted; it being figned Gordon, only, without the chriftian name Eliza, a mode of figning never practifed but by peereffes in their own right. 2do. Mr. Henderfon did ufe this forged bill, by delivering the fame to Mrs. Macleod, drawn, accepted, and indorfed as it now ftands. 3tio. That, when informed of the bill being intimated to her Grace, he exclaimed, "all would be ruined." 4to. He denied having been in company with Mrs. Macleod for fome years; whereas it would be proved, that, on the night of his granting her the obligation for 581. they were in company together in the houfe of John Gibfon, wright* in the Canongate, in prefence of feveral witnelles. 5to. That, when the bill was difcovered to be a forgery, he wrote a letter now produced, to William Petrie, holder of the bill, requefting him to delay feeking payment till Saturday, when he, the prifoner, would take up the fame. 6to. That he granted his obligation to Mr. Macleod, the indorfee, for the amount of the faid bill. 7mo. That the caufe of the bill's being indorfed to Mrs. Macleod was as follows: She and her husband had taken a large houfe in Leith as a tavern, furnished it fuitably, laid in a flock of liquors, and given charge of them to Helen Nimmo as houfe-keeper. Mrs. Macleod having occafion last harvest to be a confiderable time absent from her own house, upon her return, and fettling accompts with Helen Nimmo the houfekeeper, they found that Nimmo, by deficiency in the cash which the fhould have delivered to the prifoner Macleod, and by embezzlement of her liquor and linens, had incurred, a debt to her of 581. She threatened to take out a warrant against her, but defifted, upon "Nimmo's declaring that the would get Mr. George Henderson to fatisfy and pay Mrs. Macleod." Accordingly, Mr. Henderson came to Mrs. Macleod's houfe, and offered her his bill for the amount; but the declared that he muft find somebody who would be conjunct with him in the bill. Soon after, Mrs. Macleod difcovered that Nimmo the housekeeper was with child, and N O T E. * A wright is the Scotch name for the trade we call a carpenter. (Editor.) threatened to inform the Kirk Seffion; u on which Mr. Henderson came to Mrs. Ma leod the very next day, and indorsed to h the bill now lying in procefs; then took aw Nimmo out of Mrs. Macleod's fervice, a fent her to England (as was fuppofed) to delivered of her child. On the 30th of June a figned informati was given into court by Mr. Henderfo that one David Household, alias Camero was the actual forger of the deeds produce and their Lordships granted a warrant f apprehending him wherever he could found. The Lords ordained both complain to be conjoined; and the examination witneffes began upon the 7th of July. THE PROOF. John Gibfon, wright, in the Canongat of Edinburgh, depofed, that he knew M Henderson prefently at the bar, having fee him feveral times, and been once in compa ny with him. Depofed, that, on the 3d d May laft, about 9 at night, as he was going down the Canongate, he met Mr. Hen derfon and Mrs. Macleod, who went along with him to the deponent's houfe; he ther faw Mr. Henderfon fign the obligation to Mrs. Macleod now exhibited; the deponent read it over, and figned as witnefs to Mr Henderson's fubfcription; and the deponent's two daughters and Archibald Dempfter were prefent. Part of this deed was written before the deponent faw it; but the laft part of it, viz. from the words, "before these witneffes," downwards, was written with Mr. Henderfon's own hand in the deponent's prefence. They ftaid in his house almoft an hour, and during this time Mr. Henderfon repeatedly desired of Mrs. Macleod, " that the fhould delay and keep herself quiet till Saturday, and the fhould have her money;" which fhe refused to do unless he figned the obligation. Mr. Henderson, Mrs. Macleod, and the deponent then went down the Canongate together. When they were before Deacon Laughlan's houfe," Mrs. Macleod told Mr. Henderfon fhe had intimated the bill to the Dutchefs's gentleman; whereupon he, Henderfon, clapped upon his breast, and faid, "O good God, that is all wrong why have you done fo?" and upon this he immediately left them. Depofed, that Mr. Henderson had on dark-coloured clothes and a black wig, fuch as he now wore. And being interrogated, if he knew one David Houfehold, alias Cameron, depofed, he knew no fuch perfon. T E. N *As ghosts were formerly the bugbear which was made use of to frighten children, fo the Kirk Seffions was the bugbear to frighten grown perfons. The one was to be terrified on account of the flesh, the other o account of the fpirit. Archibald ! 1986. Archibald Dempfter, fervant to James Aitkin, wright, depofed, that on the 3d of May laft, after 9 at night, he was sent for by John Gibfon, the preceding witness, to his houfe. He there found Mr. Henderson, Mr. Macleod, Gibfon, his wife, and two daughters. Henderson was then writing a paper, which the deponent faw him fubferibe; Gibson figned as witness to the deed, and defired the deponent to do the fame, which after fome hesitation he did, and then went immediately to his master's house. Beng interrogated, depofed, that he never faw Mr. Henderfon before that night, nor fince, except once about three weeks after, when Mr. Henderson was brought before the magiftrates. And depofed, that he thought Mr. Henderfon at the bar was the fame perfon he faw in Mr. Gibfon's. Depofed, that Mrs. Macleod did not fpeak to him, farther than afking his name and bidding him take Curious Account of a pretended Forgery: a drink. Chriftian Gibfon, daughter to John Gibf, wright, depofed, that on the 3d of May laft, between 9 and 10 at night, the "Mr. George Henderfon," the fame perfon that is prefent at the bar, in her father's houfe, and did fee him finish a paper, by adding two lines thereto, and faw him fabfcribe the fame ;" and her father and Archibald Dempfter figned as witneffes. There were alfo prefent in the room when the deed was figned, Mrs. Macleod and the deponent's fifter; but her mother was not prefent, being gone out to fee a fick child. Depofed the heard Mr. Henderson fay, " the money fhould be paid againft Saturday," and faw him deliver the deed to Mrs. Macleod, who put it in her breaft. The deponent never faw Mr. Henderson but at that time, and when he was brought before the magiftrates. Catherine Gray, fervant to Alexander Hope, taylor, in Canongate, depofed, "That he had frequent occafions of feeing and knowing George Henderson at the bar; and particularly on the 3d day of May laft, fhe did fee him about 9 o'clock at night, coming up the Canongate in company with Mrs. Macleod, the other prifoner; and, a little above the Canongate Crofs, fhe faw them eet with John Gibfon; and the deponent having afked Mrs. Macleod, if fhe had got ement of her money due to her by Mr. Henderfon? the faid Mrs. Macleod anfwerthat he was just going to get fecurity for it." Being interrogated for Mr. Henderion, depofed, "that he did not know, and, to her knowledge, did never fee the perfon named David Household." Catherine Falconer, indweller (inhabitant) in Edinburgh, depofed, "that on the jd of May, after 9 at night, fhe faw the prisoner Mrs. Macleod walking up the CaHib. Mag. Jan. 1786. 33 nongate, and, before her, fhe faw walking Janet Lyle, indweller in Edinburgh, de- William Petrie, town-officer in Leith, depofed, that in February laft Mrs. Macleod delivered him a bill for 581. drawn by Henderfon and accepted by the Dutchefs of Gordon, and indorfed blank by Mrs. Macleod, "as a fecurity for 61. Is. which he advanced her to relieve her husband Mr. Macleod out of prifon." Depofed, he knew nothing of the verity of the fubfcription, farther than that Mrs. Macleod faid it was a true bill; and to the beft of his remembrance, fhe faid Mr. Henderfon gave it to her for tea and other goods she had furnished him. Depofed, that about three years ago Mrs. Macleod delivered him (in fecurity for a debt) a bill of 381. or 40l. drawn in like manner by George Henderson and accepted by the Duchefs of Gordon, and that Mrs. Macleod punctually paid him the fum borrowed, and took up the bill; and used this as an argument to induce him to advance her the 61. upon the bill in procefs. The deponent did not demand payment of the bill, being prevented during the whole month of April by Mrs. Macleod telling him, that the Duchefs was occupied in her devotions, and that her gentleman Mr. Gordon was in the North, upon whofe return the bill would be paid. At laft the deponent became fufpicious about the verity of the bill; and he told Mrs. Macleod, that unless fhe got a letter from Mr. Henderson declaring the verity of the bill, he would proteft it; upon which fhe brought him the letter now produced in procefs; but the deponent defired her to get an obligation from Mr. Henderson for the amount, figned before witneffes; the accordingly called on him, and fhewed him the obligation now produced in process. Alexander Nicholson, taylor, in Edinburghia E burgh, being fpecially interrogated, whether Mrs. Macleod at any time promifed him any thing to be a witnefs in this caufe, depofed, that about eight days after he was examined before the magiftrates, having occafion to be in the Tolbooth, Mrs. Macleod whispered to him, that it fhould be better than 41. fterling to him, if he would depofe that he had carried a meflage from Mrs. Macleod to Mr. Hender on to come to her; that he came accordingly, and the deponent faw him deliver to Mrs. Macleod an accepted bill by the Duchefs of Gordon, But the deponent answered, "his confcience would not allow him to do any such thing." Depofed that he afterwards "got a letter from Mrs. Macleod, threatening him, that in cafe he should declare any thing contrary to what he faid before the magiftrates, the King's Advocate would put him in prifon; and that he did fhew the faid letter to feveral, and particularly to Mr. Henderfon's doer, (agent) Mr. Donaldfon, and the deponent had fince loft the faid letter out of his pocket." Depofed, that in February laft being in Mrs. Macleod's house, he heard her railing upon a maid fervant, "for want of fome money; that a man came into the room, whom he did not know, and that when the man was gone, Mrs. Macleod came to him, and faid he had gotten a bill from the faid man, but named no perfon; and faid it would be good money to her. And upon Mr. Henderson being pointed out to him, and asked if he was the man that was in Mrs. Macleod's at the time mentioned, deponed, he had not seen the prifoner in her houfe, either that or any other time. Depofed, he thought the man that came into Mrs. Macleod's houfe had on a dark coloured wig. Captain Neil Macleod deposed, that he had a fervant, one David Household, a lad about feventeen years of age, who left his fervice at Martinmas laft, and whom he has frequently feen write. The miffive letter from Henderson to Petrie being fhewn him, he depofed, "that he could fay nothing to the miffive letter; but as to the other obligation, deponed, that, as to the beft of his knowledge, it was the hand-writing of the faid David Household." The depofitions of Robert Davidfon, tutor to the Laird of Renton's children, of William Ker, teacher of French, and Alexander Home, writer in Edinburgh, went to prove an alibi; they feverally depofing, that they were in company together with the prifoner Henderson, at his houfe, from feven till eleven o'clock at night on the third of May, and that Henderson never was abfent a quarter of an hour during the time. Patrick Innes, writer in Edinburgh, deN O T E. Writer, means an attorney [Editor.] * pofed that Mrs. Macleod, having fhewn hin the obligation fubfcribed by Mr. Henderfon told him, that Mr. Henderfon's motive fo indorfing the bill to her was, that he migh conceal an unlawful correspondence with one Helen Moody, a fervant of her's and carry her out of the country. Mrs. Macleod told the deponent this in John Gibson' houfe, on the 4th or 5th of May. Being in terrogated, if he knew that Mrs. Macleod kept out of the way on account of this billi depofed, that she abfconded for three days, and told the deponent her reason for fo doing was, "that Petrie had a warrant to apprehend her, and that she expected payment againft eight o'clock at night on Saturday from Mr. Henderson, and that then she would give them all the tail of a long tow. The deponent went with Mrs. Macleod to one Dr. Smith, and réquefted him to intercede with the Duchefs, that the would pass from any ground fhe had of challenging the bill, but this the Doctor pofitively refufed; upon which Mrs. Macleod faid he was undone. Mary M'Aulay, widow of Alexander M'Lellan, barber, in Leith, deposed, that fome few days a ter Mrs. Macleod was imprifoned, fhe faw in her houfe one David Household, who told her, that a few days before Mrs. Macleod was apprehended, he, at her defire, did put on a coat of her hus band's, and went with her to the Canongate, and in some house there did assume the name of Henderson, and under that name fubfcribe a paper in the prefence of two witnesses, one of them a married man and the other a young lad, and he faid it was on account of this paper that Mrs. Macleod was put in prifon. He added that the reafon fhe gave for putting on her husband's coat was, that he might appear like Henderson.-Houf chold expreffed his forrow for what he had done; faid he was not aware of his hazard ; but now he was in danger of his life, and was refolved to fly the country.-And the deponent believed that he fled accordingly. Thus far the trial had proceeded, neither party being able to produce more witnelles to fupport their mutual crimination and defence, when the Lord Advocate, on the lak day but one of the fummer feffion, reprefented to the court, that as the evidence given must have eftablished with their Lordfhips a conviction of Mr. Henderfon's guilt, the duty of his office required it of him, to afk their lordships to pronounce a decree finding him guilty of the forgery, and remitting him to the court of jufticiary, that he might fuffer a capital punishment. Mr Henderfon's counfel (Mr. Dundas of Arnifton) urged in his defence, that, notwithstanding the pofitive teftimony of feveral witnelies to his figning the obligation, yet the fimplicity, uniformity and feadiness |