"حياة ومراسلات اللواء السير جون مالكوم، قائد فرسان وسام الطُهر، المبعوث السابق إلى بلاد فارس وحاكم بومباي؛ من رسائل ومذكرات غير منشورة. في مجلّدين. المجلد II." [‎٣‎١‎٦] (٦٥٤/٣٣٣)

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CENTRAL INDIA.
Egypt, wliich is at once the quickest and pleasantest route. I am
quite delighted at the idea of my departure being fixed. I hope
in January, 1821, to sail for the Red Sea, and to be with you in
April."
In another letter lie dwelt upon one of the many al
leged causes of his supersession—that it was desirable
to appoint to the Government of Madras one who was
skilled and experienced in revenue and judicial adminis
tration—asking whether his own experiences did not lie
much in the same direction :*
" Has not ray life—though I never acted as a judge or collector
—been more given to civil than to military duties ? Has not the
whole Government, in all its parts, been my constant study ? And
what but the knowledge I have gained and put in practice could
have brought the whole of this quarter to the state it is now in?
Has not my life been given to all the details of revenue settle
ments and judicial proceedings. Native as well as European
modes of administering justice, and the most minute investiga
tion of everything relating to the rules and institutions, great
and small, of this and neighbouring countries ? They shall ere
long see all this in a Report, which will enable me to ask my
friends whether I am, or I am not, fit for a civil Government.
But let them in the mean while take as no slight evidence the con
dition of these countries, and then ask how much of this remark
able work has been effected by force."
But there was too much good sense, and too much
* He acknowledged, however, that
on this score Munro's claims were of
the highest order. The following pas
sage in another letter contains a sum
mary of the causes of his supersession:
" Mr. Elphinstone had engaged to
support Munro's pretensions to a Go
vernment before I went to England, in
1812; so had Allan and Mr. John
Sullivan. I conclude these engage
ments were revived, and that Munro's
increased claims, his presence in Lea-
denhall-street, a desire to avoid an in
competent Ministerial governor, and
above all, the eiforts of the party
(which is strong and respectable) that
desires to give a full and fair experi
ment to Munro's system of judicial
administration, which proposes great
reforms and reductions in that hraucli
of government, carried the day. Am
bitious as I am, and impatient as i
have become of slight, 1 do not know
that I should not have had conscience
enough to vote against myself."