Star.
London, England, 1819-10-20 00:00:00

MADRAS, APRIL 16.

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The crops of Cotton and Indigo have turned out
very unfavourably, in consequence of the want of
rain, which was severely felt in the interior. The
Company's Silk concerns have also sustained injury,
in consequence of the intense cold experienced in the
- month of January, which had proved unusually de-
' structive to the Mulberry plant.
The gratifying intelligence of the fall of Asseer-
_situ!, reached the Presidency yesterday. We wait
with impatience for the official details.
BOMBAY.

The siege of Asseerghur has been entered on with
much spirit, and, from the well-known character of
our Generals, we anticipate being very soon enabled
to report its fall. Our Correspondent relates, that
further negotiation being fruitless, and Jeswunt Rao
refusing to deliver it up, the siege commenced on
the 18th inst. and the Fettah was stormed and car-
ried in great style, by detachments from the Royals,
the 30th, the 67th, the Madras European Regiment,
t Wallajahbad Light Infantry, &c.; the whole
commanded by Colonel Frazer, of the Royals. Our
loss was trifling, Major Macleod, Deputy Quarter-
Master-General, and Lieutenant Bland, of the Royals,
wounded; and three privates killed, and 15 wounded.
We were here in quiet possession ; when, about sun-
set, as the picquets were preparing to mount, a party'
of Arabs, who had crept, unperceived, close to the
Pettah wall, dashed in upon us ; Colonel Frazer, who
commanded, started up, and called to the men to
stand to their arms, but he had hardly got the words
out of his mouth, when he was struck by a jinjall
shot in the forehead, and he fell never to rise again:
one or two Europeans were killed at the same time,
and two Officers wounded. A battery was formed
on the 19th .for six 18-pounders, one 12, and two
mortars, which opened at day-light on the 20th, and
, a breach was soon made, which in a day or two will
be practicable : the enemies' guns make a devil of a
noise, but the shot goes all over us.
Amidst this success, I have, however, to relate an'
accident that struck a momentary damp on the ar-
dour of our troops: a spark from one of the guns in
the 18-pound battery, fell oa a magazine, containing
near 300 barrels of powder, which nearly destroyed
the whole of a company of Sepoys, 60 were killed
outright, and 30 more dreadfully wounded.
General Doveton moves on the 21st to a better
position ; and, in a day or two at furthest, batteries
will be opened on the fort from the N.E. angle.
We do not intend to take possession of the lower
fort until General Doveton's batteries are ready to
open, as their doing so will divert the attention of,
the besieged, and prevent our losing so many men as'
we might do if we took immediate possession.
Jeswunt Rao Lar (the Killadar) will, we have no
doubt, he treated as a rebel.

CALCUTTA, MARCH 16.
Accounts were received on Saturday last of the
total loss of the ship Paragon, on Sanger Sand, dur-
ing the night of Wednesday last. She had anchored
the same morning, but afterwards drifted and struck
on the sand. She received so much injury, that in a
short time afterwards the water could not be kept
under by the pumps ; and the Captain, Officers,
crew, and passengers, had . scarcely been removed
into the Sophia, pilot vessel, when the Paragon went.
down, and with her an unfortunate Portuguese sea-
canny, who was a passenger, and who, it is said, po-
sitively refused to quit the ship. Unfortunately, not
an article belonging to the cargo of the passengers
has been saved. The Sophia reached Kedgeree on
Friday, with the sufferers from this calamity, whose
condition in thus reaching this country may be more
easily conceived thaii described.

MAactr 24.—A Treaty has been concluded by the
lion.*Sir Stamford Raffles, on the part of the Most
Noble the Governor-General, with the Sultan of Jo-
lore and Tomangong of Sincapore; establishing a
British Residency at the latter place, under Major
Farquhar, with a Settlement on the ruins of the an-
cient capital of that country, over which we may
congratulate our Readers that the British flag is now
flying, Sir S. Raffles having returned from this expe-
dition to Penang on the 14th of last month. The
grant of this island, which is situated at the southern
extremity of the Peninsula of Malacca, may, from
local circumstances, become valuable to the British
Government, especially when accompanied, as we
understand that it is, with the privilege of establish-
ing further Settlements along the extensive coast of
Johore, which must afford considerable protection to
our commerce in that quarter, particularly to ships
passing through the Straits, and enable us to watch
the proceedings of our Batavian competitors. Whe-
ther that preference in our favour, which some had
imagined, have induced the natives of those parts to
frequent a British Settlement, rather than carry their
merchandise for sale to a Dutch market, be ideal, or
founded on truth, we confess ourselves wholly in-
competent to decide. Vie apprehend that the Bata-
vian Government will feel mightily at our proceed-
in7, and he perhaps induced to take such measures
in consequence, as may terminate in their own final
crae4ration from all their eastern possessions. This
would be the natural and mei ited punishment of an
a-iempt to monopolize that which nature has de-
cl.tred free for all.

A letter from the Maine, dated September 28, says,
g, We still have complaints from Rhenish Prussia,
that the new Tarif hinders trade. A few weeks back,
it was hoped some change would be made in the new
Edict, the representations made at Berlin, having
been, it was said, well received. It is now considered
AS certain, that no modifications wilt be made for
' this news has put an end to all
entertained.*

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