East View of Seringapatam

Robert Hyde Colebrooke joined the Bengal Infantry in 1778 at the age of 16 and remained in service till his death at the age of 46. He was an exceptional surveyor, who worked as far afield as Penang and the Andaman Islands, and was appointed Surveyor General in 1800. While serving in the Second Mysore War (1780-84) he made drawings of landscapes and hill forts of the region, some of which were later engraved and published as Twelve Views of Places in the Kingdom of Mysore (1794). The plates included here are from the second edition, of 1805. 

Here's an extract of the original caption for the East View of Seringapatam: ‘Seringapatam is the capital of the kingdom of Mysore, and of Tippoo Sultan’s dominions. It lies on an island in the river Cauvery … As a fortified town, it may be deemed a place of strength, but is not equal in extent, and the opulence of its inhabitants, to many cities in Hindostan. The fortifications have been considerably altered and augmented by Hyder Aly and Tippoo Sultan. It is defended on the east side by a double wall, which renders that face of the fort by far the strongest.’