528 



to the government of Bengal, Mr. Spencer was appointed by th 

 court of directors to return to Bombay, with the rank of second in 

 council, and an order to succeed Mr. Cronimelin in the government 

 of that settlement in the month of January 1767- This superces- 

 sion and appointment was deemed an act of injustice by the com- 

 pany's civil servants in general on that establishment, and a peculiar 

 and personal injury by Mr. Hodges in particular, who was then 

 chief of Sural, second in council, and next in regular succession to 

 die government of Bombay, which he looked upon as his right, 

 being senior to Mr. Spencer by four years. 



Indignant at Mr. Spencer's supercession, and chagrined by his 

 disappointment in the government of Bombay, Mr. Hodges ad- 

 dressed a spirited letter from Sural to the governor and council, 

 complaining of injustice in the court of directors, with whom, as 

 an individual, he was not permitted to correspond. This, there- 

 fore, was the only regular channel by which he could communicate 

 his sentiments, and seek redress. The governor and council of 

 Bombay deeming his letter improper, and disrespectful to his 

 employers, ordered him to reconsider it, and make a suitable apo- 

 logy ; Avhich not being complied with, he was removed from his 

 honourable and lucrative situation as chief of Surat, sent down to 

 Bombay, and suspended the company's service; thither he accord- 

 ingly repaired to settle his private affairs, and afterwards to proceed 

 to Europe. The government of Bombay sent a dispatch to the court 

 of directors by the way of Bussorah and Aleppo, informing them 

 of these proceedings. This was the situation of that settlement at 

 the breaking up of the monsoon in 1766. 



Alter this necessary preamble, I can with more propriety, in- 



