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by Warren Hastings, Esq. then governor-general of India, resident 

 at the court of Poona, in the following terms of a letter from the 

 supreme government at Bengal, to the governor in council of 

 Bombay, dated the 23d of November 1784. 



" For the maintenance of the general interests of the 

 Company with the Mahratta state, we make it our request that 

 you will be pleased to allow us to employ the services of Mr. 

 Malet as our minister at the court of Poona; considering him, 

 from his relation to your government, and from that which such 

 an appointment will give him to this, the fittest for such a pur- 

 pose." Alluding no doubt, not only to his political knowledge, 

 but from his being perfectly conversant with the languages and 

 manners of Hindostan. The following extract from the same 

 letter will explain the cause of this long and arduous journey. 



4i In order that Mr. Malet may receive complete instructions 

 in the general line of his negociations, and be enabled to establish 

 a concerted plan of correspondence with our minister at the court 

 of Mhadajee Sindia, for the purpose of avoiding both an oppo- 

 sition of influence, and also the appearance of it, in our trans- 

 actions with two powers, to which we bear a common relation, 

 as to the members of the same state, but whose respective inte- 

 rests and views may occasionally lead them to different lines of 

 policy, in which, without such a caution, our ministers might be 

 involved; we request that you will depute Mr. Malet to go im- 

 mediately to the camp of Mhadajee Sindia, at Agra, as on his 

 way to Calcutta; and with actual orders to proceed to this presi- 

 dency, if it shall be judged necessary for his more effectual instruc- 



