To the Honourable Thomas Hodges, Esquire , President and 
Governor , #c. Council on Bombay. 
Honourable Sir, and Gentlemen, 
We the undersigned, who have the honour to be employed 
as writers on this establishment, to the Honourable East India 
Company, do humbly beg leave to prefer to your Honour, &c. a 
request, which we assure ourselves will not be deemed unrea- 
sonable. 
The Honourable Company have been generously pleased to 
allow an ample increase of pay to their servants, military and 
marine, by which they are enabled decently to support themselves; 
and with their usual and known goodness, have at the same time, 
unsolicited, thought proper to grant us an increase of salary of 
ten pounds per annum; for which our warmest acknowledgements 
are due; and we take this opportunity of expressing our liveliest 
sentiments of gratitude; and animated by a proper sense of their 
kind indulgence, shall make due return, by constant and punctual 
obedience to their orders, and perseverance with steady and unre- 
mitting application to business. 
Fearful, lest it might be construed into an abuse of our Ho- 
nourable masters’ generosity, it is with peculiar reluctance we do 
at such a time, take the liberty of assuring your Honour, &c. that 
their generous and free donation, added to our former pittance, 
managed with the strictest economy, is not nearly adequate to 
the expenses we are necessarily and unavoidably subject to: we 
think it needless to remind your Honour, Sec. of the dearness of 
