HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
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“ The Lys, of forty guns, and two hundred and fifty men. 
" The Phenix, of forty-four guns, and two hundred and fifty men. 
“ The Due D’Orleans, of thirty-six guns, and an hundred and fifty men. 
“ These five vessels cannot depart for the East before the end of February; they 
are to proceed in company to Cadiz, and from thence to the Isle of France, where 
it is not supposed that they will arrive before the end of August. 
" The king s intention is, that you take the command of these ships, as soon as 
they shall arrive at your island. 
“ The armament of these ships has two objects;—the first, to remit the funds with 
which they are charged, to the treasury of Pondicherry; and the second, to cruize 
against the enemies of the state in those parts of the Indian sea which shall, in your 
opinion, promise the greatest probability of success. 
“ The Company has assigned an hundred thousand marcs de piastres , which it has 
sent, this year to the Indies, to pay, in preference, the debts which the Councils of 
Pondicherry and Bengal have contracted, as it has very much at heart to satify all 
its engagements. Besides, as the vessels which will be charged with this money 
will not be able to leave Cadiz before the end of March or the beginning of April, 
they will not arrive at Pondicherry before October,* when the season will be too 
much advanced to employ these funds in consignments of merchandize for France, 
both from Bengal and Pondicherry, for the year 1746. The Company, therefore, 
has confined itself to the exportation of such merchandize as the Council of Pon¬ 
dicherry alone will have been able to collect, since the departure of the vessels 
which had been expedited for Europe in the beginning of the present year. 
“ In order to employ to the greatest possible advantage the ships which you are 
appointed to command, you must make immediate preparations to embark, with 
any reinforcement of soldiers and sailors which it is in your power to collect: and 
if any ship belonging to the India Company should be at the Isle of France, which 
may prove serviceable to your expedition, you will employ it in your squadron: 
you may also receive on board any number of your islanders, who may offer their 
services on the occasion. 
“ It is suggested to you to set sail about the latter end of September, and that two 
of your ships should proceed to the Coast of Malabar, and come to an anchor off 
* They did not arrive at the Isle of France till the month of January, 1746. 
