HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
54i 
K French republic, is to crush pur already half-expiring enemy;—what do you wait 
46 for? His majesty is ready to afford you succours; shew yourselves, therefore, in 
44 India. The unbounded violence and oppression of the English have rendered all 
44 the princes of India their enemies; they are enfeebled on every side, and from the 
44 great extent of territory, which they have acquired by artifice, they are dispersed 
44 in all quarters. Look upon the present time as a most fortunate opportunity; send a 
44 large army, and an extensive train of artillery, to the assistance of our sovereign, and 
44 after chastising our mutual enemies, drive them out of India. The English 
44 tremble at the very name of our sovereign and of the French, and will not be 
44 able to withstand his power, when it is supported by the aid of the French repub- 
44 lie, but will be defeated in every quarter. It is well known to the republic, that 
44 both his late majesty, and our present sovereign, have at all times been the friends 
44 and well-wishers of the French nation; have always sought their assistance and sup- 
44 port, and made common cause in the wars against their enemies. The wish of 
44 of our sovereign is this, that, by affording assistance to the republic, the French 
44 name may become as honoured and exalted in India, as it is through Europe and 
44 among the Mussulmen.” 
The sirdars asked, if an auxiliary force should be furnished from Europe, would 
your highness supply them with provisions, military stores, conveyance, and carriage? 
We answered, that from the day of the landing of the French army in India, your 
highness would supply them with provisions; that is to say, rice, meat of every kind, 
and ghee (excepting, however, European liquors), military stores, conveyance, and 
carriage. They then told us, that, for the purpose of procuring a large military 
force, they would fit out two ships of war, which should be dispatched to France, with 
letters from themselves, together with your highness’s letters addressed to them, which 
would be given in charge to two confidential persons of rank; and they desired that 
we would give them a memorandum of the provisions and carriage which we had 
promised them, in order that they might forward it to Europe, and speedily obtain 
the military succours required. We replied, that we would the next day furnish 
them with the account they requested. They then rose, and went home. In the 
morning they sent the principal aid-de-camp and* --, Dewan,+ to us; who said, 
that General Malartic sent his compliments, and desired him to memion, that he and 
the other three sirdars were about to write letters to the government in Europe, and 
• It does not appear who the other was. f Superintendant of the finance, or revenue. 
