A History of the Mahrattas v2.c35.50

v2.c35.50

A French merchant ship arrived at Choule in the middle of March with a cargo consisting of military and marine stores, cloth, and other staples of European exportation. From that ship several Frenchmen landed and proceeded towards Poona. One of the strangers had announced himself as ambassador from the Court of France, and in that character he was received by the Mahratta court in the beginning of May.² But before entering on the object or proceedings of this mission, which are interwoven with the progress of the British nation in India, and are reserved for a future chapter, it is requisite to mention a few circumstances relative to Mahratta history, both to account for what may immediately follow, and to preserve a link in the chain of other events which will be explained at a future period.