The Pirates of Malabar, and an Englishwoman in India Two Hundred Years AgoBiddulph, J. (John)
History
The Pirates of Malabar, and an Englishwoman in India Two Hundred Years Ago
Biddulph, J. (John)
East India Company -- History; India -- History -- 18th century; Pirates
the harbour; but, on fourteen gallivats coming out to assist the grabs,
they were recalled. The 4th was spent in preparations for a landing, and
the gallivats rowed round the island to choose a landing-place. It was
finally arranged that the soldiers and marines should land to windward,
while the sepoys, covered by the fire of grabs and gallivats, should land
at the opposite side of the Island, to leeward. But when the moment
arrived, next morning, the sepoys absolutely refused to land, in spite of
the severest measures.[1] The soldiers and marines, three hundred in
number, landed, but were beaten back with a loss of eighteen killed and
fifty wounded, "more by ye force of stones hoven from ye rocks than fier
arms." Some loss was occasioned by the bursting of a gun on board one of
the gallivats. Manuel de Castro, with his squadron of gallivats, had been
ordered to lie off the mouth of the harbour and prevent reinforcements
reaching Kennery. Notwithstanding, he allowed five of Angria's gallivats
to slip in with ammunition and provisions for the besieged, of which they
were believed to stand much in need.
The 6th was occupied in making preparations for another attack, and
volunteers were called for from among the sailors, for which service they
were to receive forty rupees each, which, at the existing rate of exchange,
was reckoned equal to five pounds sterling. The loss of a leg or arm was
to be recompensed by a sum of £30 on return to England, and employment for
life under the Company. The married men were promised, if killed, that
their widows should receive £30, with £10 for each child. These offers
procured some forty volunteers, who were to be led by Gideon Russell, mate
of the _Morrice_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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