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 failure of the attack on Kennery, under his own eyes, taught Boone
that, without some assistance from England, he could hope to accomplish
little against Angria, whose ships now lay off the harbour, making it
difficult for trading vessels to go in or out. Three times the _Morrice_
got under way, and three times had to return, before she could start on
her return voyage to Europe. In consequence of Boone's representations,
the Directors sent out the _St. George_, a sixty-gun ship, to act as a
guardship for the harbour. Her arrival only served to show the
incompetency of many of the Company's naval officers at that time. In
laying the ship on shore to scour its bottom after the voyage from England,
its back was broken, and the _St. George_ became a total wreck.
Meanwhile, with an eye to a future campaign against Angria's strongholds,
Boone set to work to build a floating battery. The _Phram_, as it was
called, was designed with shot-proof sides to carry twelve 48-pdrs.; but,
as will appear before long, its fate was as ignominious as that of the _St.
George_.
His own observation had convinced Boone of the treachery of Manuel de
Castro. On his return to Bombay, the renegade was put in irons, and
shipped off to St. Helena. There he was detected in fomenting a mutiny
among the convicts and slaves. He was deported, and before long made his
way back into Angria's service.
Meanwhile, the wall round the town, the building of which had been one of
Boone's earliest projects, was nearing completion. It was built entirely,
or almost entirely, by contributions from the native merchants, and Boone
reported to the Directors that, when the whole space was built over, the
ground-rents would realize Rs.8890 a year for the Company's treasury. The
church also, the building of which had been started by Aislabie, was
finished about this time. The original chapel inside the factory was no
longer able to accommodate the increasing English population, besides
being in a ruinous condition.
Like other chiefs along the coast, the Bombay authorities gave passes to
traders living under their protection, and in their warfare with Angria
they had adopted the practice of other chiefs, of not recognizing the
immunity of vessels that did not carry passes from themselves. We find at
this time the Kattiawar traders complaining of two ships having been
seized that held protective passes from Angria. In reply they were told
that they must have English passes. The Company was at war with Angria,
and his power was increased by those who paid him for protection. So, like
all neutrals, they had to suffer in a war with which they had no concern.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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