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70 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY,
rendered the Company's position on the Malabar coast extremely
precarious, for, with such reduced establishments, they were
absolutely at the mercy of both Mahrattas and Moguls, and
only escaped annihilation by showing a bold face, and hiding
their weakness. It was not without many protests that the
Deputy-Governor and Council at Bombay, and the officers of
tlie Marine, submitted to the indignity of seeing the islets of
Kenery and Henery in the possession of theirwarlike neighbours.
The Bombay Government had addressed the Court of Directors,
requesting permission to expel these intruders, a task they
expressed their willingness to undertake with the means at
their disposal ; but the Court replied, on the 22nd of April,
1681, declaring themselves opposed to such an undertaking;
—
and then, expounding their peace policy, added: "Although
we have formerly wrote you that we will have no war for Henery
and Kenery, yet all war is so contrary'' to our constitution as well
as our interest, that we cannot too often inculcate to you our
aversion thereunto." In May of the following year, the same
injunction is repeated in still stronger terms, although the
inconvenience of allowing these islands to be occupied by the
sailors of another nation is fully acknowledged.*
The death of Sevajee, on the 5th of April, 1680, and the
succession of his son, Sambhajee,t from which hopeful auguries
were drawn, made no difference in the position of affairs.
Sambhajee, who had raised his fleet by great exertions to fifteen
grabs and one hundred and twenty galivats, enraged by the
constant depredations of the Seedee's fleet— which made Henery
the base of their operations, whence they ravaged the coast, and
seized his trading vessels — threatened to punish the English
and Portuguese for maintaing a neutrality towards them ; and,
on the 5th of October, 1682, a portion of his fleet, numbering
thirty sail, proceeded to attack that of the Mogul conunander,
which was lying at anchor, off Mazagon, in Bombay Harbour.
Tlie Seedee Cossim weighed with fifteen sail, having on board
his best men, and stood up towards the Tannah River, where a
sanguinar}^ action took place, which resulted in a complete
victory for the Seedee, who took four ships, including the flag-
ship of the Mahratta Admiral, who was mortally wounded.
Sambhajee, exasperated at his defeat, began to fortify the Island
of Elephanta, in Bombay Harbour, for tlie purpose of annoying
the English, but, alarmed at the hostile designs of the Moguls,
who appeared determined to oust the English from Bombay, and
the Portuguese from Goa and Damaun, he changed his plans,
* Anderson's " English in Western India."
t This brave but unfortunate prince was captured by Aurungzebe's forces, and
in August, 1689, was publicly decapitated, after having a red hot iron dra^vn
across his eyes, aud his tongue cut out. On his deatli, Eajah Earn, son of
Sevajee, and half brother of Sambhajee, by whom he was confined, was declared
Regent during the minority of Shao, then a child in his sixth year.