Page 112 - INDIANNAVYV1

80 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

d£10 to £15 per month, mates from £C^ to £9, and tlie gunners
and boatswains had also good sahiries, besides the privilege of
carrj'ing some goods and merchandise freight free. Mr. Annesley
thought those salaries and indulgences were too great for seamen,
so he went about to reduce them to about one half, and the
other moiety he looked on as his own due by virtue of his post."
Sir John Gayer, who had been appointed Governor of Bombay
in May, 1694, on receiving intelligence of the state of affairs at
Surat, wrote both to the Mogul and the Governor, protesting
the innocence of the Company's agent in regard of the depreda-
tions committed by the pirates, and expressing his readiness,
on condition of freedom of trade, and the annual payment of
four lacs of rupees (£40,000)—the sum annually paid to the
Seedee, who appeared unequal to the service—to employ two
of the Company's armed ships to convoy the pilgrims to Jiddah,
the port of Mecca, thus making a proposal which was actually
accepted half a century later, when the Company's senior naval
officer acquired the"Tanka," with the title of Admiral of
the Mogul's fleet. To this memorial both the Mogul and
—
Governor returned for reply : " That the English, Dutch,
and French should put to sea in search of the thieves,"
to which the Dutch and French hesitated compliance, while
the English expressed their readiness to go on this service,
which seemed to abate the animosity felt towards them
by the Mogul's officers. It was not until the 27th of June,
l'()96, that orders were received for the release of President
Annesley and the English in confinement at Surat and Broach.
But their lives and liberties were again placed in danger on the
receipt of intelligence that five pirates, flying English colours,
had appeared in the Red Sea, and two more, each mounting
fourteen guns, and having crews of one hundred and fifty men,
were plundering the country ships, both in the Persian Gulf
and Arabian Sea, while yet another was cruising off Tellicherry.
As the season advanced the pirates increased in number ; three,
fitted out at New York, having appeared on the Scinde coast,
and made valuable prizes.
These difficulties were increased by the ill-feeling that existed
among the small garrison of Bombay, which was reduced by
desertions to a point that deprived it of all efficiency; and, still
further to aggravate the Company's position, which, indeed,
appeared one long struggle against adverse circumstances, the
crews of two of their trading ships, the ' Mocha' and ' Josiah,'
mutinied in the Eastern islands : and, having murdered their
oflicers, turned pirates. Still, it is gratifying to find that, at
this time of doubt and disaster, Sir John Gayer had sufficient
confidence in the crews of the ships of the local war Marine at
Surat, to repeat his offer of two armed vessels to be annually
emp'loyed in the service of convoying pilgrims to Mocha, on