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82 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
lately belonging to Snrat, called the 'Quedah Merchant,' both
of which were manned principally by crews of Europeans. The
two former cruised between Acheen and Mahicca ; and the
latter, mounting thirty guns, together with one ship of fifty-six
guns and another of forty guns, cruised along the Malabar
coast, and committed great havoc, avoiding, however, an
encounter with the Company's armed ships.
Sir John Gayer reported this condition of affairs to the Court,
andrequestedthata squadron of men-of-war should be despatched
from England, to be engaged only in abating this nuisance,
which not only endangered the Company's ships, but also
imperilled their trading privileges, as the Mogul attributed the
piracies to the English. This danger was, indeed, soon realised,
for, on the 1st of January, 1699, an order came from the
Emperor directing that the English, Dutch, and French agents
at Surat, should be held responsible for the piracies ; and,
on the following day, guards were placed over the three
factories. Sir John Gayer, on receiving intelligence of the
perilous circumstances of the Company's factory and servants
at Surat, sailed from Bombay with the Company's ships
' Mary' and ' Thomas,' 'Josiah,' ketch, and ' Benjamin' yacht, and
arrived off Swally on the 11th of January. On the following
day he gave instructions to President Annesley,* to inform the
Governor that he was resolved neither to pay the English
proportion of the fourteen lacks of rupees, nor would he give
security against the pirates ; but, at the same time, intimated
he was ready to furnish a convoy to the Mogul ships intended
for Mocha, and that the King of England had sent out a fleet
of men-of-warf to extirpate the pirates from the Indian seas.
This refusal, and the presence of the Company's ships, induced
the Governor of Surat to offer to overlook what was passed, on
condition of the English giving security to make good all future
robberies by the pirates. Sir John Gayer, in reply, proposed
to send two of the Company's ships down the Malabar coast, on
this service, provided permission should be given to the factory
to send the indigo on board the ships ; but, in the end, found it
desirable to consent, with the French and Dutch, to sign a
security bond for payment of the losses sustained by any depre-
dations which the pirates might, in future, commit. And it was
fortunate, says Bruce, that the demand was complied with, for,
when information reached the Mogul, he reversed an order,
which he had just issued, for putting a final embargo on the
trade of all the Europeans in bis dominions.
* The pusiUanimous conduct of Mr. Annesley in agreeing to paj a fine of
30,000 rupees to the Governor, so displeased Sir John Gayer and his council that
they superseded him and made Mr. Colt president.
t This was a squadron of the following ships under command of Commodore
"Warren. The ' Anglesea' and ' Harwich,' each of forty-eight guns j the
' Hastings,' thirty-four, and the ' Lizard,' twenty.