Page 124 - INDIANNAVYV1

92 HISTORY OP THE INDIAN NAVY.
to investigate all matters relating to trade at Carvvar, Telli-
clierr}^ Calicut, and Anjengo ; and was also charged with a
letter for the Viceroy of Goa, "relating to the ship 'Moonsoon,'
taken by a savage (Mahratta) pirate, and retaken by a I-*ortii-
guese frigate out of the Carwar river, in the year ITO^/'
Mr. Striitt, with three assistants, embarked on board the
' Catherine,' the 24th of October, under a salute of thirteen
guns, returned by all the ships in the harbour, and accompanied
by the 'Anne,' commenced a voyage, which, in those days, was
sure to be attended with adventure and perils. It is singular
to find him, when sailing out of the harbour, noting down the
appearance of Kenery, as if it were an island almost unknown,
because cautiously avoided by all unarmed vessels frequenting
the port, and representing to his Government that it was " two
miles in circumference, thirteen miles distance from the main-
land, and fourteen from Bombay ; that Angria bad strongly
fortified it, and that it was covered with houses." As he sighted
Mai wan on the 31st, a grab and galivat made their appearance,
" the latter firing both her chase guns very impudently," their
object being to cut off and make prize of the defenceless
'Anne,'* but seven shots from the ' Catherine's' guns scared her
away. Next day the party were off Carwar,t where they found
a Portuguese cruiser, mounting eighteen or twenty guns, and
were told that there were two more to the southward, each mount-
ing forty guns, all of these being placed there to keep the coast
clear, but, in reality, doing a little piracy on their own account,
and fearing to appi-oach either Angria or the pirates of Malwan.
Having landed at Carwar aud the other factories. Mr. Strutt ex-
hibited his commission, and left certain written interrogatories,
which he desired should be answered before his return. At
Cochin, which the Dutch had possessed for fifty-two years, he was
warmly pressed by the Commodore to go on shore, but declined.
Permission, however, having been given to some other Euro-
peans, they visited " the Barron," as he was called, and reported
that " he was mighty alfable and courteous," although, like many
other Dutch ofiicers of distinction, he had been promoted from the
ranks.
* "The intent," says the commissioner, "was for the 'Anne,' who being
astern, we had lain by before, or they had piisled her, not having any stern ports,
and the stern being what these savages annoy others with, and have large gnus,
are the properest weapons to fight them." " The Malwan pirates," says Grant
Duff, " were subjects of the Rajah of Kolapore, but this the Govennnent of Bom-
bay seem not to have known, supposing that they belonged to the Sawunt country."
: —
The following is Hamilton's account of these pirates " About twelve leagues to
the southward of Gheria is an island about two miles in circumference, and
fortified with a stone wall round it, called Malwan. It lies about a mile from
the mainland, and is governed by an independent ra,jah, who is also a freebooter,
and keeps three or four grabs at sea to rob all whom they can master. And that
is all I know of him."
t Carwar, or Sedashighur, is one of the three only good ports on the west coast,
the other two being Bombay and Kurrachee.