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100 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
:—
writer,* says of this expedition " Mr. Walter Brown was
appointed Coniniander-in-cliief, and numerous vessels, with a
strong detachment of troops, were mustered. Immediatelj'' on
entering the river he landed his soldiers, who attacked and put
to flight a body of the enemy's troops, while a portion of his
fleet ascending, destroyed sixteen vessels, and with the other
portion he made a diversion by firing upon the fort. A platoon
of Angria's men having come near, the English destroyed half
of them ; but in doing so, one of their guns burst, and killed
four of their own men. Mr. Brown's gain and loss ended here,
for hopeless of making any impression upon the fort itself, he
withdrew,"
The Government of Bombay celebrated this as a victory, and
fired salutes ; but Angria affirmed it was an inglorious defeat,
and, in a taunting letter to the Governor, scoft'ed at the efforts
which the English and Portuguese had made to injure him. He,
however, made proposals for peace, but Governor Phipps, in
reply, refused to treat until the European prisoners were
released.
In April, 1720, four of Angria's grabs, and ten galivats,
attacked the English ship 'Charlotte,' and, after a gallant
defence, her powder being all consumed, they captured and
carried her into Gheriah.
On the succession, in the same year, of Mr. Phipps, as
President in Council, hostilities were vigorously prosecuted ; but
Kanhojee Angria continued to defy the efforts, both of the
Portuguese and English, though his ships generally avoided a
conflict with the Company's cruisers, and were captured if they
risked an action ; but they had the protection of the strong forts,
which lined the coast, and the cannon of these were of heavy
calibre, and were well manned by European, as well as native,
gunners.
The Portuguese ill requited the hospitality extended to them
in 1694, when the Arab fleets harried and pillaged the coasts of
—
Salsette. Hamilton writes : "About the year 1720 the priests
of Salset disturbed the English at Mahim, animating the people
to arms ; but a bomb or two thrown into the church at Bandara,
had no respect to the priesthood, but sacrilegiously killed one
or two, besides some lay brothers, which made them know that
war was not their trade. They were also troublesome to the
English in anno 1722, but the English surprised a parcel that
were about repairing an old fort, contrary to articles of agree-
ment, and killed a score or two, which made the rest take to their
heels, and be quiet."
The Bombay Government, incensed at Angria's continued
* A New Account of the East Indies, being the observations and remarks of
Captain Alexander Hamilton, who spent his time there from the year 1688 to
17:^3.—Edinburgh, 1727.