Page 135 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 103
Captain Hamilton describes the defence, by a handfid of
Company's seamen, of the British fiictory at Gombroon in the
year 1721, against the attack of four thousand Beloochee horse.
—
He says : " We heard of their design about ten days before
they came, and so we and the Dutch fortified our factories as
well as we possibly could, planting little falconets on tlie top
of our walls in swivels, and beating out ports in our walls, to
ply great guns, to scour the avenues to our factories. Mean-
while the Persian Governor fired guns every night, to let the
enemy know he was a brave fellow ; however, they had a mind
to see, and on the 15th of December they appeared near the
town, on a swift march towards it, which scared the Governor
so much, that, though there was a high mud wall between him
and them, he got on horseback and fled to a fort on the seashore,
leaving a few guns loaded as they were, to the enemy. The
Ballovvches came first to the west quarters of the town, where
our factory stands, and soon made passages through the mud
walls. They hewed down all that came in their wa}', particularly,
old people and children, and came in a confused haste to attack
our factory, down some lane : but we gave them a warm wolci)me
with our great guns and small shot. They soon found their
mistake, and retired in as great haste as they came. Some of
their musketeers got into ruined houses, and fired on us ; but
we being barricaded, they did us little damage, and had our men
observed their orders better, we had come off with less. Our
firing lasted about three hours, in which time we lost three or
four, killed by their own rashness in standing open to the
enemy, when they might have done better service under cover
of our barricadoes. We had also seven wounded, but none
raortall}^ but one who was a factor, who received a shot in his
right hand, which threw him into a fever, of which he died in seven
or eight days. The agent being gone to Lspaham some weeks
before we had any advice of the Ballowches coming, had carried
twenty soldiers along with him for a guard, and left but six
in the factory, besides cooks, and a few servants. I saw the
factory in danger if they should be attacked, so I reinforced it
with thirty-six of my best men, and another small English ship
from Bombay, assisted with eight or nine of his, so that when
the enemy came, we were about fifty strong. The season being
very cold, made our duty hard, for we lay in our arms every
night, for ten or twelve nights that the enemy lay in the town.
They had a consultation next day after their repulse, how
they might make another attack, but none would undertake to
on the east side, is the place where tlie pirates first chose for tlu'ir iisvhim, haring
a good harbour to secure tliem from the weather, tliougli in going in tlicre are some
ditliculties, but hearing that squadrons of EngUsh ships were come in quest of
them, they removed to the mainland for more security, and there they made
themselves free denizens by marriage. And I am of opinion, tliat it will be no
easy matter to dispossess them."