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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 105
younger, who resided at/Beverndroog. The former made
friendly advances to the Engfeh: Government, and, on the 21st
of June, 1733, two of his envoys presented themselves before
the President in Council, with proposals for peace ; but death
frustrated his good intentions. Mannajee, one of the three
illegitimate sons of the late Kaidiojee, having quarrelled with his
family, took Colaba by escalade, with the assistance of the
Portuguese, and, having put out the eyes of his brother,
Yessajee, threw him into prison. JMannajee successfully resisted
all Sambhajee's efforts to displace him, and, forming an alliance
with Shao, the ]\lahratta Rajah, or rather with Rajee Rao,
the Peishwa, whose power was becoming absolute, he endea-
voured to gain the fort of Anjenwil, under the guns of which
lay the fleet of the sijeedee o^f Jinjeera * To prevent such a
consumnu\tion and check the growth of his power, the Govern-
ment of Bombay sent Captain ^IcNeale, who had recently
gained his liberty, and Lieutenant Inchbird, with the ' Victoria,'
' Bombay,' and 'Princess,' galleys, to the Seedee's assistance;
but for some reason, not assigned, they did not sail until the
following March ; and even then, although their force consisted
of two ensigns, four sergeants, four corporals, forty European
soldiers, and sixty topasses, with six 9-pounderguns, they were
not empowered to take active measures, but merely to consult
with the Seedee, and to deliver to him sixty barrels of gun-
powder and a hundred muskets. Such lukewarm aid was, as
might have been expected, unavailing, and Mannajee Angria,
having gained possession of his galivats, was permitted to
retain them, on paying 70,000 rupees to Bajee Rao, who also
acquired for himself several of the Seedee's forts. Another of
Mannajee's conquests caused more anxiety to the Bombay
Government than all the rest. Rewaree, on the River Penii,
which flows into the harbour of Bombay, became his, and thus
he held in his hand a key to the communication of the island
with the continent. A passage boat plied regularly between the
places, for the convenience of the Brinjaries, who brought
merchandise from the interior, and who. it was feared, migiit.
on their return, convey to the pirate chief intelligence ol all
that was occurring at Bombay.
The growing importance of the English Government was
manifested by the flattering letters and proposals which they
received in the course of these affairs froHj^ B^ij^'^-' li'^<3; one of
the most sagacious and powerful statesmen"" of the Mahratta
Empire. ^Vhen besieging Rajapore, he wrote in the name of
* See "The First Wars and Treaties of the Western Presidency," in tlie
" Bombay Quarterly Review," to Avhieh we are mainly indebted for ^-idmible ma-
terial relating to the services of tlie Indian jS'avy between tlic years 172t;-5l. Tlie
sources whence this writer drew his materials are, inter alia, the Bombay '' Con-
sultation Book," and the Diaries of the Company's factors at Siirat, Anjenj-o,
Teilicherry, and other factories on the West Coast.