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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 107

consequence, the favourite diplomatist of the clay. His instruc-
tions were simple ; he was directed to assist Mannajee with
money and military stores, and " to take all opportunities of
spiriting him up to carry on his resentments against his
brother."
ie-tirae, naval operations were undertaken, and
?6^modore Bagwell, with four cruisers, having cruised for a
Ign^ttrofTime "in search of Sambhajee's fleet, of which he oidy
caught occas;ional glimpses, was rewarded, on the 22nd of De-
cember, ^^738*,"^' by the sight of rnrre ofhis grabs and thirteen
galivats issuing from the port of /xheriah and creeping timidly
along the shore. Disproportionea-5s"Tiis force was in numbers,
he at once bore down upon them ; but, anxious only to avoid a
confli(;t, they stood into the river of Kajapore, where the gallant
and impetuous Commodore beheld them lying at anchor, and in
bravado displaying all their flags and pendants. At a loss to
account for what he called such "consummate impudence,*' he
conjectured that the}' must be relying for safetj" upon a fort, or
some hidden dangers of the navigation with which he was un-
acquainted. After a brief consultation, however, with his cap-
tains, he resolved to engage them at close quarters, and made
all sail to approach them, his crews giving three hearty cheers.
But the enemy's deiiance had been only vain show, and, on
seeing the English really bearing down upon him, his first aim
w^as to run up the river. The eager Commodore used his
" Be-
utmost efforts to prevent him carrying this into efi"ect.
fore some of them could slip or cut," he wrote, "I w^as within
musquett shott, and did really think I should have been on
board one of them." As it was, luck did not declare in his
favour ; they made off under his heavy broadsides, until he
found himself with only four fathoms of water and locked in by
the rocks. Ignorant of the navigation, he was compelled to
give the signal for returning, but had the satisfaction of hearing
afterwards that he had inflicted much damage upon the enemy's
fleet and killed his Chief xVdmiral.
Thus avoiding all encounters with the Company's ships of
war, Sambhajee still continued to prey upon their shi})ping.
On the 26th of- December, 1735, he inflicted a most severe
bljow on their tracle by attacking, with five of his grabs, the
"'Derby,' a large East Indiaman. After a severe engagement,
iu. which all her masts were shot away, he succeeded in making
her his prize, and thus procured such a large supply of naval
stores that he was enabled to equif) his ships as well as any on
the coast. The same day on which his shi))s had fled so dis-
gracefully before the little squadron under Commodore 15agwell,
he was much elated by capturing thg ''Anne/ one of the Com-
pany's grabs, and several smaller vesWk with rich cargoes. As
though satisfied with his success, he pretended to wish for