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108 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. ;
""peace, and, in 1789, made overtures to the English Government
but, as he demanded that they should provide all their trading
vessels with his passes, and pay him 2,000,000 rupees annually
for the free navigation of the seas, his proposals were at once
rejected as absurdly extravagant.
The following January Sambhajee flew at higher game than
On the 9th of that
he had ever before ventured to attack.
month, as the 'Harrington,' 'Pulteney,' 'Ceres,' and 'Halifax,'
four Indiamen which had just arrived on the coast from Eng-
land, were waiting for a convoy, they descried, at sunset,
fifteen sail, wdiich they soon made out to be Angria's fleet.
Singling out the 'Harrington,' as she was some distance from
the rest, the enemy formed their line abreast, according to
custom, and firing their bow-guns, bore down upon the India-
man, which, at first, only replied with her stern chasers ; then,
finding her weight of metal superior, tacked and delivered three
broadsides. After a distant contest of five hours, the pirates
sailed away ; but, unwilling to lose such a rich prize, appeared
again at five the next morning rending the air as they drew
near with discordant music. This time the 'Harrington' ac-
cepted their invitation at once, and they were proportionately
reluctant to engage at close quarters; but at last she came up
with three large grabs, including their admiral's, and, shortly
after, no fewer than six were within a few yards of her. At
noon their admiral's vessel was crippled, and they sheered off",
the galivats, which were impelled by oars, taking hiui in tow,
and thus getting to windward where the large English ship
could not follow them. Their repulse at that time was most
fortunate, as the ammunition on board the 'Harrington' w-as
expended, and her commander could not have continued the
fight longer. Knowing that it was his best policy to look his
enemy in the face, he lay to for three hours, but they did not
venture to renew the engagement.
As for Mannajee Angria, he was a fast and loose friend, or
an actual enemy, just as it suited him. Even his friendship
was dangerous, and to use a comparison of the Indian moralist,
he Avas " like coal, which when hot burns the hand, and when
cold blackens it;" while he professed to be a close ally of the
English, his covetous nature could not resist the temptation if
one of their unarmed ships happened to be sailing near his
quarters. At the very time his envoy was njaking protestations
of friendly sentiments at Bombay, he seized two vessels laden
with grain for the island, and, before remonstrance could reach
him, two other vessels belonging to the factory of Surat. All
complaints and threats he met with excuses and evasions.
When, however, he had gone so far as to make English prisoners
labour at his public works, such insolence could no longer be
tolerated, and, in March 1739, Captain Inchbird, sailing with