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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 109

iiis little fleet to Caranja, which had just fallen into Mannajeo's
hands, captured eight of his fighting galivats and thirteen fish-
ing boats. In November, Mannajue took the Island of Ele-
phanta, hoisting his flag there in defiance of the little English
garrison stationed in close proximity at Butcher's Island ; and,
although he had begun a friendly correspondence, in April, with
the English, and showed a disposition to make restitution for
past injuries, he detained, in July, four boats which they had
sent across the harbour to open comnnmications with the
General of the Mahratta Peishwa. As this last insult was
offered at a time when a rupture would have been inconvenient,
it was overlooked, and a hollow peace was made between him
and the English Government. Some time afterwards mis-
fortune changed his disposition, and brought him as a suppliant
to Bombay, where he represented that his brother, Sambhajee,
v- having taken Choul, Alibagh, Thull, and Sagurgurh, had laid
j
^-
siege to Colaba, and cut off all the fresh water of the garrison.
At his earnest request, Mr. Stephen Law, the Governor, or
President, of Bombay, sent a squadron of cruisers, which con-
veyed a supply of water, forced Sambhajee's fleet to run down
to Severndroog, and opened such a heavy cannonade upon his
camp as compelled him to remove it from the seaside and throw
up entrenchments for its protection. Sambhajee then requested
permission of the Commodore to retire to Severndroog, and, on
that being refused, he made a disorderly retreat, thoroughly
humbled by the English squadron and a co-operating Mahratta
force, under the Peishwa's son, Ballajee Bajee Rao, also known at
tlrtrT'time under the name, rendered infamous for all time, of
/'^liana^_Salii.b. Mannajee, dismayed at the prospect of the occu-
pation of Colaba by the Mahrattas, hastily patched up a truce
with Sambhajee, and the two Angrias, having received a whole-
some warning, lived for a time in fraternal concord.*
As there was no hope that Sambhajee would ever cease to be
a robber, or that he would honestly observe any treaties he
might make with the English, the hitter conceived it necessary
to their interests to form an alliance with his oi)i)Oiients. The
power which, of all others, was every day becoming more for-
midable, was that of the J\Iahratta Rajah of Sattara, or rather,
of his ambitious minister, the Peishwa. The active and maraud-
ing " Sevajees," as the Mahrattas were then called, after their
first great leader, now nnistered regular armies, wiih well
equipped trains of artillery', and, not content with levying black
mail in the open country, were pn'pared to batter down walls
and capture fortresses. For some years they had been engaged
in hostilities with the Portuguese, whose possessions near
Bombay they coveted, and the heavy reverses which the latter
now sustained at their hands, removed the only ally that might
* Grant Duff, vul. i., chap. xvi.