Page 160 - INDIANNAVYV1

128 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

When Bajee Rao died on tlie 28th of April, 1740, his son,
Balhijee, became Peishwa of the Mahrattas, This prince first
saw service in conjunction with the Bombay squadron in 1740,
and, says Grant Duff, " he was impressed with a high sense
of the English, from their conduct when they relieved Mannajee
Angria at Kolabah;" which estimate was, naturally, greatly
increased by the military reputation they had achieved in the
(^arnatic. Ballajee and Mr. Richard Bourchier, the Bombay
President, who succeeded to office on the 17th of November,
1750, were mutually desirous of suppressing the depredations
of Angria, and settling affairs at Surat, which still contiinied
the chief emporium of Western India, but, owing to the weakness
of the Mogul Government, continued to remaia in a._^te of
chronic misrule. In the meantime Sambhajee had diect;- and
Mannajee remained in nominal obedience'tO'BHilTtjee, while his
half-brother, Toolajee, who had succeeded to all the territories
situated between Bancoot and Sawunt Waree, openly disavowed
the authority of the Peishwa, and seized and plundered all ships
on the high seas. The Rajah of Kolapoor and the rulers of
Sawunt Waree followed a like system, and, says Grant Duff
"were indiscriminately termed by the English, Malwans," a
name given to them from the Fort of Malwan, or Sindeedroog,
which belonged to the Kolapoor Rajah. Though Mr. Bourchier,
soon after assuming the reins of office at Bombay, concluded an
arrangement with the Mahrattas for the settlement of Surat,
the war which broke out between the Peishwa and the Mogul
Emperor, subsequent to the murder of Nasir Jung, prevented its
being carried into effect. But in 1755 there was a short
cessation of hostilities, upon which the Peishwa deputed
Ramajee Punt, the Soubehdar of the Concan, to proceed to
Bombay and settle a plan of operations for attacking Toolajee
Angria.
The Governor and Council resolved to make an attempt, in
conjunction with the Mahrattas, to dispossess Toolajee Angria
of his strongholds, Severndroog and Viziadroog; and, accord-
ingly, as none of the King's ships were in port, an expedition
was organised, consisting solely of vessels belonging to the
Bombay Marine. Looking about for a commander, the choice
of the Council unanimously fell on Commodore James, Avho
had proved himself to be an officer of energy, capacity, and
resource.
On the 22nd of March, of the same year. Commodore James
sailed from Bombay with a small squadron, consisting of his
flag-ship, the ' Protector,' the ' Bombay,' twenty-eight guns,
the ' Swallow,' sixteen guns, and the ' Triumph' and ' Viper,'
bomb vessels ; and, three days later, was joined by the
Mahratta fleet of seven grabs and six galivats, having on board
ten thousand soldiers, which had sailed from Choul. So great