Page 167 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 13')

brother to deliver the fortress to him, intending by this step to
exclude the English from all participation in the plunder. In
order to prevent the accomplishment of this design, Admiral
Watson sent a summons to the fort, and, receiving no answer,
at once prepared to attack the sea face of the batteries.
Accordingly, on the 12th of February, the British fleet stood
in in two divisions, one consisting of the ships of the line and
the ' Protector,' to attack the forts, the other, consisting of the
smaller vessels, to attack Angria's fleet and dockyards. As they
took up their stations along the north side of the works within
fifty yards' range, they were exposed to a heavy fire from the
batteries, and from the grabs moored in the harbour, to which
the guns of the ships and the mortars from the bomb-ketches
replied with tremendous effect.
The action soon became general. Between four and five
o'clock a shell from one of the ketches fell on board the ' Restor-
ation,' an English ship captured b}^ Angria, when she caught
fire, and the flames, speedily communicating to the rest of the
ships that lay moored close together, the whole of the piratical
fleet was speedily involved in the conflagration. A little later
a shell was thrown into the fort setting that on fire also. It
now came to iVdmiral Watson's ears that Toolajee was again
scheming to surrender the place to the Mahrattas. with whom
he had opened negotiations to that end, and also that the
Peishwa's General, notwithstanding that the stipulations of the
treaty expressly provided that the occupation was to be a joint
one, was not disinclined to entertain the proposals. To avoid
the possibility of such a breach of good faith, the Admiral
requested Colonel Clive to land the troops, and that officer dh\
so accordingly, and invested Gheria on the land side, so that
the Mahrattas could hold no communication with the garrison.*
Ramajee Pmit, when he found Colonel Clive had occupied a
position between him and the fort, perceived what was intended,
and endeavoured to get a few of his men in by any means.
With this object he made secret overtures to Captain Buchanan,
the officer on picket, offering him a bribe of 80,000 rupees if he
would permit him and a party of his men to pass into the fort.
* The point as to the ill-faith of the Peishwa's General has not been clearly
establisliod. Captain Grant Duff states that Ramajee Punt intimated on the
arrival of Admiral Watson, that he was in treaty for the surrender of Gheria, and
promised to come on board his flagsliip for the purpose of obtaining the sanction
of the Commissioners. Ho did not come at the time specified, but sent a substi-
tute, who was instructed to otfer a bribe to Captain Hough, if he would under-
take to cause the Admiral to suspend o]ierations. Tlio Admiral was tlterefore
certainly justified in ordering the attack b\it on tlie otlier luuul it aitjiears from
;
the Bombay Eecords, t.liat a Prize Committee of ten olllcers, of which Admirals
Watson and Pocock, Captain Hough and Colonel Clive were members, had been
appointed before they left Bombay harbour, and tliey had agreed to share the
whole prize property in Gheria, without allowing tlie allies to participate. If the
Mahrattas had intelligence of this proceednig, they had an equal right to forestall
the English.