Page 168 - INDIANNAVYV1

13G HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. ;

This offer was indignantly, and most honourably, in those days
of corruption, rejected by the British officer. To mark their
sense of his conduct, the Bombay Government presented Captain
Buchanan with a gold medal.
On the evening of the 12th of February, the Admiral sent in
a summons under a flag of truce, which was repelled by Toola-
jee; and, accordingly, on the following day the fleet recommenced
the bombardment with increased spirit. About four o'clock the
enemy hoisted a white flag in token of submission. Admiral
Watson insisted, as a sine guanon, that the British troops should
be allowed to march in, and the ensign hoisted on the citadel
but, as the piratical chief would not accede to these demands,
the bombardment was renewed. At a quarter past five the white
flag was once more hoisted and this time Angria, thoroughly
humbled, surrendered on the terms dictated by his conquerors.
A small detachment of our troops took possession of the chief
work that night, and, on the following morning, the entire force
inarched in. In this manner was obtained possession of a
stronghold hitherto considered impregnable, and the result w-as
achieved with a loss to the squadron of only nineteen men killed
and wounded. Upwards of two hundred cannon, six brass
mortars, and a large quantity of ammunition, together with
eight of our countrymen, and three Dutchmen, were found in
the place, and the specie, amounting to .£125,000, was divided
among the English captors, who declared that the Mahrattas
were not entitled to any part of it. The enemy's fleet, which
was destroyed, consisted of one ship of seventy-four guns, two
sixty-gun ships on the stocks, eight grabs mounting from twenty
to thirty guns each, and about sixty galivats. There were thirteen
hundred troops in the fort, and these, together Avith Angria's family,
were made prisoners. Toolajee, who was captured by the
Mahrattas, was put in irons, and thrown into one of the Peishwa's
forts, where he lingered in a long captivity, and, subsequently,
died at Sholapoor, to which place he had been removed. Six
hundred European and Native troops were left to garrison the
fort, and four of the Company's vessels were stationed in the
harbour as an additional protection. In the beginning of April
the fleet repaired to Bombay, when Admiral Watson, after
refitting his squadron, sailed for Madras.
It is not a very creditable fact, that the Bombay Government
declined for some months to give np Gheria to the Mahrattas,
notwithstanding that it was expressly agreed in the stipulations.
They wished to exchange Bancoot for it. and put forth frivolous
pretexts to excuse their breach of faith. Subsequently the
place was yielded to the Peishwa, in accordance with the terms
of the treaty concluded at Poena on the 2nd of October.*
* The Mahrattas made hut an ill use of their newlj-acquired stronghold, for we
find a writer, who Tibited Eonilay in 1775, sajs of them, " Before this period,"