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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 145

the very time supplicating aid from the Government of Bombay.
At that date Angria alone dared to resist the British on the high
seas, and even he fled before them unless his force happened on
any occasion to be vastly superior. The Company's naval power
was acknowledged by all, and the}'' had already established one
proof of suzerainty in requiring native vessels from Surat to
carry their passes,* and declaring all to be lawful prizes who
were without them or those of friendly nations. " Indeed," con-
tinues the writer from whom we ai-e quoting, " if superiority, not
as regards number of men or ships, or weight of n:ietal, but
skill, courage, and other requisites for successful warfare, were
alone considered, their claim was irresistible. Negotiations for
the transfer of the tunkha and concomitant responsibilities to
English hands, were opened in .June, 1733, and, at first, were
highly encouraging, but it soon appeared that the interests of
too many parties were concerned. Besides the Company, the
Governor of Surat, and the Seedee, there were the Dutch, who
felt that the question was of great importance to them. Forty
years before they had endeavoured to obtain the tunkha for
themselves, and although they could not apply for it now in
their reduced condition, they had regained some of their lost
credit by the part which they had taken in the late revolution,
and would do their utmost to prevent the most successful of
their European rivals from increasing their wealth and influence.
Then the Seedee was at the time in close alliance with the
English, and it would be dangerous to proceed openly, so as to
malce him an enemy at a time when the attitude, both of the
Mahratta Rajah and Angria, was most threatening. Lastly,
there were the interests of Teg Beg Khan, the Mogul Nawab. An
attempt was made towards inducing him to forego the lac of
rupees which annually found its way into the Treasury, and to
pay the whole three lacs fairly to the British."
Mr. Lowther, the chief at Surat, conducted the aff"air on the
part of the President and Council with tact and secrecy. Reports
of progress were regularly sent to Bombay, and, for some time,
were favourable, but, after lengthy negotiations, the attempt
ended in failure, in consequence of the demand made by the
Nawab.
A series of disputes, into which the Native Government and
factors now were drawn, seems to have had its origin with
various classes of luitive merchants, such as were independent
of the English, endeavouring to ruin those wIkuu the English
patronised ; and the Governor, who, as the factors remarked,
was indebted to the English for all he possessed, listened too
readily to the malicious stories of informers against them. At
length Teg Beg Khan ordered one of the merchants to be
arrested, set a guard over tlie house of another, and e.xtorted a
* A Form of Pass was agreed upon by the President in Council in .Vpril, 1734.
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