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150 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
as governor of the town, on condition that the former slioiild
be continued as Naib, which carried the office of chief magis-
trate. Mr. Spencer, the Company's agent, communicated this
resolution to Atchinid, who readily agreed to, and executed, a
treaty of four points, by the third article of which it was con-
ceded that the Mecca gate of the inner town should be opened, and
an attack by the combined forces made against the Seedoe, who
still continued to hold the castle. The counterpart of this
treaty was delivered on the 4th of March to Atchund, who,
thereupon, admitted the British force, which marched in with
drums beating and colours flying. The Seedee at first appeared
determined to defend the castle to the last extremity ; but,
upon learning that Atchund had joined his troops with the
British, he opened negotiations, and, at length, agreed to sur-
render the fortress, which was of considerable strength, and
amply supplied with guns and stores,* on condition of being
allowed to march out with his arms and effects.
The fighting during these operations must have been rather
brisk, as we find that the losses of the British in killed alone,
amounted to one hundred and fifty officers and men.
A gratuity of 200,000 rupees (i^20,000) was divided among the
captors. (Some troops and a squadron for the protection of the
newly-acquired settlement were left at Surat, and the remainder
of the expedition returned to Bombay on the 15th of April.
Certain districts were allotted for the subsistence of the See-
dee, though he was for ever deprived of the dignity and emolu-
ments of his high office, which were conferred on the East India
Company, together with the revenues and districts allotted for

* The Castle is described by Abraliam Parsons, vrho visited Surat in 1776, as
" a large and noble quadrangular building, witli a circular and capacious bastion
at each angle, mounted with three tiers of guns pointing three ditJerent ways ; the
lowest are 36-pounders, the second 24, and the upper tiers 18 and 12-pounders.
There are near two hundred cannon mounted on the Castle, besides twenty-four
at the saluting battery ; the lowest tier are not above six feet from the level of the
glacis, or the river at high water, when it washes the Castle walls. There are
many guns mounted on the ramparts between each bastion. On one of the bas-
tions is lioisted the British Union flag, and on its opposite, the Mogul's ; the
English having condescended to accept of being the Mogul's Admiral of Indos-
tan, to please the Natives, hoist his flag on the Castle." Of the town, the same
intelligent writer says, " There is a wall and ditch enclosing the city, and another
surrounding the suburbs ; the distance round the outer wall is computed to be
near twelve English miles. In the outer wall are thirteen gates, including three
on the banks of the river ; in the inner are four gates, so tiiat even the suburbs
cannot receive provisions without paying the duty, which is in kind. The w hole
of the duties are supposed to amount to about forty lacs of rupees ; theMahrattas
enjoyed one-third of these duties, and the English think it prudent to continue it
to tliem to keep them quiet, lest they should assist the Nabob in regaining his
independence. Here are two principal gates which lead to the Castle, the keys
of wliich are carried to the English chief every night at sunset, when they are
locked. They are opened at daybreak in the morning. These gates are guarded
by English, the others by the Nabob's officers and soldiers, who send the keys
to the English officers. The French, Portuguese, and Dutch have factories here,
and the Dutch and Portuguese hoist their respective flags at their factories."