Page 189 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 157

is likely to be well-informed, says of this action: "The four
largest bore down on the two English ships, who waited for
thein, when a warm engagement commenced; the 'Revenge'
engaged their Admiral so closely that their men ran from their
quarters. Soon after, by some accident, she took tire and blew
up, on which the rest of the fleet betook themselves to flight,
and the action being in sight of their principal port, called
Gheria, they soon got in under shelter of the castle. Our two
ships got their boats out, and saved thirty-four men out of four
hundred and twenty, which their Admiral had on board before
the engagement began ; as many of those that were saved were
either burnt or maimed, they were not only humanely treated,
but carried to Gheria in boats belonging to our two ships, and
there delivered without ransom."
On the 31st May, 1775, the Mahratta war was discontinued, not-
withstanding the opposition of the Bombay Government, owing
to the dissent of ^Ir. Warren Hastings, who, as the first Governor-
General of all the Company's possessions in India, had assumed
the supreme control of affairs on the previous 30th October, and
a treaty was signed at Poorundhur, Rugonath being repudiated
and offered an asylum at Surat. From hence he proceeded to
Tarrapoor, where he requested the Commander of one of the
Company's cruisers to give him a passage to Bombay ; the com-
manding officer did not consider himself authorized to refuse the
request, and the ex-Peishwa arrived at the Presidency on the
11th of November, where he was received with distinction, and
an allowance of 1(),()()0 rupees a month settled upon him.*
Passing over intermediate operations, in which the Bombay
Marine had no part, we come to the siege of Bassein, which fell
to the British arms on the 11th of December, 1779, after a siege
of thirteen days ; to effect the reduction of this very strong place
the north face of which can only be attacked by regidar
approaches, a large force, with a powerful battering train, had
been employed, the European portion embarking in ships of the
Bombay j\larine, and the Sepoys proceeding by land. Hostilities
with the Mahrattas were Anally terminated by the treaty of
Salbye. which was ratified by the Peishwa, Nana Furnuwees, on
the 20th of December, 1782, and formally exchanged on the
24th of February, 1783, the terra for restoring the territory
conquered since the treaty of Poorundhur, being limited to the
24th of April. Before that date, however, an event occurred
which shed lustre on the Pjombay I\Iarine, and showed the stern
stuff" of which its officers and men were made.
The 'Ranger,' a small brig of twelve guns, commanded by

* In January, 1779, a British army started from Bombay to place Rugonath
at Poonah as Regent, but it was overtaken by disaster, owing to tlio ineompetcneo
of its commanders, Colonels Egerton and Cockburu, and, in retreating from
Tullygauni, lost several hundred men.