Page 197 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. ] ")

with the largest of the Eiio'lish ships against the castle, with
that skill and bravery which did them great honour, and by the
smaller vessels, which, in conjunction with the Persians, landed
at the town, notwithstanding the fire from the eight galivats and
the musketry from the town, the attempt was fruitless; the ships
suffering so much from the guns of the castle that they were
obliged to sheer off to repair the damage and, although they
;
returned to the attack the next day, it was ineflVctual, the castle
guns being so much larger than those of the ships, whos(!
heaviest shots were nine and six-pounders." As it is certain
that only two of the Company's ships-of-war were engaged in
the attack on the castle, it is probable that four of the vessels
referred to by this writer were improvised gunboats, or galivats,
a class of fighting ships utterly unable to cope with strong
fortifications.
From information received from an officer of the Marine
captured at Corgo by MeerMohunna, it appears that there were
fifteen hundred fighting men in Kharrack, and about four
thousand inhabitants; and thatthere werealso ten Dutchmen who
superintended the management of his artillery, and several
Armenians. This officer stated "that a force of fifteen hundred
Sepoys, and three hundred Europeans, exclusive of a company
of artillery, would be required to reduce the island. These must
land and mal^e regular approaches. The Meer's forces were
fine active men, and in the best order. He had nine galivats ;
their dimensions were about seventy feet long, twenty- four feet
broad, and five feet hold ; they sail like the wind, and were kejjt
in the most perfect order."
In the following year, however, according to Malcolm and
other reliable authorities, a rebellion of his followers broke out,
and Meer Mohunna fled to Bussorah, where he was seized and
executed, and his body cast into a field to be devoured by dogs.
"The death of this monster," says Malcolm, " difTusi'd universal
joy, from the coast of Shiraz to the shores of India, and the
inhabitants still pronounce his name with mixetl horror and
apprehension."
Parsons says that Kurreem Khan, recognizing the inutility of
attempting the reduction of the castle by bombardment, owing
to the heavy guns mounted on the walls and bastions, resolved
to efi'ect its surrender by blockading the island, and starving the
garrison out. He, accordingly, sent a large body of troops,
with artillery, which were landed on the island in April,
17G9, and the place was completely invested. At length .Meer
Mohunna, seeing that the game was up, embarked on a dark
night with a portion of Ins treasure, and proceeded to Cirane,
whence he made his way to Bussorah, wdiere he was put to death
by order of the Pasha of Bagdad.
Mr. Morley, the Company's llesident at Bushire, endeavoured