Page 228 - INDIANNAVYV1

V^G HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
variety of gifts sent by the Company to liim and his people.
On the 21st, Captain McCliier landed in state, accompanied by
Captain Proctor, Lieutenants Wedgeborough, White, and
Haswell, Mr. Nicholson, the surgeon, and escorted by- the
marines and a party of seamen, " wearing caps with yellow
plates, upon which was engraved the Hon. East India Com-
pany's crest." They were met by the King and a large
concourse of people, and marched with " English colours flying,
and a fife and drum playing the Grenadier's March," to a house
where the gifts were presented, " the multitude being struck
with amazement, and could not utter a word, but frequent has!
of astonishment," while the King "was perfectly at a loss for
utterance, or how far to express his gratitude to the English
rupacks, as he styled the Hon. Company."
On the 1st of February, the King gave over to Captain
McCluer, for the English Government, the island of Amallikala,
w^here the ships were anchored, " saying it should be English-
men's land," and the same day the British flag was hoisted
upon it Avith all ceremony, and the foundation stone of
a fort was laid, to which the name of Fort Abercrombie
was given in honour of the Governor of Bombay ; the
island is described as about " four or five miles in cir-
cumference, and has good springs and streams of water, with
some excellent small bays." On the following day. Captain
McCluer resolved to proceed to Macao in the ' Panther ' to
forward an account of his proceedings to the Court of Directors
by one of the homeward bound China fleet, and directed
Captain Proctor, of the ' Endeavour,' during his absence to
commence the survey of the island, and to instruct the Natives
in the use of the tools of husbandry, and in the cultivation of
rice grounds and gardens, for which seeds had been bought in
abundance. To effect this systematically, Captain McCluer
directed Lieutenant Snook to take charge of the plantations
and gardens, Lieutenant Michie to superintend the instruction
of the works, and in all fifty men were detailed to assist in the
execution of his plans. On the 10th of February, after the
King had invested Captain McCluer, and his favourite. Lieute-
nant White, with the " bone," constituting them "rupacks," the
'Panther' sailed, the ships saluting each other with nine guns,
to the amazement of the Natives, who had an especial dread of
the cannon.
During the absence of the ' Panther,' a detachment of seamen
and marines took part in an expedition against Abba Thulle's
enemies, and, writes Captain Proctor, in a marginal note on a
copy of Mr. Keate's work on the Pelew Lslands, their musketry
fire was so effective "that the friends of the English were
victorious."
The ' Panther ' arrived at Macao on the 2nd of March, and,