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214 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
ant and Connnodorc at Bombay. These three officers, with the
two captains next in seniority, were formed into a Marine Board
for conducting the Civil Branch, including the dockyard and
financial details of the Service ; and the executive, under the
supervision of the Government of Bombay, was vested in the
iSuperintendent, who, at a later date, was assisted by a senior
captain of the Service selected by himself. The appointment of
Superintendent was retained in their own hands by the Court
of Directors, and Mr. Philip Dundas, brother, we believe, of the
first Lord Melville, was the first incumbent of the post. Relative
rank, as follows, was given to the officers of the Service by these
Regulations —The Commodore to rank with a Colonel in the
:
Army. Captains of the larger vessels of twent}^- eight guns and
upwards, or senior captains, to rank with Lieutenant-Colonels
in the Army. Junior Captains with Majors. First Lieutenants
to rank with Captains in the Army. Second Lieutenants with
Lieutenants in the Army. The Superintendent of the Marine,
in consideration of the importance of his office, to be next to
the Members in Council. The Master-Attendant next to the
Superintendent, and to sit above the Commodore.
The duties of the Service were distinctly defined under the
following heads — 1. The protection of the trade. 2. Suppres-
:
sion of piracy and general duties as vessels of war. 3. Con-
voying transports, and carrying troops if necessary. 4. The
prosecution of j\Iaritime surveys in the East. There was also
another duty performed by the Marine, of considerable import-
ance to the shipping of Bombay. Immediately before the
south-west monsoon, an experienced officer, with a proper
establishment of boats, was stationed at Worli, and another at
Mahim,* in whose charge was included Versovah, whose duty it
was to render aid to vessels fetching to the northward of the
port of Bombay. This duty was performed by the Marine, with
signal success, up to about the year LSIG, when it was discon-
tinued.
At this time, also, various improvements were made in the
internal economy of the Marine, and some fine vessels were
built. But the Service laboured throughout its career under
great disadvantages in securing a suitable supply of seamen,
and at the period of which we write it lay in the power of the
commanders of King's ships to draft men out of the Company's
cruisers, though this power was later taken away from them.
Except in war-time, there was great difficulty in procuring
suitable hands for the ships, and, in later times, when the
* Maliim Bay, at the south extremity of the island of Salsette, is foi'med by
Worii, the north-west point of the island of Bombay, on the south, and Bandra,
or Bandora, Point on the north, the latter about sis miles from Malabar Point
and nine from Bombay light-house. Since the construction of the Mahim and
Sion Causeway, Mahim Bay is much filled up, and now only affords a refuge for
fisliin''- boats. Versovah is an islaiid about twelve miles north of Malabar Point.