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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 223

Mainwaring, was captured off the island of Kenn (Kais) in the
Persian Gulf, by the French privateer ' La Fortune,' thirty-
eight guns, commanded by the famous Captain Surcouff.
Before the enemy boarded his ship, the Captain of the little
cruiser ran her into shoal wuter near that island, and sunk the
Government despatches and some treasure with which he was
charged, in about two and a-half fothoms of water, taking marks
for the recovery of them, if possible, at some future time.
The narrative of the adventures of the crew of the ' Fly,' as
given by Buckingham in his " Travels," is of romantic interest,
and very characteristic of those times. The passengers and
crew were taken to Bushire, where lay some other vessels cap-
tured by the French privateer. They, and some other prisoners
collected there, were set at liberty, except the connnander.
Lieutenant Mainwaring, and his officers. Lieutenants Arthur and
Maillard, who were taken to the Mauritius, probably with a
view to effect an exchange. A number of those who were left
behind, purchased by subscription a country dhow at Bushire,
and fitted her out with necessaries for her voyage to Bombay.
On their passage down the Gulf, as they thought it would be
practicable to recover the Government packet and treasure off
Kenn,* they repaired to that island, and were successful, after
much exertion, in recovering the former, which, being in their
estimation of the first importance, as the despatches were from
England to Bombay, they sailed with them on their way thither
without loss of time.
Near the mouth of the Gulf, between Cape Mussundom and the
island called the Great Tomb, they were captured by a fleet of
Joasmi pirates, and, after some resistance, in which several were
wounded, were taken into their chief port, Ras-ul-Khymah.
Here they were detained in the hope of ransom, and, during
their stay, were shown to the people of the town as curiosities,
no white men having been before seen there. When these
unfortunate Englishmen had remained for several months in the
possession of the Arabs, and there appeared no hope of their
ransom, it was determined to put them to death. Luckily the
poor captives bethought themselves of the treasure, and corn-
being mostly sent in Company's cruisers via. Cosseir, on the Ked Sea, and Cairo.
The Company, however, continued to retain an agent at Marghill, on the banks of
the Shatt-ul-Arab, about four miles from Eussorah, and tliis ollicer, who also held
tlie post of British Vice-Consul, was placed under the authority of the Political
Resident and Consul-Gleneral at Bagdad.
* Kenn, called also Kais or Keys, is the Kisi of Marco Polo, and the Kataia of
Arrian. " At Kataia," he says, " ends the province of Karmauia, along the coast
of -which they had sailed 3,700 stadia." Between two or three miles to the west-
ward of Mashi Point are the ruins of tlie ancient Mahommedan town of Hariri
(Kis) extending for three-quarters of a mile along the shore, which was the great
emporium of the India and China trade in the twelflli century, before Ormuz rose
into importance. Its site is now marked by mounds, with tottering masses of
masonry.