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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 225
destitute of clothes and money, and were constantly subjected
to plunder and imposition. The Indian sailors, Sepoys, and
servants, of whom a few were still remaining when they set out,
had all dropped off, and the Europeans, one after another,
were also abandoned on the road. The packet being light,
was still, however, carried by turns, and ])reserved through all
obstacles and difhculties, and with it they reached, at length,
the island of Busheab, to which they crossed over in a boat from
the main. Here they were detained, and money was even
demanded of them by the sheikh, for his protection, or permission
to land on the island. Finding entreaty would not prevail with
this inhospitable chief, and rendered desperate by their accumu-
lated miseries, they threatened the vengeance of the Ijritish
Government, if they were not instantly furnished by him wnth
a boat for the conveyance of themselves and the despatches in
their charge to Bushire. This had the desired effect, the boat
Avas provided and the party embarked. One of the number
expired in the act of being conveyed from the shore, several
others died on the voyage itself, and one on their arrival at
Bushire ; leaving, out of all their numerous party, two survivors,
a Mr. Yowl and Fennel, an English seaman. These ultimately
reached Bombay with the packet, for the preservation of which
they were thought to be adequately rewarded after their almost
unexampled sufferings, by a mere letter of thanks from the
Goverinuent.
The Bombay Government, on hearing of the loss of the
' Fly,' determined to try and effect the capture of the French
privateer, 'La Fortune,' and selected Lieutenant Court, an
officer distinguished alike for his gallantry, his scientific acquire-
ments, which he displayed in the survey of the Red Sea, and
his political talents, as evinced by him when Resident in Celebes.
Lieutenant Court, then in command of the cruiser ' Princess
Augusta,' was actively engaged in blockading Severndroog, now
again the haunt of pirates, but returned to Bombay, and, shift-
ing his pennant to the ' Ternate,' of sixteen guns, was about to
8ail for the Persian Gulf to seek for an enemy carrying doubU;
his armament of guns and men, when intelligence arrived of
her capture by H.j\I.'s frigate ' Concorde.'
Not long after the loss of the ' Fly,' the ' Viper,' of fourteen
guns, was also captured by a French ship of greatly superior
force, and about the same time a severe action was fought
between the ' Teignmouth,' sixteen guns, commanded by Lieu-
tenant Hewitson, and a French privateer of the same force.
The fire of the enemy had f^)r some time ceased, and the
' Teignmouth ' was about to take possession, when an explosion
of powder took place on board the cruiser, by which several
men were killed ; upon this the privateer made sail, and, though
Lieutenant Hewitson gave chase, he could not overtake her.
VOL. I. Q