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CHAPTER IX. —

1811—1820.
Operations against the Pirates of Kattywar and Cutch—The ' Malabar,' Captain
Maxfield, in Burmah—Expeditions against Malwau and Dwarka— Galhnit
'
Services of Lieutenant Grant in Kattywar—Action between the ' Nautihis
and ' Peacock — Services of tlie Bombay Marine daring the Mahi'atta War
'
Shipbuilding in Bombay Dockyai'd— Operations at Mocha.
BETWEEN the years 1811-16, owing to the absence of a
kirge portion of the cruisers of the Bomba}^ Marine in the
Eastern Islands, the duties fell very heavily on the small force
disposable at head-quarters, who had thus scarcely' any rest in
port, but were hurried from one sphere of duty to another. The
pirates on the coast of the southern Concan, Kattywar,* and
Cutch, were in consequence very troublesome and daring", and
the squadron of small craft, schooners and armed pattamars,
were actively and successfully employed against them ; the
only remaining available cruiser was employed in protecting the
Red Sea trade.
The pirates established at Bcyt, had, from time immemorial,
been very daring in their depredations. In 1803, a small, but
well-appointed, squadron, consisting of II.M's. ship ' Eox,' and
Honourable Company's brigs ' Ternatu' and 'Teignmouth,' was
despatched by the Bombay Government to beat up their
quarters, and, after a bombardment of two or three days without
* The Guzerat Peninsula is now known by the name of Kattywar, from the
tribe of Kattees, who inhabit the central division or province of the ten into
wliicii the Peninsula is divided ; of these ten divisions eight belong to Ra,jpoots
of diverse tribes, and one alone, Sorutli, to the Mahoniniedan dynasty of Joonu-
ghur. The proper name of the peninsula is, however, Soorashtra, so called by the
Greeks, from Soo (Good) and Kashtra (country) ; it is sacred in Hindoo eyes
from its liaving been the scene of Krishna's exploits and death, and vast numbers
of pilgi'ims crowd from all -parts of India to its shrines, the most famous of
which was the Temple of Somnauth, desecrated by the Mohammedan conqueror,
Malimoud of Ghuznee, and rendered historical in modern times by Lord EUeu-
borousjli's famous "proclamation of the gates." The first to establish order in
Kattywar was Colonel Walker, Kesidont at Baroda, who, in 1S05, checked the
incursions of the Mahratta busts wlio levied choid by certain regular ])ayniont?.
Full details of the Guzerat Peninsula may be found in No. 37 of the Bombay
Government Records, in which are also the Eeporls of Captain (now Sir George
Le Grand) Jacob, who places the population of Kattywar at 1.147,000 in 18 ti'.
The entire length of the coast-line of Kattywar from Beyt Island to Uiu Head
is one hundred and sixty miles.
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