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21»4 HISTORY OP THE INDIAN NAVY. ;
when the 'Nautilus' lay there, and her officers and those of the
American man-of-war ' Boxer,' could scarcely be induced to
believe that the little Company's cruiser was the same vessel
that had been captured by Captain Warrington, as "they had
always understood her to be a vessel of nearly the same size as
the ' Peacock.' " The clearing up of this point did not flatter their
national vanity. Commander Boyce, the victim of American
rowdyism, was compelled to retire from the Service in 1817, in
consequence of his wounds, and, though now in his ninety-
second year, is, as he lately informed us, still in the possession
of his health and faculties, and in the enjoyment of a pension
voted sixty years ago by the Congress of the United States,
who have thus had to pay pretty heavily for this particular
item of " glory."
During the Mahratta War of 1817-18, some of the Company's
cruisers, stationed at Fort Victoria, near Severndroog, had
the good fortune to be actively engaged, and acquitted them-
selves so well as to earn the frequent and hearty commendations
of the Bombay Government, and the military officers under
whose orders they served. The vessels engaged were the
' Prince of Wales,' Lieutenant Dominicetti, ' Thetis,' Lieutenant
Arthur, ' Sylph,' Lieutenant Robson, and some small craft
find the officers and crews, who were landed to assist
the troops, bore a conspicuous part in the capture of the
forts on the coasts of the Concan. A detachment was employed
at the surrender of the forts of Severndroog on the 4th of
December, 1817, and the Governor in Council, in General
Orders of the 20th of December, expressed his high sense of
the gallantry of the seamen and marines. The escalading
party consisted of only thirty seamen, led by Lieutenant
Dominicetti, and fifty sepoys, under the command of Captain
Campbell, of the 9th Regiment. The General Order states
that, though opposed by very superior numbers, the energy of
this small force succeeded in surmounting every obstacle,
escalading and taking in open day the Fort of Kundah, not-
withstanding the heavy fire of the enemy. This gallant and
successful enterprise so completely intimidated the enemy, that
the two other forts of Goa and Gunjeera were abandoned
during the night.
Shortly afterwards the troops on this station were increased
by the newly raised 1st Battalion of the 10th Native Infimtry,
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel M. Kennedy, who, with a
small force, including a naval brigade of seamen, under their own
officers, and the marines from the Company's cruisers and
pattamars, under the command of Captain Farquharson, reduced
the strong forts of Madunghur, Ramghur, Paulghur, Russulghur,
Anjenweel, and other strongholds, with the territories depen-
dent thereon. The following were the General Orders bv the