Page 383 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OP THE INDIAN NAVY. 351
resistance was offered, but the dhows were boarded and carried
off, though in attempting to get them out they were wrecked.
The Bahrein chief made a great clamour about this vioUition of
his neutrality, and the Abu Thubi Sheikh, whose property the
vessels really were, made a demand for restitution upon the
Bombay Goverinnent, which considered itself bound to pay the
damages, and also, we believe, blood money for the men killed.
The Bombay Government, having at length resolved to take
decisive measures for extinguishing piracy in the Persian Gulf,
assembled a powerful armament at Bonibay. The troops, which
numbered three thousand and sixty-nine fighting men, of whom
one thousand six hundred and forty-five were P^uropeans and
one thousand four hundred and twenty-four Sepoys, were
placed under the command of Major-General Sir \\'illiam Grant
Keir,* and consisted of one company of artillery, H.M.'s 47th
and 65th Regiments, 1st Battalion 2nd Regiment Native
Infantry, the flank companies of 'the 1st Battalion 3rd Native
Infantry and tlie Marine Battalion, and half a comjiany of
pioneers. The following were the ships of war, some of which
were in the Persian Gulf:—H.M.S. ' Liverpool,' fifty guns.
Captain F. A. Collier, C.B., who arrived on the 25th of
September from Mauritius, to assume naval command of the
Expedition ; and H.M. ships ' Eden,' twenty-six guns, Captain
Loch, and ' Curlew,' eighteen guns, Captain Walj)ole—the latter
brig, which arrived only a few daj^s before from the Persian
Gulf, having been attacked on her way down by fifteen large
Joasmi boats, which she succeeded in driving off after five
hours' fighting, during which she sank three and captured seven.
The Company's ships were:— the ' Teignmouth,' sixteen guns.
Captain Hall, (senior officer) ; ' Benares,' sixteen guns. Com-
' Aurora,' fourteen guns, Commander Maillard
mander Arthur ; ;
'Nautilus,' fourteen guns. Lieutenant Faithful; 'Ariel,' ten
guns, Lieutenant Greenway ; and 'Vestal' ten guns. Lieu-
tenant Watson. Besitles these cruisers, wliicli actually partici-
pated in the ensuing operations, the Hon. ('ompany's ships
' Ternate,' sixteen guns, ' Mercury,' fourteen gims, and
'Psyche,' ten guns, were engaged cruising about the Gulf,
and, during the month of November, the former was sent to
Bushire to bring I\Ir. Jiruce to Ras-ul-Khymah to confer with
the General, who was invested witli supreuie political au-
thority.
The first division of troops, consisting of the artilK-ry and
* The divisional staff consisted of Major E. G. Stannus, Assistant Adjutant-
General; Captain D. Wilson, Assistant QtuirtormaMtor-Cu-niTal ; and t'aptain
G. F. Sadleir, of the ITth Kegiineiit, Interpreter. The foree orij^inulU intended
for embarkation, ineUided tlie Hunk eonipanies of the 2nd IJatlaiion -HIi Native
Infantry, half a company of Pioneers, and one eoin]iany of .\rlillery La-^ean',
whieh were connternKUuied, owing to tlie Governor-General having roeoived a
communieatiou from the piratieul ehiefs oil'eriug to give up hostages.