Page 406 - INDIANNAVYV1

374 — — HISTORY OF THE INDIAN' NAVY.
suffered heavily, having lost one European and four native
officers, and eighty-four non-commissioned officers and men
killed, only twenty men having survived.
The present would appear a favourable opportunity for
giving a brief sketch of the services, up to this date, of the
Bombay Marine Battalion, now known as the 21st Regiment of
Bombay Native Infantry, as extracted from Government
General Orders and other published Records.

The Marine Battalion was raised in 1777, up to which date
the duties of Marines were performed by Sepoys from the land
forces. In the present century, when ships of the Indian Navy
were sent away from the Presidency on war service, the Sepoy
Marines were sometimes removed, and their places supplied by
drafts of Europeans from the Bombay Artillery, as during the
China War of 1840, and the second Burmese War of 1852 ; but
almost the entire achievements of the ]\Iarine Battalion were
gained afloat in the Hon. Company's ships of war with no
European officers but those of the Indian Navy, so that the
survivors of the latter Service have cause to view with especial
satisfaction the honour paid to the regiment by H.R.H. the
Prince of Wales, during his recent visit to India, in presenting
them with new colours, and they will contemplate with pride
the promise made on that occasion by the future King of
England, that these colours shall adorn the walls of Marlborough
House, and eventually— though distant may be that day—of
Windsor Castle.
The Bombay Marine Battalion was raised by order of
Government, under date the 3rd of January, 1777, as fol-
lows :
"The Honourable the President and Council have been
pleased to order that five hundred Sepoys shall be raised as a
corps for the service of the Marine, and the same encouragement
given to them as to the other Sepoys in the establishment.
This corps to consist of five companies, and each company to
consist of one subadar, two jemadars, one European sergeant,
six havildars, six naiques, one fifer, two drummers, and eighty-
five privates. The}^ have also been pleased to appoint Captain
James Jameson to the command of this corps, and Lieutenant
William Hudson adjutant; also to add a black commandant, a
European sergeant, a black adjutant (to be one of the jema-
dars), a black doctor, a fife-major (one of the fifers), a drum-
major (one of the drummers), a head sub-assistant apothecary,
and two other sub-assistants."
The battalion was not deemed eftective until late in the year
1777, when it was reviewed and directed to assume the peculiar
duties for which it was formed. The following Order was
published :