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37() HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
with blue " angricks," (sic in original), and another badge was
added.
In 1791 the companies of the battalion were ordered to be
augmented by an addition of one havildar, one naique, and
seventeen Sepoys. At this period Government allowed a bounty
of three rupees to each recruit on approval by the Deputy
Adjutant-General. The battalion furnished this year a portion
of non-commissioned officers and men for the newly-raised
Local Battalion at Surat, where, and at Bancoot, the corps was
recruited.
When the regulations for modelling the Army, transmitted to
India by the Court of Directors, were published, under date the
24th of May, 1796, the corps was dii-ected, by orders of the
Governor in Council, to be commanded by a major, and to have
a similar number of inferior officers as the other battalions of
Native Infantry ; it was formed into ten companies, and one
major, four captains, eight lieutenants, and an adjutant were
posted to it.
Early in 1797, the detachment of the battalion serving on
board the ' Vigilant,' of six guns, under Lieutenant Hayes, was
distinguished by the approbation of Government, as published
to the Army, nnder date the 31st of July, in the following
—
terms : " The Board fully concur with the Commander-in-Chief
in the justice and expediency of noticing the gallant conduct of
the detachment from the Marine Battalion, in the late action on
board the ' Vigilant.' With regard to the Native officers and
Sepoys, the Commander-in-Chief is requested to cause the
havildar to be promoted to jemadar, the two naiques to be
havildars, and two of the Sepoys to be selected for naiques,
"
with the gratuity to the party of one month's pay
The Commander-in-Chief noticed in General Orders, under
date the 21st of January, 1798, the conduct of a detachment of
the battalion that had served on board the 'Viper,' fourteen
guns, in the following flattering terms:— "The firmness and
braver}'- evinced by the detachment of the Marine Battalion on
duty on the 'Viper,' during the last trip up the Gulf of Persia,
in defending the vessel when attacked under circumstances ot
peculiar difficulty, are considered by Government as highly
meritorious, and the Commander-in-Chief has particular pleasure
in conveying these sentiments to the detachment. The Board,
ever happy to have it in their power to encourage fidelity and
bravery by a due notice thereof, have been pleased to direct
that the notification of the high sense that they entertain of
such meritorious conduct, be accompaned by a gratuity of one
month's full pay to the aforesaid Marine detachment, and by a
present of a silver chain and badge of the value of one hundred
rupees to Sheikh Gunny, havildar, who commanded the party.
The badge to be engraved with the figure of a ship with a