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392 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
officers and men displaying great smartness and discipline.
On the 11th of February they arrived at Suakin, of which Lieu-
tenant Court njade a survey, and, on the 26th they sailed to
Lent Bay, Sheikh Baroud, and Daroor, where the 'Panther'
would have been lost but for Lieutenant Court's presence of mind
in cutting her two cables, when the ship wore clear off the rocks,
"though without an inch to spare." Thence, after visiting
other points on the coast, the ships returned to Massovvah, and
on the 27th of March, anchored in Mocha Roads.
The ' Assaye ' was now condemned as unseaworthy, as " the
whole of her iron works were totally decayed, her timbers
deficient in number, and, together with her bows and upper works,
very bad, her bottom worm-eaten and rotten, and not a bolt to
be discovered in her." Lord Valentia adds, " It is really
astonishing how Mr. Sutherland and the Conjmittee of Survey at
Bombay, could have reported her fit for the service of the Marine,
since she could not have been in a much worse state when she
entered the Red Sea." But she was, doubtless, considered good
enough for the duties of the survey, and for the safety of the
scientific officers who would be attached to her. The 'Assaye'
was broken up, and, on the 2nd of April, Lieutenant Maxfield and
his crew were turned over to the 'Alert,' a merchant ship just
restored by the authorities at Macullah, who had seized her. On
the 8th of April the Hon Company's cruiser ' Princess Augusta,'
Lieutenant Bennett, arrived from Bombay, for the purpose
of recovering the ' Alert,' and brought a new commander from
the owners for that ship. Lieutenant Maxfield having lost
his command, was ordered to return to Bombay with des-
patches, and, says Lord Valentia. "rough drafts of any dis-
coveries which Captain Court had paid me the highly
flattering complinjent of dedicating to me."* He was accom-
panied by Acting-Lieutenant Hurst of the ' Panther,' who
exchanged with ]\lr. Midshipman Denton of the ' Princess Au-
gusta,' of whom Lord Valentia reports that " he turned out a fine
manly lad, who had been educated at Eton."t The ' Princess
Augusta,' accompanied by the ' Alert,' now sailed for Macullah to
settle matters regarding the seizure of the latter ship and mur-
der of her crew; and the 'Panther,' Lord Valentia remaining on
shore, proceeded to the Straits of Babelmandeb, whence she re-
turned on the 1st of June, her captain, says his lordsliip, "having
completed his survey, and discovered more errors in Sir flome
Popham's chart." After affairs at Macullah were settled
amicably, the 'Alert' proceeded to Bombay on the 27th of May,
* The ' Princess Augusta ' was one of three cruisers built in the same year at
Bombay, the others being the ' Queen' and ' Princess Royal.'
t A brother of this officer, when Lieutenant of the Hon. Company's cruiser
' Sylph,' of eight guns, commanded by Lieutenant Graham, was killed in action
against the Joasmi pirates in the Persian Gulf, ou the 20th of October,
1S08.