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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 401 ;
the Indiarnen, than he would take the chauce of being without
the means of defending the ships he comnjanded, and of
uphokling the honour of the colours which he carried."
It would appear tiiat the discussion at the India House, iiad
the effect of quickening the Directors in bringing forth the
scheme for the reorganisation of the Bombay .Marine, which
had been so many years in a state of incubation, as we tind
that a letter, dated the 31st of October, 1827, was addressed to
the Governor of Bombay, ordering the remodelling of the
Service. The letter comnienced by saying, that relative rank
with the Royal Navy had been obtained, and martial law was
hoped for in the ensuing session of Parliament ; that a captain
of the Royal Navy would be appointed Superintendent, and
the senior officers would have retirement on the Senior List in
England, with pensions equivalent to colonels, and off reckon-
ings, amounting in the aggregate to dgSOO a-year. The strength
of the Service was fixed at five captains, nine commanders—
rank which, abolished three years' before, was now restored
forty-six lieutenants, and sixty midshijimen. Three twenty-
four-gun ships were to be built, and other vessels if required,
and a steamer was also ordered. The pay of the officers was
fixed at the following rates:
Five captains, at 932 rupees per mensem ; nine commanders
(afterwards increased to twelve), 722 rupees per mensem
fifteen senior lieutenants, at 252 rupees per mensem ; thirty-
one junior lieutenants, at 147 rui)ees per mensem ; sixty mid-
shipmen, at 50 rupees per menseuj.
But, though the numbers of each rank was made known to
the Service, the pay fixed by the Court was kept a secret ; at
least the officers were never made acquainted with it, neither
was any increase given for at least one year, when tiie follow-
ing scale was put into operation. The total sum jier mensem
allowed by the Court, would amount to 2l.()t>l rupees, or
295,932 rupees per annum, but the Covernment only jiaid the
following amounts :
One captain, at 900 rupees per mensem ; three others, at 800
rupees per mensem, and. if a (iftii was emph)yed, one at (>00
rupees per mensem ; nine counnanders, at 500 rupees per
mensem; fifteen senior lieutenants, at 150, al'lerwards 175,
rupees per mensem; thirty-one junior lii-utenants, at 1l'<»,
afterwards 115. rupees per mensem; sixty midsliipn)en, at 50
rupees per mensem. The total amount per mensem was thus
18,520 rupees, or 222,240 rupees ])er annmu.
Thus the officers of the i)oml)ay Marine were, by some
cause that looks singularly like taking a mean advantage of
their ignorance and weakness, mulcted of (i.OOO rupees of jtay
monthly, as sanctioned by the Court ; and ( Jovernnient couM
congratulate itself on "conveying" to their own uses — perhaps