Page 538 - INDIANNAVYV1

506 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

and tlie adjacent Islands, yon are (after having performed the
instructions contained in my letter, No. 20,* of 1830, of this
date) directed to proceed to the coast of Africa and islands in
its vicinity for that purpose, and adopt the best means of
entering for the Service as many able-bodied lads as you can,
in age from twelve to eighteen, free from all disease and bodily
infirmity, and of that compact symmetry best calculated for
seamen.
" You are authorised to emplo}'' (on reasonable terms) an
agent to assist you in this duty, and to give these lads the
bounty agreeable to the regulations, or a reasonable sum more
should that not be thought a sufficient inducement. You will
rate these lads as marine boys on board your ship, and pay the
strictest attention to their morals, and the speedy attaimnent
of their profession ; and you will perform this duty with the
greatest delicacy and consideration, and avoid as much as pos-
sible giving umbrage to the Mahometan Government, as upon
the success of this measure, the efficiency of the Hon. Com-
pany's Marine Service will very materially depend.
"You will keep a private journal of every transaction that
occurs during your cruise, which will be forwarded to me on
your return, with a report on what you consider the best means
of engaging these lads for the Service. You will visit the
island of Socotra going and coming, and report on the anchorage
at both sides of the island, with such facilities or advantages
as it may possess for forming a coal depot on it for the steam
navigation between this and the Red Sea.
" You are to engage no more than sixty of the boys, as that
number will be sufficient for the present.
"You are to instruct Lieutenant Peters (in conjunction with
the master) to make a useful survey of such ports and harbours
at Socotra and other places, as may be useful to navigation in
general, but to detain the vessel as little as possible from the
more important duties on which you are engaged.
" 1 have the honour to be, &c."
During the course of the subsequent trial and the recrimina-
tions attendant thereupon, frequent reference was made to other
secret instructions, and though none were produced at the trial
or made public at a later date, yet from a reference by Com-
mander Hawkins, in a letter addressed to Sir Pulteney
Malcolm, to ''a private disclosure," and a correspondence
" shown to some friends in the heat of the moment," and also
from a passage in a letter from Captain Cogan, Assistant-Super-
intendent, writing on behalf of Sir Charles Malcolm, where there
is a suspicious reference to "documents emanating in any way
from you to his prejudice,"— all these together justify the
* This letter directed liim to proceed to Bassndore, in tLe Persian Gulf, and
land stores and provisions for the use of the squadron.