Page 84 - INDIANNAVYV1

52 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. ;
standing a petition to tlie Crown against this infringement of
their privileges, presented by the Court in 1G37, Coiirten's
Association received a new trading license for five j^ears, which,
however, was withdrawn on the 10th of December, 1639, on the
Company affirming their intention to abandon the trade
altogether, ifthe protection for which they prayed was not afforded
to them. For many years after this withdrawal, the ships of
Conrten's Association seriously injured the Company, whose
affairs languished ownng to the Civil War raging in England
between Charles I. and his Parliament, during which the cargoes
sent home were but small. In the Persian Gulf the Dutch,
having attained an ascendancy over the Persians, sent eight
ships to Bussorah, where they almost ruined the English factory
also by their extortionate demands at Gombroon, the factory at
that port likewise fell into so precarious a situation, that the
Company's property was removed thence, and sent to Bussorah
in June, 1645. The Gombroon factory, however, still continued
a small business, and, on the outbreak of war between the
j\Iogul and the King of Persia, there was a great improvement,
tlie carrying trade being exclusively conducted by the Dutch and
English ships; it was necessary to retain a footing at Gombroon,
in order that the Company might realize the moiety of the
customs acquired by their seamen at Ormuz, wdiich varied every
year, and, in 1648, amouted to 635 tomans, or about ^1,900,
though their fair proportion was estimated at £15,000 per
annum.
In 1652 war was declared between Holland and England,
and, in the following March, intelligence of the event was
received at Surat. The East India Company had vainly sought
for assistance from the Home Government, to repel the anti-
cipated aggressions of the Dutch, who had a powerful fleet in
the East Indies—that in the Persian Gulf alone consisting of
fifteen sail. The Dutch factory formally declared war against
England, and soon a fleet of eight large ships appeared off
Swally. Though not deeming it prudent to attack the English
factory and shipping in the river, which would have been con-
sidered an aggression by the Mogul Government, they set sail
for the Persian Gulf. Off Jask they captured the Company's
ships ' Roebuck' and ' Lanneret,' and, soon afterwards, seized the
' Blessing,' and drove the ' Supply' on shore, where she was
bestowed on him, and, in particular, he obtained a patent permitting him to trade,
without paying any duties, throughout the Mogul's dominions. The benefit of
tliis would probably have been doubtful if his good fortune had not followed him
to Bengal, where he cured a favourite mistress of the Kawab, who, in gratitude,
confirmed all his privileges. The generous surgeon did not, in prosperity, forget
his former employers, but advanced the Company's interests by contriving that
liis privileges should be extended to tliem. Having done so, he wrote an account
of his success to the factory of Surat, and, the next year, a profitable trade was
opened in the rich province of Bengal.—Anderson's " English in Western
InLlia."