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54 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVr.

of .£3,015, to be paid to the heirs and executors of the sufferers
at Aniboyiia in 1023.
In 1658 the factory at Surat was placed in peril by the feuds
between the four sons of the Emperor Shah Jehan ; but,
ultimately, Aurungzebe, the third son, was successful, and,
having cleared the field of all rivals, confined his father in his
palace, where he survived seven years, and established his rule
over almost the entire Peninsula. In these contests the general
(^f one of the rival competitors took possession of the Castle of
Surat, and another pilloged part of the town ; but the English
factory escaped molestation, owing to the prudent neutrality
observed by the Company's servants. At this time, besides
their factories at Surat and Fort St. George, which had been
constituted into a presidency in 1653-54, though subordinate to
Surat, they had stations at Agra, Ahmedabad, Mocha, Bussorah,
Gombroon, Scindy, Rajahpore, Carwar, and Caile Velha ; also
inferior agencies at Cossimbuzar, Ballasore, and Patna, which
were subordinate to the factory at Hooghly, which, again, was
placed under the Presidency of Fort St. George. The stations
in what wei'c termed the Southern Seas, remained, as heretofore,
dependent on the President and Council of Bantam.
At this time of weakness and partial eclipse as regards the
Company's successful prosecution of trade with the East, an
event happened which ultimately proved of vast importance to
their fortunes, and which gave a new home for the Service whose
history we are inditing. We refer to the acquisition of Bombay
by the East India Company. Charles II., having married the
Infanta Catherine of Portugal, by the 11th Article of the treaty
of marriage, obtained as part of her dowry, " the Port and Island
of Bombay in the East Indies, together with all the rights,
profits, territories, and appurtenances thereof whatsoever." The
extent of the island is small, only some eight miles, by about
three in width, and neither Charles nor the Portuguese King
could have dreamt of the great future before this obscure depen-
dency of the House of Braganza; but it enclosed a land-locked
bay which, for beauty and extent, is unsurpassed, while as re-
gards its capabilities for sheltering a large fleet, it is one of the
finest harbours in the world.
The Company had long cast an envious eye on Bomba}'. In
1653 the subject of its acquisition was brought to their notice by
the President and Council of Surat, and, in the following year, the
Directors addressed a letter to Cromwell, requesting that, while
the treaty with the Dutch was pending, and he was endeavouring
to settle the national trade to India, the town of Bassein, and
port of Bombay, as well as the town and castle of Mozambique,
might be acquired for them, as convenient stations for their
trade and factories ; and, five years later, they rencAved the
aj)})lication to the Government, but without effect.