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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 55
In March, 1662, the English Govennuent despatched a fleet
of five men-of-war, commanded by the Earl of Marlborough,
having on board a Portuguese Viceroy to see to the execution of
the treaty, with five hundred troops, uiider Sir Abraham Shipman,
to receive possession of Bombay; but the Governor, taking
advantage of some ambiguities in the treaty by which the island
was ceded, refused to deliver it up, on the pretext that it was
contrary to the usages of Portugal. The English understood
that the neighbouring Portuguese stations, with the Island of
Salsette, which is eight times larger than Bombay, were included
in the cession; but the Go^^ernor peremptorily declined yielding
up even the Island of Bombay. Sir Abraham Shipman applied,
in this emergency, to the Company's President at Surat, to
receive his troops, as they were dying from disease, caused by
protracted coniinement on board ship ; but that official was
nnable to accede to this request, owing to the jealousy and
suspicions that would be aroused in the mind of the Native
Governor. Under these circumstances, the Earl of Marlborough,
having landed the troops on the Island of Anjedivah, situated
about twelve leagues to the south of Goa, returned in his ship
to England,* and reported the refusal of the Portuguese Viceroy
to comply with the terms of the treaty, upon which the British
Government remonstrated with that of Portugal for want of
faith, but only obtained evasive explanations. ]\reantime Sir
Abraham Shipman—who made an offer of the island to the
President at Surat, which was declined— and the greater part of
troops, died at Anjedivah ; and, at length, Mr, Cooke, his
secretary, on whom the command devolved, in November, 1664,
accepted the cession of Bombay on the terms prescribed by the
Vicero}^ of Goa, by which the English renounced all claims to
the contiguous islands, and allowed the Portuguese resident at
Bombay, exemption from the payment of customs.f This conven-
tion King Charles refused to ratify, as contrary to the terms of
his treaty with Portugal, and sent Sir Gervase Lucas in
the Company's ship 'Return,' to assume the government of the
island. This officer's first step was to institute an inquiry into
Mr. Cooke's conduct, and, finding that he had been guilty of
peculation, he dismissed him. Sir Gervase Lucas soon dis-
covered that the Government of Bombay cost more than it
* Tliis officer, James Ley, the third Earl of Marlborough, was killed by a
raunon shot on the 3rd of June, 1G65, on board the ' Old James,' in a great
battle with the Dutch. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, and was succeeded
in the peerage by his uncle, the fourth and last Earl.
t From an original return signed by Mr. Cooke, and dated Anjedivali, 3rd of
December, 1664, it appears that the King's troO])8, who, on their embarkation
from England in Marcli, 1662, numbered four companies of one liundred each,
exclusive of officers, were reduced by deaths to one lumdrcd and three privates:
and, on their arrival in the following February at Bombay, they mustered only
one ensign, one surgeon and his mate, tea non-commissioned officers, four drum-
luers, and ninety-seven privates.