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58 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

of tlie eneiny. No further attempts were made to rrjolest the
factory or its vicinity during tlie three days that Sevajee
continued in possession of the town, and the inhabitants of the
quarter in which the factory was situated, "were very thankful in
their acknowledgments, blessing and praising the English
nation," to whose valour they ascribed their exemption from the
calamities which had desolated the rest of the city. The
Governor presented Sir George Oxendcn with a dress of honour,
and recommended the interests of the Company to the Emperor
Aurungzebe, who, subsequently, granted to the English
a perpetual remission of a portion of the duties.* The
Company also showed their approval of the conduct of their
servants, by presenting the President with a gold medal and a
gratuity of £200, and distributing j8400 among liis subordinates.
Soon after this event, Surat beiug again menaced with the
approach of Sevajee's army, Sir George Oxenden seized the
opportunit_y, while the Mogul's officers were again looking for
the assistance of the English, to send a mission to Broach, to
solicit from Aurungzebe's uncle, at this time Governor of
Guzerat, the further confirmation of the Company's privileges.
'J'o this application he received a " Perwanna" from the Mogul,
granting to the English the whole of the customs of Surat for
one year, and an abatement on the rate from that time for-
ward.
The President, seeing the importance of the Marine as a pro-
tection to the factory, and the service it rendered the Company's
material interests by extracting further concessions from
Aurungzebe, paid great attention to its efficiency. Hence it
was enabled to cope successfully with the Company's numerous
enemies, both European and Asiatic; for it was a peculiarity of
our position in the East during this century, that while England
was at peace with Continental States, their respective marines
abroad maintained a state of rivahy which often found vent in
acts of hostility.
During the year 1GG8 the 'Bantam,' pink, mounting eight
guns, was employed as convoy to the Surat vessels belonging to
the Mogul Government, which annually carried pilgrims to
Jeddah, the factory receiving for this service the continuance, if
not the extension, of the Company's privileges at Surat. The
year IHfiO witnessed a further development of the Indian Marine,
hitherto only located at Surat. The trade of Bombay had been
so much exposed to the depredations of the Malabar pirates and
the fleet or armed boats of Sevajee, that the Council at the
island intimated to the Court that it would be necessary to con-
struct three small armed vessels to protect the merchant craft
trading to and from the island, and to serve as convoys to those
engaged in trade with the Gulf of Persia and Arabian Sea. In
* Mills' " History of India," vol. i., p. 98.