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60 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
part of the Company's property had, on the first report of
Sevajee's approach, been sent to Swally, or put on board the
ships. The gallantry of the seamen of the Marine con-
trasted favourably with that of the French in their factory, who
compounded with the Mahratta robber, and furnished his troops
with the means of capturing the Persian factory, with its vast
stores of gold and silver, which was defended by a Tartar
Prince, called by the English factors, in their report, " The King
of Kascar," who had returned by way of Surat from a pilgrimage
to Mecca. The Dutch factory, being in a retired quarter,
escaped pillage.*
President Aungier again recommended the withdrawal of the
factory from Surat to Bombay, as apprehensions were felt of
another attack by Sevajee's army : but the Mogul Governor de-
precated the step, though, in the following year, on some Dutch
seamen, who had insulted the servants of a chief, taking refuge
in the English foctory, he ordered the people to discontinue their
services to the Europeans, whether English, French, or Dutch,
and to put them to death if found with arms. The difficulty
arising from this affair, was, at length, settled amicably, when
another arose with the French, who, on the arrival of a large
fleet of twelve armed ships, besides merchantmen, commanded
by Admiral De la flaye, had the arrogance to demand that the
English ships at Swally, as bearing the flag of a commercial
Company, should pay their fleet, bearing tlie Royal colours, the
honours of the flag. The President, however, with becoming
spirit, resisted these preposterous pretensions, both because the
Company's flag was authorised by the King of England, and
from the fact of the distinction between the Koyal and
Compai'.y's flags being unintelligible to the Native Governor and
people.
At this time affairs were complicated in the East, by this
country being at war with Holland, and Bombay was placed in
a state of defence, to resist the attack of a Dutch fleet, numbering
twenty-two sail, having on board five thousand seamen, with
one thousand regular troops, which appeared off the Malabar
coast in February, 1673. The Dutch Admiral had solicited
the alliance of Sevajee, for which he proftered his aid in
reducing Jinjeera; but, fortunately for English interests, the
alliance was rejected. In this crisis, President Aungier exerted
himself, as Orme says, " with the calmness of a philosopher and
the courage of a centurion." Besides his European force of

* See Bruce's " Annals," vol. ii., p. 285, and James Grant Duff's " History of
the Mahrattas," vol. i., p. 24.7. The latter historian savs that at the time of
Sevajee's attack tliere were only a few hundred of the Imperial troops in the
city, the greater portion having been withdrawn, either by accident or de-
sign, shortly before the arrival of the Mahrattas. In February, 1665, Sevajee
had attacked Carwar, when the English defended their factory with coinage
and success.