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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 61
four hundred soldiers, he raised a Portuguese Native Militia of
ouesthousand five hundred men, and equipped and prepared
for service his small squadron, which consisted at this time of
two ships, carrying sixteen guns, the 'Revenge' and 'Hunter,'
a Dutch prize, the 'Mayboon,' of twenty-two guns and three
armed sloops, which had been built to protect the trade against
the Malabar pirates. To this force a valuable addition was made
by the arrival of four French ships, which had sailed from Surat.
The Dutch Admiral and Governor of Ceylon, Rickloff van Goen,
stood into Bombay Harbour in the night of the 20th of
February, bat, after closely examining the dispositions for
defence, was so impressed with these preparations, that he
decided to give up the projected attack, and sailed for Surat.*
* See Orme's " Oriental Fragments," p. 33.
A quaint account of Bombay in 1672, and of the Dutch attempt to surprise
:—
it, is given by Dr. Fryer, he says " The Dutch attempting to surprise
the islanders, found them and tlie fort in so good a condition that they
were glad to betake themselves to their boats without any booty, and the
next day hoisted sails (for, said they, Bombaim being as stark as de deel) and
not without good reason, for within the fort were mounted one hundred and
twenty pieces of ordnance, and in other convenient stands twenty more, besides
sixty tield-pieces ready in their carriages upon occasion to attend the Mihtia and
Bandarines. To the fort there belonged three hundred Fnglisli and four liun-
dred topazes, or Portugal firemen ; to the Militia, out of Portugal musters, five
hundred under English leaders, all well armed ; of Bandarines (that look after
the woods of cocoes) with clubs and other weapons, thi-ee hundred. Besides some
thousands more would make a show, but not to be relied on should it come to the
push. Moreover, in the road were riding three men-of-war, tlie best of thli'ty guns."
: —
The town of Bombay he describes as follows " It is a full mile in length ; the
houses are low and thatclied with oleas of the cocoe-trees, all but a few the
Portugals left, and some few the Company have built ; tlie Custom house and
warehouses are tiled or plastered, and instead of glass use panes of oister-shells
for their windows (which as they are cut in squares and polished, look gracefully
enough). There is also a reasonable handsome buzzar. At the end of the town
looking into the field, where cows and buffaloes graze, the Portugals have a pretty
house and church, with orchards of Indian fruit. The English have only a
burying place called Mendam's Point, from the first man's name tliere interred,
where are some few tombs that make a pretty show on entering the Haven ; but
neither church or hospital, both of which ai-e miglitily to be ih'sircd." He then
describes the surburbs of Mazagon, Parell, Mahim, and ilalabar Hill ; also tlie
Government, and concludes with a patriotic outburst and his estimate of the bit-
terness of expatriation to such a place and cUmate, of wliich he says : — •' I
reckon they walk but in charnel houses, the climate being extremely unhealthy."
"Happy certainly then are those," he says, "and only tiiose, brought hither in
their nonage, before they have a gust of oiu' Albion, or next to these, such as in-
toxicate themselves w ith La^the and remember not their former condition. AVhen
it is expostulated, Is this the reward of our harsh and severe pupilage? Is this
the Elysium after a tedious passage? For this will any thirst, with any content,
will any forsake the pleasures of his native soil in liis vigorous age to bury him-
self alive here ? Were it not more charitable at the first bubbles of his infant
sorrows to make the next stream over-swell him ? Or else, if he must be full-
grown for misery, how much more compassionate were it to expose him to an open
combat with the fiercest duellists in Nature, to spend at once liis spirits, than to
wait a piece-meal consumption." This tirade against the country and climate
will not be endorsed by most old " Ducks," nor the concluding j)assage by any
of those who return to England to enjoy their " off-reckonings." Speaking of
the survivors, he says —For in five hundred, one hundred siu'vive not : of that
:
hundred, one quarter get not estates ; of those that do, it has not been recorded
above one in ten has seen his country."