Page 71 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

wcrc re quired, the naval captains had no option, and had to enlist
the men if they were fit for service, In this ease, the man’s cap-
tain had to pay him up to the date of his leaving his ship. There
were many complaints made by captains of merchant ships, or
‘free traders’ as they were often called, about the hardships which
they suffered through members of their crew being enlisted into
the navy ‘from the caprice of a commander of a ship of war’.
While in Bombay, Loch enlisted five seamen from two free­
traders, the Liverpool and the Batavia.
Loch had letters of introduction to the Governor of Bombay,
Sir Evan Napean, and during his visit he stayed in the Governor’s
house. He met many of the leading people of Bombay, though
he says very little about them, except that their attentions and
kindness ‘made my visit most agreeable and delightful’. He was
surprised to find that Bombay was so like a Portuguese town in
appearance. The streets and buildings retained the form and
style ‘as when Bombay was delivered to Charles II as the marriage
dowry of the Infanta Catherine of Braganza in 1661’. The island
of Bombay, not having come up to the King’s expectations, was
at one time made over by Royal Charter to the East India Com­
pany on payment of an annual rent of ten pounds in gold on
September 30th each year. Later, after various disputes and
quarrels among the directors of the Company, it reverted to the
Crown.
The Eden left Bombay on 4th December, bound for Muscat.
The Governor had told Loch about the serious depredations com­
mitted by the pirates on the Guzerat and Kutch coast, and had
warned him to be on the look out for pirate vessels. There were
estimated at this time to be about sixty large, well-armed pirate
vessels in action, as well as a number of smaller craft. Their base
was Ras al Khaima on the Arab coast, whence they attacked both
native craft and ships flying the British flag.
On the evening of December 18th, the Eden was sailing up the
coast when two dhows were sighted off the town of Ambali. It
was almost dark and lights could be seen on the shore. The Eden
pressed in as close as possible, and anchored in 3^ fathoms of
water, by which time night had fallen. Moffath was then sent
in the gig to reconnoitre. On his return, he reported that there
were a number of vessels of the type used by pirates, anchored
close to the town which was a typical coastal town, defended by
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