"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٩] (١٧٨٢/٣٠٢)

(147
159
In April 1773, a few days before the first temporary withdrawal of the
Company's Factory from Basrah, that port was visited by the
" Swallow^, sloop-of-war, which, though she brought some bales of piece-
goods on freight from Surat, would appear from the name of the Com
mander (Sir John Clerke) to have been a Royal Navy vessel. But the
only King's ship of whose visit to the Gulf at this time full* details have
been preserved was the " SeahorseCaptain George Farmer, which
arrived at Bushehr from Bombay and Masqat on the 12th of May 1775,
after the commencement of the siege of Basrah by the Persians and
the second temporary withdrawal of the British Factory from that place.
Captain Farmer had received orders from his Commodore, Sir Edward
Hughes, " to assist the East India Company in any place where he
"should happen to be, where the Company had any settlement or factory
"if it was requested by the Company's servants and, in consequence of
these instructions he offered his services for convoying British vessels to
Basrah and protecting them there, notwithstanding the siege; but the
offer was declined by the British Agent, who had arrived at Bushehr.
That there was feeling on the subject of co-operation between the
officers of the Royal Navy and the Company's representatives seems to
be indicated by Captain Farmer's precaution in taking the traveller,
Mr. Parsons with him to Mr. Moore, as " an attesting witness " of
his having obeyed his orders. On the 15th of July the "Seahorse"
left Bushehr with several vessels which Captain Farmer had undertaken
to protect against the Marathas on the voyage to India; and on the
31st she arrived at Masqat, her crew of about 170 men having suffered
severely on the way down the Gulf from bad water shipped at Bushehr
and from extreme heat. The men frequently fell down on deck
from sheer weakness, and the number on the sick list at one time rose
to over 50. None died, however ; and, some days after leaving Masqat,
Mr. Parsons, who was a passenger on the "Seahorse", was able to
remark : " It is a great pleasure to see with what alacrity our seamen
" go aloft, and perform their duty, as well as to observe the change of
" their complexion, which, from being pale and languid, is become fresh
" and lively : they are so much recovered in strength, as to be able to do
" twice the duty required of them, whereas before we quitted M uscat,
" we could scarcely find men sufficient to do the ordinary duty on board
unto''
* But a most important detail escaped the knowledge or notice of contemporaries.
Horatio Nelson belonged to the " Seahorse '' at this time and probably took part in
this cruise. See foot note, page 1260, post.