"تاريخ البحرية الهندية. (١٦١٣- ١٨٦٣)." [‎٥] (٦٢٢/٢٤)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
5
pany's ship 6 Coote,' in which he sailed for sea air to restore his
shattered health. In him the Service lost its most distinguished
officer since the time of James and Watson, and the Indian
Government an able and upright servant.
The Calcutta Government Gazette notified the sad event on
the 11th of August, and the Press expressed the universal
feeling of regret, while the shipping in the river Hooghly
hoisted their colours half-mast, as a mark of respect to the
gallant officer. Throughout his long and eventful career, Sir
John Hayes never strove to reap any personal pecuniary benefit,
but his public acts were inspired solely by the desire of doing
his duty and promoting the interests of his masters; of this
single-mindedness we have a striking example in his permitting
two captured Chinese junks, having on board cargoes valued at
c £600 ? 000, to go free, when, by retaining them, he might have
compromised the interests of the Company, although his share
of the booty as Commodore would have been upwards of
<£33,000. Shortly before his death, the gallant veteran received
a sum of over <£1,400 as prize-money, the notification^ of
which, probably, surprised no one more than himself, as a
period of twenty-six years had elapsed since the capture for
w r hich it was awarded.
The following 44 Minute of Council" was published by the
Bombay Government on the occasion of the death of Sir John
Hayes:
" Bombay Castle, August 31st, 1831.
" The Right Hon. the Governor in Council having received
intelligence of the death, on the 3rd of July, of Commodore
Sir John Hayes, Knight, of the Indian Navy, feels it to be due
to the memory of that gallant and lamented officer, to record
the high sense entertained by Government of his valuable
public services, for a period of nearly fifty years. The late Sir
John Hayes entered the Service, of which he was so distin
guished a member, in 1781, and was actively engaged in the
principal naval operations which took place during the subse
quent twenty years on the Western coast of India, and in the
Eastern seas. In 1809 he was appointed Master-Attendant at
* The following was the official notice :—
"Marine Board, Fort William, January 22, 1830.—Notice is hereby given,
that individuals actually serving on board the Hon. Company's frigate ^ Bombay,'
Captain John Hayes, and armed ship 4 Lord Castlereagh,' Captain Greorge
Robertson, in August, 1804, on the occasion of the capture of the Fort of Muckie,
on the west coast of Sumatra, are entitled to receive prize money in the following
proportions :—
1st. Captains .... Rupees 1,4324 14 10
2nd. Commissioned Officers . . „ 795 13 4
3rd. Warrant Officers . . . „ 561 12 2
4th. Petty Officers ... „ 116 6 2
5th. All other individuals . . „ 17 5 4
" Individuals claiming on account of the ' Bombay,' are to apply to this Office,
furnishing proof of identity."