'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎490] (509/622)

490
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
dous, while the adjoining mainland was inhabited by as relent
lessly savage a race as any on the globed
Early in November, Lieutenant Templer was relievedf of
the command of the Naval Guard, known as No. 6 Detachment,
by Acting-Lieutenant F. Warden, who brought a reinforcement
of fifty men from the depot at Fort William, to make up the
strength to one hundred. Early in 1859, about one hun
dred and fifty Punjabee convicts—who had formed a plan for
murdering the Europeans, seizing the sailors' barracks, the
Indian Navy schooner 'Charlotte,' 167 tons, and the 'Sesos-
tris,' belonging to the Bengal Marine—succeeded in overpower
ing and wounding the sailor on sentry, when the main-guard
turned out, and, after a short struggle, assisted by the convict
Chuprassies, (or office-attendants) succeeded in overpowering
these desperadoes.
Acting-Lieutenant Warden was relieved in March, 1859, by
Lieutenant S. B. Hellard, and No. 6 Detachment was made up
to a strength of two hundred men, the officers being Acting-
Master C H. Brown, Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. C. S. Mainwaring, H. H. L.
Gower, and Assistant-Surgeon Gamack. Dr. Walker resigned
in September, 1859, and Major HaughtonJ succeeded to the
post of Superintendent; his administration was most successful,
and his efforts to maintain order were ably seconded, during
the three years, between September, 1859, and September,
1862, by Lieutenant Hellard, who, as a reward for his zealous
co-operation§, was appointed Assistant-Superintendent by the
* Of seven hundred and seventy-three convicts landed between the 10th of
March, and the 12th of June, 1858, sixtj-four died in hospital, one hundred and
forty effected their escape, one committed suicide, and eighty-seven were executed
for mutiny and running away. In the latter part of the year there were two
thousand convicts in the Settlements, and the numbers rapidly increased until
at the time of Lord Mayo's memorable and ill-fated visit, there were seventeen
thousand five hundred souls, including six hundred and fifty females, distributed
throughout the three islands in Port Blair, eight stations situated on the north
and south sides of the harbour, and Port Mouatt on the western side of the
island.
f Lieutenant Templer received the thanks of the Superintendent of Port Blair,
<e for his zealous and cordial co-operation during the eight months that have
elapsed since the formation of this Settlement," and the thanks of the Governor-
General in Council was also conveyed to him by the Home Secretary, Mr. Cecil
Beadon. On his return to Calcutta, Captain Campbell appointed him to the
command of No. 13 Detachment, which he took to Chuprah.
X Now Colonel Haughton, C.S.I., the same officer who so greatly distinguished
himself by his memorable defence of Chareekar, during the terrible Afghan
uprising against British authority in November, 1841, when he lost an arm and
was otherwise severely wounded. Colonel Haughton was subsequently appointed
Commissioner and Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bhootan, where he was of essential service
during the Bhootan war, and other operations in the Garrows and on the
frontier.
§ The following extracts from Major Haughton's letter to Mr. W.
Secretary to the Government of India in the Home Department, dated the 14th
of January, 1861, details the services rendered by No. 6 Detachment:
"Para. 14. Our store vessel, the 4 Walter Morrice,' has had a shingle roof put
upon her; moorings for vessels have been laid down off Chatham Island; the