'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎143] (162/622)

HISTORY OP THE INDIAN NAVY.
143
Accordingly, the Governor-General in Council issued an order,
dated the 2nd of March, 1842, in which was published a copy
of the Treasury Minute, by which it was ordered that " officers
and men of the East India Company's steamers should receive
the same allowances as officers and men of Her Majesty's
ships."
In July, 1841, Admiral Sir William Parker, the newly ap
pointed Commander-in-chief, arrived at Bombay, and, accom
panied by Sir Henry Pottinger, who had been nominated " sole
Plenipotentiary, Minister Extraordinary, and chief Superinten
dent of British Trade in China," sailed from Bombay in the
steam frigate 6 Sesostris,' Commander Ormsby, which arrived
at Macao on the 9th of August.
Throughout the succeeding operations, whenever seamen
were landed from the fleet, the Naval Brigade included a de
tachment from the 4 Sesostris,' which was placed under the com
mand of the senior lieutenant, Mr. J. Rennie. Sir William
Parker had opportunities of judging of Lieutenant Rennie's
seamanlike qualities when he was a passenger on board the
4 Sesostris' from Bombay to China, and his quick eye recog
nised in him the efficient officer and smart seaman. The Indian
Navy worked, on the whole, amicably with the Royal Service;
but, occasionally, difficulties arose, owing to the friction caused
by the jealousy unhappily existing between the two Services,
and by the attempts sometimes made to treat the commissioned
officers of the Indian Nav} 7 on the same footing as those of the
uncovenanted Bengal Marine, which were always resented by
the former. On such occasions, whenever Sir William Parker
was appealed to, and Lieutenant Rennie especially was quick
to resent any attempt to slight in his person the status of an
old and distinguished Service, the Admiral would discourage
any endeavour to treat its representatives as inferior in position
to the officers of his own Service, and, with the kind-hearted
ness and geniality for which he was remarkable, always ended
by inviting to dinner the offender and the officer whose amour
propre had been ruffled, when a hearty shake of the hand, or a
few words, would soon set all right between the belligerents.
On the 21st of August, the fleet, # accompanied by twenty-one
transports, with troops, sailed for Hong Kong in three divisions,
the centre led by the 4 Wellesley,' carrying the flag of Sir W.
Parker, the weather division by the 4 Queen,' having Sir H.
Pottinger on board, and the lee division by the 4 Sesostris;'
# H.M. ships 4 Wellesley,' ' Blonde,' 'Druid,' ' Modeste,' 'Cruiser,' 'Colum
bine,' ' Pjlades,' 'Algerine,' and ' E-attlesnake' troop-ship. Hon. Company's
steam ships ' Sesostris,' ' Queen,' ' Nemesis,' and ' Phlegethon.' The steamers
' Enterprise ' and 4 Madagascar ' returned to Calcutta for repairs in September,
1841, when the latter caught fire at sea and blew up. At this time Captain
Elliot, the Commissioner, proceeded to England.