'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎386] (405/622)

386
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
d T liring th l S o i " te 7 al (the 3r(1 of 0ctober . 1856, and the
12th of January 1857) 1 was made uneasy by a report, from
reliable sources, that a certain French brig-of-war was preparing
to start from Reunion, for the purpose of taking possession of
Penm! And sure enough on the 10th or 11th of January
1857, that vessel arrived at Aden, just about to
leave for the island, under the instructions which I had already
issued to him on the authority of the Government at Bombay
and the despatch of the Secret Committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. . Instantly 1 packed
him off, and the thing was done. The French captain made no
communication to me as to Perim; all he said was that he was
going to the Red Sea, and had put into Aden to repair some
damage he had sustained in a gale off Guardafui. But for this
accident, he would probably have passed Aden and got to Perim
before Templer got there in the 'Mahi!' The 6 Nisus ? was a
heavy brig of eighteen guns (sailing only). She had sprung her
bowsprit and foremast, and required some iron forgings, which
could not be made on board. I cheerfully gave all the assist
ance asked for. I w T ent off to the vessel and arranged that my
arsenal should forge the iron bands according to model, and I
had the satisfaction of seeing the Frenchman dismantle his
wounded spars for the necessary repairs.
64 There you have, very briefly, the bare facts, with none of
the fun of the various stories which have sprung out of them.
1 he dinner to the French Captain and officers may have been
given, though I have no particular recollection of it, but it is
likely they did dine with me; and as to the champagne, that
also is likely, as I always kept a good brand. But there is no
foundation for the story, that I first intoxicated my guest, and
then ' pumped ' him, and sent off at dead of night to forestall
him! In reality, Perim was not named betwixt us. I had
accomplished my object, and was satisfied, and the Frenchman
was too late. In due time the little garrison was located, the
requisite buildings erected, provisions supplied, and a light
house built. Perfidious Albion got roundly abused for a time,
till her perfidy was obliterated by some other occurrence, and
Perim remains a British possession. The Royal Navy had
nothing whatever to do with the matter. Captain Pulien, in
the 6 Cyclops,' visited the harbour and surveyed it, after we
had occupied it and settled ourselves; he made a passing refer
ence to the survey which the officers of the Indian Navy had
already completed, which was the survey made by Lieutenant
Lamb, of the 6 Elphinstone,' at my request."
During the year 1858, the ' Mahi,'* now commanded by
* The 1 Mahi' on one occasion sailed into Aden harbour with three baghalahs
as prizes, all being larger than herself. On another occasion Lieutenant Nixon,
having received notice that a party of slaves was confined in a fort on the
African coast, off which he was cruising, despatched the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , who was the