'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎89] (130/590)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
89
Companies to give bills for the sum of =£10,000, the estimated
value of the ship and cargo, Sir Nicholas Waite, who was now
President at Surat of the United Companies, in order to ward
off the blow from the English Company's factory An East India Company trading post. , equipped a
vessel, and, at the Governor's desire, despatched her on a cruise
in search of the pirates; but neither this service, nor the
blockade of the river by the Dutch, could induce the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India.
to release the agents, who were confined to their houses, while
trade was at a standstill. Meanwhile the Mogul Governor,
notwithstanding the demands of Commodore Harland, com
manding a squadron of the Queen's men-of-war, refused to
release Sir John Gayer, who had now been confined for three
years, until his demand for losses, caused by pirates, was
satisfied. During this period, the Company's affairs at Bombay
were managed by Mr. Burniston, the Deputy-Governor, who,
however, died at this crisis. Sir Nicholas Waite, who had pro
ceeded thither and assumed the administration of affairs, acted
throughout these proceedings with singular ill-faith and self-
seeking, and, to his duplicity, may be largely attributed the
continued confinement in which Sir John Gayer was kept, and
the dead lock in the Company's affairs, consequent upon the
incarceration of that able officer.
The trade at Surat was so completely at a stand, owing to the
Governor's refusal to allow goods to be laden, that Sir Nicholas
ordered two of the Company's ships to blockade the port, with
directions to prevent any of the country vessels putting to sea,
and also to detain all such ships having English passes, and take
out the English seamen found on board them.* The Dutch had
also six ships blockading the river Taptee. In April, 1706, the
Mahrattas, having defeated the Mogul army near Ahmedabad,
invested the city, but retreated on the 23rd of May, plunderingand
burning most of the towns and villages between Surat and
Broach, upon w T hich they levied contributions. Bombay was also
seriously menaced, for, in the previous December, the army of
the Mogul was within three days' march of the coast opposite
the island, and the trade of the lower Malabar coast, was
harassed by Connajee, or Kanhojee, Angria, a Mahratta pirate
chief, who now, for the first time, m^ikes his appearance on the
stage of Indian history. In this crisis, affairs were still further
embarrassed by the decease of Aurungzebe,t in his ninety-third
year, which took place on the 20th of February, 1707. This
event caused a civil w T ar between the late Emperor's sons, in
which Shah Aulum, the eldest, established his ascendancy.
In the same year Sir Nicholas Waite was dismissed the Com-
* Bruce's " Annals," vol. iii., p. 597.
t Aurungzebe commenced to reign on the 12tli of May, 1659, his father, Shah
e an, who lived a prisoner for seven years, having died in the Castle of Agra on
the 21st of January, 1666. &