'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎277] (318/590)

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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY,
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the event of refusal, attack the town. In response to this
imperative summons the commanders of the war-boats were
sent off handcuffed, and the Viceroy made the required atone
ment for the outrage.
During the year 1812, the western squadron was reinforced by
the 4 Mornington' twenty-two guns, and 6 Thetis' and 4 Ariel/
ten-gun brigs, from Bengal, they being relieved by the f Teign-
mouth, ? sixteen guns, and 4 Antelope,' fourteen guns, which
had been employed in China; the former vessel and the
4 Malabar' and 4 Aurora' proceeded early in the following year to
Java, and participated in the expedition against the Rajah of
Sambas, where, as already mentioned, the 4 Teignmouth' lost
more than two-thirds of her crew.
Towards the end of 1812, a small military force, under the
command of Colonel Lionel Smith, assisted by the Hon.
Company's cruiser 4 Prince of Wales,' fourteen guns, and a
squadron of small craft, proceeded against a nest of pirates who
had long established themselves at Mai wan, # on the Malabar
coast, rendering navigation unsafe for trading vessels unless
under convoy, and compelling the Bombay Government to
retain a cruiser to blockade the coast. The expedition was
completely successful, and the pirates were so thoroughly rooted
* Malwan had for centuries been the haunt of pirates. The port of Malwan
is situated between the fort of that name and Melundy island, or Sindeedroog,
and lies between Gheriah and Vingorla. Malwan and three other ports had
formerlj belonged to the Hajah of Kolapoor, while between them and the Portu
guese territory of Goa, lay the small principality of Waree. ruled by the Bhonsla
family. The late Duke of Wellington, then Major-General Wellesley, apprehen
sive of the safety of the single Company's cruiser employed to blockade the coast
of Malwan, a fear not shared by the officers of the Bombay Marine The navy of the East India Company. engaged in
that service, wrote in 1804 that he regarded " the blockade of the Rajah's ports
by a Company's cruiser as always inconvenient andexpeusive," and recommended
the adoption of a treaty on their paying compensation for the country vessels
plundered. Again, writing to Colonel Sir William Clarke, commanding the 84th
Regiment at Goa, he remarks that "nothing can be more scandalous than the system
of piracy which has long been carried on on the coast of Malabar ; and I am con
vinced that the measure which I have proposed to the Rajah is an expedient
which will answer the purpose expected from it. only for a time. I indeed doubt
much whether the Rajah of Kolapoor or the Bhonslah have the power, suppos
ing them to have the inclination, to prevent piracy; and that object is, in my
opinion, to be affected only by severe instantaneous punishments of pirates on
their own coasts, and in sight of their own people ; and if it should still be per
sisted in, by sending strong armaments within all the creeks and rivers, with
orders to destroy boats, vessels, the fortifications which protect them, and even
the habitations of the pirates."
The capture of the fortresses of Newtee and Rairee, during the Mahratta War
m 1818, by a force under Sir William Keir Grant, in which the Bombay
Marine participated, finally put an end to the depredations of these restless
people. At this time only the principality of Sawunt Waree, a strip of territory
forty miles in length by twenty-five in breadth, remained between the Southern
Concan and the Portuguese district of Goa, and its ruler, called Phund Sawunt,
gave trouble in 1844, though the reigning prince in 1857, was faithful. The
family was known by the title of Desaee, and the dynasty was also called
Bhonsla in the eighteenth century. He is now a petty chief, entitled to a saluto
of nine guns.