"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎٨‎٣] (١٧٨٢/٨٢٦)

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prey upon passing commerce without respecting any flag, even the
British; their robberies were accompanied by atrocities, such as the
massacre of entire crews, that vied with the worst offences in
former days of the Qawasim ; and so infatuated were they by their
easy success against native trading vessels that one of their squadrons
put to sea with the avowed object of encountering the Company's
cruisers. On receiving news of this last challenge Commodore Elwon,
commanding the Persian Gulf squadron of the Indian Navy,
immediately directed Captain Sawyer to proceed with his vessel, the
"Elphmstoue" sloop-of-war, in search of the pirates and to bring them
to action. The " Elphinstone" carrying eighteen 32-pounders, was
much more powerful in relation to Arab war-vessels than her pre
decessors of 15 years before,—a fact which the pirates perhaps did not
appreciate; but her crew was comparatively smaii, numbering only
about 150 men, of whom however 80 were Europeans. On the 16th
of April the " Elphinstone" came up with the pirate fleet, which
appeared to consist of 3 Baghlahs, 1 Batil and 8 Baqarahs, the largest
Baghlah having one of the others in tow: this last vessel piOA-eu
eventually to be the " Nasir " of Kangun, captured by the pirates off
Kung four or five days previously. After gaining a position to windward
and double and treble shotting his guns with round and grape, Captain
Sawyer, unfettered by the necessity of waiting till he was attacked,
steered between the large Baghlah and her prize; and, as the Elphin
stone" passed through with her guns almost touching the enemy's
sides, both broadsides were discharged with terrific effect, making the
splinters fly in every direction. The Arabs confined themselves to an
attempt to board, which had it been successful would have sealed the
doom of the " Elphinstone/' for the large Baghlah alone contained
at least 200 men; but it was frustrated by a destructive fire of small
arms. Seeing that the fortune of the day was against them, the pirates
at once made off, abandoning the ''Nasir," from which a prize crew
of about 90 men leaped into the water and were picked up by the lai^e
Baghlali. That vessel, accompanied by the Batil, was pursued by th^
"Elphinstone" until nightfall, when she rounded Farur Island and
disappeared; and meanwhile the remainder of the pirate fleet, afkr -tup
ping the " Nasir ^ as far as they could, sailed away in another direction.
Returning on the next day to the scene of the encounter, the British
cruiser took possession of the " Nasir " and rescued nine of her ongina
crew drifting on a raft, to which, fearing the return of the pirate-, >
W committed themselves. Enquiry showed that 33 dead o xes o
pirates had been thrown overboard from the Nasir a one w