'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎19] (38/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY. 19
would be taken up by the Company's cruisers; but he con
sidered that the squadron he had equipped with guns and
every other appliances for war, and manned with the picked
warriors of his tribe, would be able to destroy them, and the
victory, he knew, would once more raise the hydra-head of
piracy throughout the Gulf, under his leadership. Khaleefa
bin Shakboot showed his astuteness in his surmise that the
gauntlet he threw down would be eagerly taken up by the
British ships, but he made an egregious mistake when he
counted on success attending his efforts to wrest from them
the command of those inland waters. So certain was he of
success, that he actually provided on board his ship cauldrons
of hot oil, in which to throw the heads of unbelievers!
In April, 1835, on learning of these astounding proceedings.
Commodore Elwon, commanding the Indian Navy squadron,
directed the Hon. Company's sloop-of-war 4 Elphinstone,' Cap
tain Sawyer commanding, to proceed to sea, and cruise off the
Tombs near Bassadore, with orders to bring the pirates to
action. That officer immediately sailed from Bassadore, and, on
the evening of the 15th of April, after having twice chased some
suspicious-looking craft sightward to windward, the pirate
vessels sailing in close order. During the night the 6 Elphin
stone' worked up, and, at daybreak on the 16th, came up off
the Island of Surdy, with the squadron of seven vessels in
battle array. The men were ordered to quarters, and all the
guns were double-shotted—first with round, and then with
grape shot. As the enemy drew near, Captain Sawyer saw he
had a desperate game to play, for, if once they could only
grapple his vessel, they would pour hundreds of men upon his
decks, and eighty British seamen, with about thirty or forty
natives and marines could not hope long to maintain so unequal
a conflict. " Now," said he to his men, 44 the first shot here is
half the battle; put a third round into the quarter-deck
guns, and don't fire till I give the word of command." He
then steered, with a light breeze, for the enemy, and, perceiving
two of the largest vessels sufficiently apart to pass through,
he said to the master, " Steer straight between them." When
within a few yards, the Arabs leaped up on the bulwarks, two
men with grappling irons, and the remainder with sword and
spear. A young officer covered one of the men with the grap
pling iron, and another marksman took the second, and both
fell dead with bullets through their breasts. In return came a
shower of spears, and then was heard the clear, calm voice of
the Captain, "Steady, Ready, Fire!" From eighteen 32-
pounders there poured a storm of shot, scattering death and
destruction around, and making the little ship quiver from
stem to stern. The two vessels w 7 ere riddled like sieves, and
those of the Arabs not killed or wounded, sought death by
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