'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎69] (88/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
69
"a silent highway," for save when "a country ship" from Surat
arrived at Mocha, a British sail was never seen within its
narrow confines, and the only vessels, besides the pilgrim ships
to Jiddah, were the native craft, less numerous than in the days
of Ptolemy and Arrian, when the Erythrceum was a
mysterious ocean, embracing the seas from Suez to Galle. How
changed is the scene now. The British flag here, as every where,
holds its proud pre-eminence in peace and in war, while the
largest ships of the proudest navies in the world bear the flags
of all nations over its bosom to the extremities of the globe ;
ironclad men-of-war and peaceful merchantmen may be daily
seen threading their way through the Straits of Babelmandeb,
the " Gate of Tears," past the little island of Perim, once again
in our possession, and Aden, the "Gibraltar of the East,"
acquired by the prowess of the Navy, whose officers had now
commenced the survey which, as in many other instances,
was but the prelude to conquest.
We learn from the " Transactions of the Bombay Geogra
phical Society" that, in February, 1829, Commander Robert
Moresby, (brother of the late Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax
Moresby) who had been engaged during the preceding year in
surveying the Laccadive Islands, was despatched from Bombay
in the' Thetis,' ten gun-brig, to make a preliminary examination
of the Red Sea, according to his instructions, " to ascertain the
different bearings of prominent headlands and the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. in
approaching the ports which may be chosen for the dep6ts of
fuel, and generally to determine the best course at all seasons
for steamers proceeding from Suez." The Thetis' took under
escort from Bombay the brig ' Owen Glendower,' with coals,
which were deposited at the depots and used by the ' Hugh
Lindsay' on her first voyage. The ' Thetis' arrived at Bombay
on the 2lst of March, 1830, the day after that steamer had left
for Suez, and, soon after his return, Commander Robert Moresby
was appointed to the ' Palinurus' to conduct the survey of the
northern half of the Red Sea from Suez to Jiddah, and Captain
Elwon to the old ' Benares,' of fourteen guns, now converted
into a surveying ship, to take up the southern half from Jiddah
to the Straits of Babelmandeb, the points of departure being
Khor Shenab, or Mishmish, an extensive inlet on the coast of
Nubia, in lat. 21° 21' N.
The assistants of these two accomplished officers were men
of rare scientific attainments, and it is a subject of wonderment
that from the ranks of so small a Service—which had already
supplied for the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. survey. Captains Maughan, Guy,
and Brucks, and Lieutenants Haines, Kempthorne, Cogan,
Ethersey, Whitelock, and Lynch—the Superintendent was able
to select a second staff of equally accomplished marine surveyors
and draughtsmen. The following were the officers of the' Benares'