'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎165] (184/622)

history of the indian navy.
165
sailed on the following day for Bombay, which he reached on
the 2nd of June; on reporting himself at the Marine Office, Sir
Robert Oliver saluted him with the frank avowal:—" Glad to
have you back all safe, did not expect to see you again."
After discharging at the dockyard, the remainder of the
stores and the 68-pounders, Lieutenant Campbell, whose health
had suffered by the arduous nature of his services in Mesopo
tamia with the Euphrates Expedition, and at the wreck of the
'Memnon,' where he played the part of chief diver, proceeded to
England on sick leave.
Commander Powell was arraigned before a court-martial on
the 3rd of April, 1844, for the loss of his ship, but was fully
acquitted of all blame. The officer of the watch on the night of
the 1st of August, was also tried by court-martial on the 18th of
May, for neglecting to heave the lead as ordered by Commander
Powell, but was acquitted, upon which the singular anomaly
was presented of Lieutenant-Greneral Sir Thomas McMahon,
the Commander-in-chief of the Bombay Army—to whom, under
the existing regulations as to Martial Law, the Superintendent
of the Indian Navy had to apply to convene a court-martial—•
remarking upon the finding of the Court, which he disapproved.
During the year 1841, an important augmentation in the
numerical strength of the officers of the Indian Navy, was sanc
tioned by the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. . The following is the Govern
ment Order:—
" Bombay Castle, November 5,1841.
" The following extract of a despatch from the Hon. the Court
of Directors, No. 62, dated the 27th of August last, is published
for general information :—
"21. The establishment, of which our despatch of the 30th
of January, 1839, contemplated that the Indian Navy might
eventually consist,* is therefore inadequate to the performance
of the duties required of it. And in order that a sufficient
number of officers may be always available for the various
demands of the public service afloat, or otherwise, after making
due allowances for furloughs or absence on sick leave, we have
resolved that the following be the establishment of the Indian
Navy, allowing, in accordance with the practice observed in the
Royal Navy, those midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. who have passed their final
examination, to be styled 6 mates,'t an d to receive an increased
rate of pay, viz.;—captains, six ; commanders, twelve ; lieu
tenants, forty-eight; mates and midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. , seventy-two;
total, one hundred and thirty-eight.
" 22. Of this aggregate number, after deducting for absentees,
# Captains, four ; Commanders, eiglit; Lieutenants, forty ; Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. , forty-
eight ;-^-total, one hundred,
t It was not untii 1855, that by Greneral Orders of the 8th of August, mates
were made commissioned officers.