'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎201] (220/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
201
sion in the " James and Mary " sands, after grounding upon
them even for one tide.
On the 2nd of February, 1848, Commodore Plumridge arrived
from England in the 4 Cambrian,' forty-four guns, to relieve
Commodore Sir Henry Blackwood, who proceeded home in the
6 Fox. ? On the 23rd of the same month, Rear-Admiral S. H.
Inglefield, C.B., Commander-in-chief of H.M.'s ships in India,
whose flag-ship, the 6 Vernon/ lay in the harbour, died at
Bombay, when Commodore Plumridge temporarily succeeded to
the high command. The gallant officer signalized his brief
assumption of power, by denying the right of the Commander-
in-chief of the Indian Navy to fly the broad pennant of the
Jioyal Navy, notwithstanding the Warrant of His Royal High-
x "ness the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom—his late
Majesty King William IV.—dated the 12th of June, 182^ by
which the ships of the Bombay Marine The navy of the East India Company. were " granted the pri
vilege of wearing the Union jack, and a long pendant having
St George's cross on a white field in the upper part next the
mast, with a red fly." A correspondence ensued, and, on the
matter being referred to the Admiralty, it was decided, in order
to soothe the susceptibilities of officers of the type of mind of
Commodore Plumridge, that the broad pennant of the Com
mander-in-chief of the Indian Navy was to be a red flag with a
yellow cross, and the Company's cognizance of a yellow lion
and crown in the upper canton nearest the staff. The Com
modore of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , being of the second class, was
allowed a similar flag with a blue field.
In this year the 4 Elphinstone' brought from the Persian
Gulf, some of the sculptures collected by Mr. Layard and Major
Rawlinson for the British Museum, which were taken to England
by H.M.S. 6 Jumna;' and, a little later in the year, the ^Clive'
brought to Bombay a further instalment. At this time, appre
hensions of war with China being entertained, the 6 Semiramis,'
Commander E. W. S. Daniell, sailed to the eastward on the
27th of February, armed with six 8-inch guns and some of
smaller calibre, and carrying a party of Bombay artillerymen
to do duty as marines, as was the custom of Indian Navy ships
proceeding to a distant station on active service. The 6 Semi
ramis' however, proceeded no further than Madras, as all
immediate danger of war had passed away; she arrived at
Bombay on the 29th of March, and, on the 6th of May, pro
ceeded to Suez, with Mr. Clerk, late Governor of Bombay.
Death was busy, during the year 1848, # in the removal of
* By a G-overnment Greneral Order, dated 22nd of June, 1848, the medical
supervision of the Indian Navy was placed " under the Superintending Surgeon
of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. Division subject to the control of the Medical Board," and the
Indus flotilla was similarly placed under the Superintending Surgeon of the
Scinde Division.