'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎327] (346/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY,
327
when that host was the British seaman. Commodore Robin
son's instructions from Bombay were that the baghalah was to
be destroyed, but that the men were not to land, as the Arabs
were in such great force ; but the Commodore, having
ordered away all the boats of the squadron manned and armed
with their guns, placed Commander Hewett in command and
gave him carte blanche to do what he thought necessary.
There were the enemy, there was the baghalah, and he knew
that Commander Hewett would do his duty and teach the Arabs
a lesson if any man could.
The attack was made in twelve boats, containing two hun
dred seamen and marines, and eight guns—two 12-pounders
and six 3-pounders—and one rocket-boat.
The baghalah, the object of the attack, was high and dry on
the beach, and round it the Arabs had constructed a sand-bag
battery, from which they maintained a heavy fire upon the
boats which w^ere pounding them with shot and shell. Lieu
tenant James,* of the 6 Clive,' being particularly effective with
his 12-pounder in the launch of that ship. Presently the
receding tide left the heavier boats high and dry, when Com
mander Hewett formed them with their bows towards the
enemy, who, thinking that now they w 7 ould fall an easy prey to
their numerical superiority, swarmed out to the. attack. But
they were met by a heavy fire of grape and canister from the
guns, while, animated by their leaders, the seamen and marines
maintained a continuous musketry fire, which forced the enemy
to retire to the protection of the baghalah. When the tide
made again, the Arab Sheikh sent a flag of truce, which Lieu
tenant Foulerton brought to Commander Hew T ett, who de
manded the surrender of the baghalah, which was at length
agreed to. The boats then proceeded to the squadron, and, on
the following morning, returned and burnt the baghalah.
The Arabs, who never anticipated that the boats would carry
guns, and considered their position perfectly impregnable, ex
cept against a land attack by a large force, were struck with
consternation at the rockets and canister. An eye-witness
writes that u a shell was seen to fall close to a group, when one
of them immediately ran and picked it up, and w^as carrying it
to his comrades when it exploded in his grasp, and blew him
to pieces, with three or four more w^ho had crowded round him
to look at the fuse burning. Speaking of the shells, they
called them 4 babre Chatties/ and the rockets, which they could
not understand, they called ' Devil's tails.'" The Expedition
was admirably planned and executed, and, while the British
* Mr. H. H. James was First Lieutenant of the f Clive' and ' Falkland,' when
carrying the Commodore's broad pennant in the Persian Grulf between 1851-56,
and worked up the crews of both ships to a high state of efficiency.