'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎337] (356/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
337
Balfour, had arrived also from Bassorah, oh the 15th of April;
and, on the 8th of July, the 4 Ferooz,'Commander Drought,
returned from visiting Bushire, Bassadore, and Muscat. On the
24th of November, the 'Ajdaha,' with the remains of Sir
Frederick Fitzclarence, the late Commander-in-chief, sailed
from Bombay for Suez, for the purpose of conveying up the
Gulf the Hon. C. A. Murray, the British Minister and Envoy
at the Court of Teheran, and, on his Excellency's arrival at
Suez on the 26th of December, she left for Bushire, whence
Mr. Murray found his way, via Bagdad, to the Persian capital,
where he found anything but a cordial welcome, while the
'Ajdaha' proceeded to Bombay, where she arrived on the 2nd of
April. On the 17th of May, the 4 Victoria,' Lieutenant Adams,
arrived from Bushire, when that officer, taking command of the
'Queen,' sailed on the 2nd of June for the Gulf, whence she
returned on the 4th of October; and, on the 25th of July, the
'Falkland,' Commander Hewett, arrived at Bombay, bringing
intelligence that the Shah had declared his intention to main
tain a strict neutrality in the war between Russia and Turkey.
On the 16th of August, the 'Falkland,' now commanded by
Lieutenant Manners—Commander Hewett having proceeded to
England on three years' sick leave—again sailed for the Gulf,
and that officer, removing to the 6 Clive,' brought her to Bom
bay on the 29th of October, 1855. On the following day, the
'Assaye,' Commander J. W. Young, sailed for the Persian
Gulf, and, on the 16th of January, 1856, the ' Semiramis,'
Lieutenant Etheridge, which had been on a cruise round the
Gulf, arrived at Bombay, bringing copies of the correspondence
between Mr. Murray and the Persian Government, and a
request from the Envoy for the immediate despatch of a steamer
to Bushire. Accordingly, three days after her arrival, the
'Ajdaha,' Lieutenant Worsley, with a detachment of European
artillerymen on board to act as marines, sailed for the Gulf.
The ' Semiramis,' now under Commander Alan Hyde Gardner,
also proceeded thither on the 11th of April; and the 'Clive,'
which had returned to the Gulf, arrived from Bushire on the
9th of May. The 4 Victoria,' Lieutenant Giles, proceeded to
the Gulf on the 28th of May, followed, on the 16th of August,
by the 'Assaye,'* temporarily commanded by Lieutenant
* The ' Assaye,' Commander Young, liad meanwhile been employed on other
service. She had returned to Bombay on the 9th of March, and on the 16tli of
April, sailed for Calicut, tho savage tribe of Sourahs having risen in insurrection at
Pula Kimedy, a zemindaroe of Ganjam. From thence she proceeded to Madras,
where she arrived on the 7th of May ; embarking the 31st Madras Native Infantry,
she sailed again on the 12th for Vizagapatam, where the regiment was landed.
On the 19fch of May she again cast anchor in Madras roads, and on the 2nd of
June, arrived at Bombay. Commander Young was now appointed Master-
Attendant in place of Captain Montriou, deceased, and Lieutenant Nisbett was
placed in temporary command of the ' Assaye.'
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