'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎341] (360/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
341
A. W. Chitty ; 4 Victoria.' Lieutenant E. Giles (and later,
Lieutenant Maimers); 4 Olive/ Commander Albany Grieve, who
received command from Lieutenant Manners. Government
chartered twenty-three transports,* having a tonnage of 20,432
tons, also the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers
'Precursor,' 'Pottinger,' and 4 Ohusan,' and three steamers
of the Bombay Steam Navigation Company, the ' Sir J.
Jejeebhoy,' 4 Lady Falkland,'and 4 Bombay'—the whole being
placed under the charge of Commander Macdonald, with a staff
of Indian Navy officers as agents for transports. The greater
portion of the troops, under the command of Major-General
Stalker, embarked at Bombay, but some transports were
despatched to Vingorla to convey H.M.'s 64th Regiment and
the 20th Bombay Native Infantry, which had marched thither
from Belgaum, and others to Porebunder, to embark the 3rd
Cavalry, and to Kurrachee to ship the 2nd Belooch Battalion,
2nd Europeans, and a battery of Artillery.f
On the 8th November, the 6 Punjaub,' 4 Victoria,' 6 Semiramis,'
4 Ajdaha/ and 6 Berenice,' with a division of transports, sailed
for the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; on the 11th, the ' Olive' sailed, convoying
a second division; on the 13th, the 6 Assaye' and 'Ferooz,' with
other ships; and finally, on the 15th, the 4 Euphrates.' The
'Assaye' and a portion of the Expedition called at Muscat, and,
by the 24th of November, the whole force had reached the
appointed rendezvous off Bunder Abbas. Thence they made
sail for Bushire, on the 26th, in three divisions. On the 29th
of November, the 'Ferooz,' towing two transports, and the
'Falkland,' Commodore Ethersey, arrived off the town, thus
affording to the Governor the first certain information of the
approach of an armed British force. The Governor imme
diately addressed an official inquiry to Commander Felix Jones
as to the destination and object of the ships in Persian waters,
to which the Resident, who had repaired on board the 4 Assaye,'
which arrived at Bushire a few 7 days later, replied on the 3rd of
December, after holding a conference with General Stalker and
Sir Henry Leeke—that his functions in connection with Persia
had ceased, and that it lay with the " Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. General Sahib"
# The following is a list of the twenty-three transports: —For Artillery—
'Rajah of Cochin,' ' Melbourne,' ' Madge Wildfire,' ' Sibella,' * Dakota,' ' Merse,'
'Mirzapore,' For Light Cavalry—' Abdulla,' 'Bayne,' ; Alabama,' and c Fairlie.'
For the Poona Horse— c Arthur the Great,' 'Thames City,' and 'Clifton.'
For Infantry, the bulk of which were to embark in the steamers and ships-of-
war 'Result' and 'Maria Gray.' For Stores—' Futtay Salam' and ' Philo.'
Coal hulks ' Bride of the Seas,' ' British Flag,' ' Somnanth.' ' Defiance.' and
Rhoderick Dhu.' ,
f The first Division of the Expeditionary force numbered five thousand six
hundred and seventy combatants, (of whom two thousand two hundred and
seventy were Europeans), three thousand seven hundred and fifty camp fol-
owers, with eleven hundred and fifty horses and four hundred and thirty
bullocks. ^