'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎408] (439/582)

408
HISTORY OF THE JOASSAMEE PIRATES.
to more arduous enterprizes, and having once tasted the sweets
of plunder in the increase of their wealth, had determined to
attempt more promising victories.
About the year 1797, one of the East India Company's vessels
of war, the Viper, of ten guns, was lying at anchor in the inner
roads of Bushire. Some dows of the Joassamees were at the same
moment anchored in the harbour; but as their warfare had
hitherto been waged only against what are called native vessels,
and they had either feared or respected the British flag, no hostile
measures were ever pursued against them by the English ships.
The commanders of these dows had applied to the Persian agent
of the British East India Company there, for a supply of English
gunpowder and cannon-shot for their cruize ; and, as this man had
no suspicions of their intentions, he furnished them with an order
to the commanding officer on board for the quantity required.
The Captain of the Viper was on shore at the time, in the
Agent's house, but the order being produced to the officer on
board, the powder and shot were delivered, and the dows weighed
and made sail. The crew of the Viper were at this moment
taking their breakfast on deck, and the officers were below; when,
on a sudden, a cannonading was opened on them by two of the
dows, who attempted also to board. The officers, leaping on deck,
called the crew to quarters, and cutting their cable, got sail upon
the ship, so as to have the advantage of manoeuvring. A regular
engagement now took place between this small cruizer and four
dows, all armed with great guns, and full of men. In the contest,
Lieut. Carruthers, the commanding officer, was once wounded by
a ball through the loins ; but, after girding a handkerchief round
his waist, he still kept the deck, till a ball entering his forehead,
he fell. Mr. Salter, the midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. on whom the command de
volved, continued to fight the ship with determined bravery, and,
after a stout resistance, beat them off, chased them some distance
out to sea, and subsequently regained the anchorage with safety.
The lives lost on board the Company's cruiser on this occasion