'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎109] (128/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
109
motions of Koorshid Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and his emissaries on the Arabian
coast, and keeping a general surveillance of both shores of the
Gulf. The Bombay Grovernment could not at this time spare
any more vessels, and as, owing to sickness and death, those
on the station were short of officers and men, the duty was
very heavy. Some idea of the ravages of the unhealthy climate
of the Gulf, may be gathered from the following notice of the
mortality, during the past fifteen years, among the Commodores,
who were appointed for three years, and might be supposed to
be thoroughly acclimatized.*
In 182(5, Captain Walker filled the post, but returned to
Bombay within two years, with impaired health; he was
appointed Member of the Marine Board, but died before the
close of the year from the effects of his service in the Gulf.
He was succeeded by Captain Maughan, who was seized with
fever and obliged to quit in less than nine months, and pro
ceed to England. A few months later, Captain Guy took the
command, but was forced to resign, and died on his w T ay home.
After an interval of two months. Captain Collinson was
appointed, and stayed a little over two years, when, finding his
health giving way, he resigned and went home. Captain
Wyndham succeeded him in June, 1833, and died in October,
after a tenure of a few months. The senior officer on the spot
acted for a few months, when Captain Elwon took the com
mand; he expired on the 17th of June, 1835, and was buried
under the dining-table in the Commodore's house at Bassadore.
He was succeeded by that sturdy veteran. Captain Pepper, who
held out for two years and nine months, notwithstanding that
he was frequently at death's door; at the end of that period
his health broke down, and he proceeded to Bombay and then
to England. After an interval of some months, in October,
1838, Captain Brucks assumed the command from Commander
Haines, and, in fifteen months, was obliged to go on leave for
four months to Bombay and the Hills. He returned to duty, but,
in 1842, was compelled to return to England in broken health,
and died in 1850. From this retrospect it will be seen that in
fifteen years there were eight commodores, of whom four died;
and, if from this total of fifteen years, be deducted one year
and seven months, the period during which senior officers filled
the acting appointment, it will give one year and eight months
# An idea may be gathered of the general rate of mortality in the Service, from
the fact that, of the fifty-two officers, who joined the Indian Navy between May,
1827, and December, 1830, we find that, in the List for 1858, that is, twenty-
eight years later, when the senior would be about forty-four years of age, the
names of only nine appear, the remainder, with few exceptions, having died from
the effects of climate and that continuous and unremitting work at sea in small
ships and unhealthy localities, such as no other Naval Service has been con
demned to perform to an equal extent.