'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎121] (140/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
121
overpowered, and turned and fled after firing a few desultory
shots, one of which severely wounded Mr. Midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Nisbett.
Acting-Lieutenant Hamilton, not content with this feat, rushed
through the battery with some seamen, scrambled up the heights
at a point where the Arabs never expected an attack, and sprang
single-handed among a group of thirty men, who, supposing
that he was backed up by a large storming party, called out for
quarter. Mr. Hamilton forced them to descend before him, and
soon met the troops who had been landed.
On the lire being sufficiently reduced. Captain Smith, at
11.30, made the signal for the boats to push off and land both
divisions of troops, which was effected under a musketry fire,
" which," says Major Baillie, 46 wounded two men of the Euro
pean regiment in the right division, and killed one private, and
wounded one private and a bugler of the 24th Native Infantry
in the left division, with which I landed."
Captain Smith says in his dispatch :—•
44 Lieutenant Dobree, who had charge of the first division,
Mr. Rundle, mate, and a quarter-master of the ship, were the
first on shore, and made for a 68-pounder, which had
been fired at us several times, when a matchlock was fired at
the quarter-master by a man behind the gun, who was imme
diately cut down by him, and the first British flag was planted
by Mr. Rundle. So completely were the enemy driven from all
points (with the exception of the island) by the fire of the ships,
that the whole of the troops landed with the loss of only two
men killed, and three wounded. A partial firing was still kept
up from the island, when I directed Lieutenant Dobree, who had
returned with the two mates, Messrs. Stewart and Rundle, with
a party of seamen, and Lieutenant Ayles with the Marines,
amounting altogether to fifty, to land and take possession of it;
this was gallantly accomplished, the party ascending the heights,
spiking and dismounting the guns, taking the flag which had
been flying from the Tower, and making prisoners of one hundred
and thirty-nine armed Arabs, who were conducted from the
island to the main by the party, and given over into the charge
of Major Osborne. In an attempt to disarm the prisoners made
by the military, they made a most formidable resistance, and
I regret to say, that several lives were lost on both sides."
Major Baillie advanced with his troops into the town, seized
the Sultan's palace and the mosque, and, pushing on, at one p.m.
occupied what is now T known as the 44 Main Pass." The victory
was completed with trifling loss, when an ill-advised attempt
to disarm the one hundred and thirty-nine iVrab prisoners, who
had been captured at Seerah Island, aroused the tiger-like
ferocity which lies dormant in the breast of these sons of Ishmael.
Suddenly drawing their creeses, they made a furious attack upon