'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎131] (150/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
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killed and wounded eleven men and three camels. But, on
another occasion the Arabs succeeded in venting their hate of
the Giaours they could not expel, and a European soldier,
who ventured unarmed outside the Turkish wall, was attacked
and killed by a prowling Bedouin who mutilated the body. A
price was set on the head of Commander Haines, who learned
from his spies that the Arab chiefs had sworn on the Koran to
recapture Aden or die in the attempt.
At this time the ' Clive,' Commander J. P. Sanders, was on
the Red Sea station, her officers being Lieutenants R.
Mackenzie, B. Hamilton, and G. W. Wollaston. The crew
were in a state of the highest efficiency and discipline, their
proficiency in great gun and small-arm drill being quite
remarkable. In July, 1841, Admiral Sir William Parker, the
newly appointed Naval Commander-in-chief, was passing
through Aden for Bombay, on his way to assume command of
the Naval forces in China, and Commander Sanders asked so com
petent an officer—one regarded by the mighty Nelson himself
as one of his best frigate captains—to inspect his ship, an invi
tation which the gallant admiral willingly accepted. The crew
of the ' Clive ' were, accordingly, exercised in his presence at all
the drills, including firing by broadsides and single guns, and
the vessel and her arrangements were minutely inspected.
" Before leaving the vessel," writes an officer of the ' Clive' to
us, " Sir William Parker expressed his high admiration of the
state of efficiency in which he found the officers and crew, and
said to the officer who conducted him back to the steamer con
veying him to Bombay, ' I greatly wish I had a few such
vessels with me in China.' On his arrival in Bombay he wrote
a highly complimentary letter expressive of his approval of all
he had witnessed, and requested that it should be read to the
officers and men. Sir Robert Oliver was very wary in con
veying any acknowledgment of efficiency, but, on this occasion,
he gave expression to his gratification that Sir William Parker
had such a favourable impression of the efficiency of the Indian
NaA^y." It is only due to Lieutenant Mackenzie, first of the
' Clive,' to state that the smartness of the crew at gun and
small-arm drill, was, in a great measure, due to his efforts.
During the year 1841, one of the officers of the 'Clive,' Lieutenant
W. G. Wollaston,* was employed on shore at Aden, superin
tending the erection of batteries on Ras Morbat.
On the 22nd of September, 1841, the Hon. Company's steam
frigate 'Auckland' sailed for Aden with troops, and, imme
diately on their landing, orders were given to dislodge the
* Lieutenant Wollaston retired from the Service in Mareli, 1846, and a few
years later entered the Home Coast Guard Service as Inspecting Lieutenant,
serving at Wittering, in Sussex, Blatchington, near Newhaven, and Bourne
mouth, where he died on the 8th of June, 1868, aged fifty-five.
K 2