'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎231] (250/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
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siege these 4 jolly tars' took watch and watch with their com-
rades on the shore. It was a fine sight to see their manly faces,
bronzed by long exposure to the burning sun of the Red Sea or
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , mingling with the dark soldiers of Hindostan, or
contrasting with the fairer but not healthier occupants of the
European barrack. They looked on their battery as a ship,
their 18-pounders as so many sweethearts, and the embrasures
as port-holes. 4 Now, Jack, shove your head out at that port,
and just hear what my little girl says to that 'ere pirate, Moll
Rag!' was the kind of conversation that you heard on board of
the sailor battery as you passed. Either the pirates derived
more than usual annoyance from this amphibious attack, or the
sailor battery had been erected in a position most galling to the
garrison ; for, on the 9th of January, they bent such a storm
of shells on it, as to set fire to the fascines of which it was com
posed, and burn the battery to the ground."
Like their brethren of the Royal Navy, when serving on
shore, the Indian Naval Brigade carried no colour, though had
they done so, it would have been—
" Scribbled, crossed, and crammed with densest condensation,"
to have contained the record of their services on shore.
It would have borne the names of Ormuz, Ras-ul-Khymah,
Beni-Boo-Ali, Java, Celebes, Ternate, Arracan, New Zealand,
China, and many another hard service on land during the
earlier days before the Company had an organized army, and
the Marine defended their factories at Surat, Gombroon, Bus-
sorah, and elsewhere. The siege of Mooltan was the first
instance in which seamen had served so far from their floating
homes, where the
" Bare head, bare breast, bare feet, and blue jacket,'
of the British sailor has reigned triumphant for centuries, and
Jack proved himself as much at home in his battery, when
fighting against 44 Moll Rag," as when working his guns within
the wooden walls of his ship
Of the late Captain Powell, Edwardes writes :—" I am sure
there is not one soldier of the Mooltan field force who does not
yet hope that he will share in their honours as largely as he
did in their dangers and fatigues." In this expectation, Major
Edwardes was disappointed ; and Commander Powell, who, had
he been in the Royal Navy, would have received promotion to
post rank and the C.B., was awarded no distinction whatever,
beyond barren thanks.
On the conclusion of the siege, the army marched off to join
Lord Gough, who was waiting for reinforcements after the
drawn battle of Chillianwallah, and participated in the great
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