'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎236] (255/622)

236
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
time on record, and he received a letter of thanks from the
Commissioners for the affairs of India.
In 1834 the clipper ship 4 Sylph/ of Calcutta, was wrecked
at the entrance of the China Seas, having on board a cargo of
opium, valued at £130,000 sterling, and a crew of sixty men.
Commander Hawkins, then commanding the 'Clive,' at great
personal risk, owing to the heavy sea running, proceeded to her
in his boat, which was upset, one seaman being drowned;
nevertheless he reached her, after having been in the water for
three hours, alternately swimming and clinging to his boat.
After most hazardous and fatiguing work, extending over seven
days, he ultimately succeeded in saving the whole of the crew
and cargo, for which he received the thanks of the Governor-
General, and of the Governments of Bombay and the
Straits Settlements. By order of the Supreme Government
his right to salvage was waived, but the parties assigned the
sum of d08,OOO in lieu thereof, and, afterwards, presented Com
mander Hawkins with a gratuit}' of c £l,500 for his personal
risk and exertions. In 1838 Commander Hawkins was em
ployed in an examination of the Euphrates, and, upon that
service, reached Hit, 500 miles from Bussorah. His report to
Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Malcolm upon this survey, received,
through the Bombay Government, the approbation of the
Secret Committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. of the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. . He was promoted
to the rank of Captain on the 22nd of January, 1839, and, in
1840, proceeded to England on sick certificate. Captain Haw
kins returned to India in 1844, and, in 1846, when Commodore
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. squadron, made a cruise round the Gulf,
when, by his energy and promptitude, he brought to terms a
noted piratical chief, named Humeed bin Majdull. Commodore
Hawkins forced this Arab robber, who, insolent in his fancied
security, had vaunted his determination to defy the British flag,
to disgorge the plunder he had amassed from certain merchant
vessels, and give security for future good behaviour, and
" this he did," said Lord Palmerston, then Foreign Minister, in
his letter of thanks, 44 without bloodshed."
In this year, by another act of personal daring, he assisted
in getting off the Island of Seir Abonade, in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
H.M.'s frigate 4 Fox,' 42 guns. Commodore Sir Henry Black
wood, who was then suffering from illness. The difficulty of
extricating the ship from the reef was much increased by the
anchor having become detached from the chain cable, and,
upon learning this, Commodore Hawkins instantly jumped
overboard, dived, and succeeded in again bending it, when the
united crews of the ' Fox,' 4 Clive,' and 4 Constance,' (Lieutenant
Rennie) hove her off. Commodore Sir Henry Blackwood ad
dressed the following letter to Commodore Hawkins on this
occasion:—