'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎292] (311/622)

CHAPTER VL
1854—1856.
Services of the 4 Semiramis ' against Soloo Pirates—Launch of the 'Falkland,'
£ Assaye,' and 4 PunjaubThe Cyclone at Bombay of the 2nd of November,
1854—Anomalies in the condition of the Service—Exploring Expedition to the
Soomali Country and Death of Lieutenant Stroyan—Affairs at Aden—The
4 Elphinstone's' crew at Lahej—Transport of the 10th Hussars and 12th Lancers
to Suez—Death of Captain Montriou ; his Character and Services—The ' Ferooz'
at Calcutta—The 'Queen' and ' Elphinstone' at Jiddah—Services of the
Indian Navy during the years 1854-56—Affairs in the Persian Gulf—Boat
Action at El Kateef—British Relations with the Imaum of Muscat.
THE only service of importance performed by ships of the
Indian Navy during the contintiance of the Burmese war,
was rendered by the steam frigate ' Semiramis,' which had been
employed in Chinese waters since 1850.
Early in 1852, a squadron was despatched from Singapore
against the Soloo pirates, on the north-east coast of Borneo, to
avenge the murder, on the 12th of September in the preceding
year, of the captain, super-cargo,^ and five seamen of the
British schooner 4 Dolphin/ at Maladu Bay, some leagues above
Labuan, in Borneo. The Expedition comprised H.M.S. 6 Cleo
patra,' Captain Massie, the Hon. Company's steam-frigate
'Semiramis,' Commander Stephens, and the Hon. Companys
steamer 6 Pluto,' which had brought the 'Dolphin' to Singapore
on her being seized and surrendered by a friendly chief, ine
squadron proceeded to the mouth of the Kiniabatangan river,
and despatched fifteen boats up the river to Tunku, the head
quarters of the Soloo pirates. # , ,
An officer of the ' Cleopatra' gives the following account o
the Expedition which appeared in the " Illustrated Lon on
News" of the 29th of May, 1852, with sketches, dated bmga-
pore, the 16th of March, 1852 :— , f
u The 'Cleopatra' sailed from Singapore on the lUt
January, and arrived at Labuan on the 20th, where she was
* The supercargo was Mr. Robert Burns, a grandson of the Scotch P 0 ^'
had acquired two of the native languages, and had penetrated further in ^
than any other European. He had written an account of his r
Journal of the Indian Archipelago " for 1849.