'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎456] (475/622)

456
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
Soon after this affair, Lieutenant Davies returned to Calcutta
and was ordered to England for the recovery of his health, He
was on the point of sailing when, learning that an officer was
urgency required at Chyabassa, he volunteered, and, proceeding
thither, took command of No. 14 Detachment from Lieutenant
-tfurnes. He remained at Chyabassa a few months, suffer
ing severely from his wound, which, on his return to Calcutta
when the Detachment was withdrawn, in July, 1859, assumed a
dangerous character, and, sloughing having supervened, he was
loiced^ to proceed to England. Lieutenant Lewis and Mr.
Midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Mayo who received the Victoria Cross for his great
gallantry at Dacca in leading a charge against the enemy's
guns were also in such shattered health that they were com
pelled to leave India, the former to die in his native land.
One of the first Detachments of the Indian Naval Brigade to
land for service at Calcutta, if not the first, was No. 2 Detach
ment, drawn from the "Auckland/ w 7 hich had done such good
service in China, and commanded by Lieutenant George
0 Brien Carew, I irst-Lieutenant of that ship. In consequence
of representations made by this officer to a member of the
Governor-General's Staff, that there was on board his ship a
body of seamen drilled to use the field-piece and rifle equally
well, a party of a hundred sailors and marines—Bombay Euro
pean artillerymen—with Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. H. W. Brownlow, of the
'Auckland,' and H. G. F. Cotgrave, of the ' Semiramis,'was
drafted for duty on shore under his command, and proceeded to
Barrackpore, w'here it w T as attached to No. 20 horse field-battery
(Capt. Hungerford's). Lieut. Carew's first duty was to disarm the
native artillerymen belonging to the battery, and then he set
to work drilling his men, who soon became thoroughly efficient
under their smart commander, who had always been regarded
as a promising officer at the Gunnery Establishment at Butcher's
Island. He says :— 44 1 felt quite at home with the battery, but
one hundred and twenty horses belonging to it I left entirely
in the hands of their captain, who was attached to the battery
with me, and it was agreed between us that he should drill and
manoeuvre when limbered up, but when unlimbered for action
1 should take command, being the senior officer." It was pre
dicted at the time that this arrangement of a divided command
64 w T ould never w 7 ork," but where, as in this instance, the parties
concerned subordinated professional jealousies to the public
weal, it did w T ork without a jar or hitch, a circumstance which
should be placed on record to the credit of both officers. Lieu
tenant Carew always had a fear that the native drivers might
bolt over to the enemy with the horses, and was therefore much
relieved w r hen Major Liardet, of the Eoyal Artillery, brought
him a bullock battery in exchange for No. 20. He writes:—
46 It was a scene of great confusion when the English drivers