'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎512] (531/622)

512
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
past three years.* In the following year, on the occasion of
Brigadier Colin Troup, C.B., vacating the command at Mooltan,
he addressed to Lieutenant Holt, the Senior Naval officer at
that important station, a letter of thanks for the " ready and
efficient assistance" he had always received from him.f
Monday, the 1st of November, 1858, is remarkable in Indian
annals as the day on which was proclaimed throughout India,
the assumption by Her Majesty of the direct rule of our Eastern
Empire, thereby consummating, by a solemn public Act, the
extinction of the Government of the East India Company.J
* "To the Secretary to tlie Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. , Military Department.—
Sir,—The G-overnment of India has recently had before it an account of the
transport of the families of soldiers from Kurrachee to Peshawur and elsewhere
in the Punjaub. Owing to the judicious arrangements made by the authorities,
both civil and military, and the great care and attention paid to the comfort and
wants of the families by the officers of the Indus Flotilla, and those in whose
immediate charge they were placed, this difficult task was carried out with com
plete success. The approbation of the Government of India has been conveyed,
through the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjaub, to the functionaries of that
province who are concerned, and I am now desired to request that the Govern
ment of Bombay may be moved to make the cordial approval of the Governor-
General in Council known to the officers of the Sind Commission, of the Indus
Flotilla, and of the Commissariat Department, who afforded such material aid in
carrying out the measure. (Signed) R. J. H. Birch, Major-General, Secretary to
the Government of India. Council Chamber, Fort William, 15th of June, 1860.' ,
f The following is a copy of the letter of Brigadier Troup, dated Mooltan, the
5thof April, 1861:-
" Sir,—Being about to quit Mooltan to assume the command of the Fortress of
Agra, I cannot leave the station without conveying to you my sincere thanks for
the very ready and efficient assistance I have at all times received from you in
your department during the two years I have been in command at Mooltan; but,
more especially during 1859-60, in carrying out the arrangements required for
the passage to Kurrachee of the men of the Bengal Army, who took their dis
charge under the operation of Government General Order, No. 883, of the 20th
of June, 1859, and which alone enabled me to embark the whole of them without
a single complaint having been made against any one of them.
" Believe me it will afford me great satisfaction to hear of your welfare, for,
from my intimate association with you for the last two years, I feel assured you
will always strive to the utmost to perform your duty, with credit to yourself and
with satisfaction to the State."
Soon after. Lieutenant Holt resigned his appointments at Mooltan, and arrived
at Bombay on the 11th of October. He joined the flagship ' Ajdaha/ and on the
22nd of November, was appointed to the command of the ' Berenice,' Lieutenant
Child succeeding him at Mooltan. In 1876 Commander Holt was appointed one
of H.M.'s Nautical Assessors to the Board of Trade.
J The ^ following final despatch of thanks by the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. , to their
servants in India, is of historical interest, but following their habit of ignoring
their Navy to the last, no mention whatever was made of this the earliest of their
established Services:—
"Public Department, No. 147, of 1858. Our Governor-General of India in
Council,—We have the satisfaction of transmitting to you, for promulgation in
such manner as you may consider suitable, the copy of a Eesolution unanimously
passed by the General Court of the East India Company, held on the 30th ult.,
expressing the thanks of the Court to the servants and officers of the Company
of every rank, and in every capacity.
"We are, (Signed) F. Ctjeeie,
" J. Eastwick.
" London, September 1st, 1858.
" Extract Minutes of a Special General Court of the East India Company, held