'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎524] (543/622)

524
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
as master-builder, which responsible situation he held for a
period of twenty-two years, and, in 1844, retired upon a hand
some pension allowed by Government as the reward of his
meritorious and faithful services during fifty-four years. In
testimony of respect for the memory of the deceased, Commo
dore Wellesley closed the dockyard; all the Parsee shops in
the fort were also closed, and the flags of the vessels in har
bour hoisted half-mast high.
In May, 1859, Captain J. W. Young, C.B., became Assistant-
Superintendent on the death of Captain Powell, for whom he
had been officiating since June, 1858. Captain Powell was a
fine seaman, and had seen much service, and commanded the
Indian Naval Brigade at the siege of Mooltan in 1848-49.
On the occasion of the wreck in Back Bay, near Bombay,
of the ship 4 Natalie,' during a heavy gale of wind, on the
23rd of July, 1859, Lieutenant Sconce, and other officers of
the Service, with some boats' crews of volunteers, succeeded
in rescuing a great portion of the ship's crew. Commodore
Wellesley issued a Squadron Order, expressive of the " high
sense he entertained of the courageous energy displayed by
those officers and seamen of Her Majesty's Indian Navy in
port," employed on the occasion.
On the 1st of November, 1859, the Master-Attend ant and
Conservator of the Port, having been relieved from all duties
connected with the Dockyard and Indian Navy, and placed
under the Commissioner of Customs, Captain Barker, I.N., who
filled that post, was reappointed, with Mr. Atkinson* as First-
Assistant and two subordinate officers ; the Pilot establishment
was also placed under his orders. Captain Young, Assistant-
Superintendent, was also, on the 11th of November, appointed
to the new office of Dock-Master, in addition to his other duties,
* Mr. Atkinson, on account of failing liealtli, almost immediately retired from
the office of First Assistant to the Master-Attendant, which he had held for
many years, and died on the 24th of January, 1860. This officer entered the
service in 1817, and served through the first Burmah war. He was chief officer
of the 4 Palinurus' in 1827, Commander of her in 1828, and in the following year
commanded the 4 Thetis,' and in 1830 the 4 Nautilus/ Transferred in 1831 to
the Master-Attendant's department, he gradually rose to the post of First
Assistant. On the 9th of January, 1860, a Grovernment Order notified that
Mr. Atkinson was permitted " to retire with a good service pension of Bs. 300
per mensem, from the date on which he ceased to hold office in the Master-
Attendant's department." In squadron orders, Commodore Wellesley made the
following generous reference to Mr. Atkinson's services:—" In publishing the
subjoined Grovernment Greneral Order notifying that Mr. H. Atkinson, late First
Assistant Master-Attendant, has been permitted to retire from the Service, the
Commander-in-chief cannot omit alluding to the very valuable services which
this officer has rendered in the Naval Department during a period of upwards of
forty years. The high testimonials which he bears from every officer under
whom he has served are a lasting record of the fidelity and zeal with which he
has invariably fulfilled his duty, and he retires on a pension higher than that to
which he is entitled, but which has been granted in consideration of his long and
excellent service."