'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎542] (561/622)

542
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
flats. This branch of the Indian Navy had done good service
since its institution at the time of the Afghan War, more par
ticularly during the Scinde Campaign, when its conduct met
with the approval of such high authorities as Sir Charles
Napier and Major Outram, and during the Indian Mutiny, when
the Supreme Government expressed its thanks in highly
laudatory terms. The "Indus Steam Flotilla and Punjaub
Railway Company" took over certain of the Government
steamers and flats, Government taking shares in the Company
as payments On the 26th of September, 18H1, Lieutenants
Child andBrooman were, respectively, appointed Deputy Super
intendent of Boats and Government Freight Agent at Mooltan
and Kurrachee, of which latter port Lieutenant Gilesf had
been the Master-Attendant for some years; and, on the 23rd
of April following. Lieutenant James was also appointed to fill
the same posts at Kotree, the headquarters of the Indus Flotilla
and now the station of the central division of boats.. Finally,
in August, 1861, the last remnant of the Flotilla ceased to
exist. On the 9th of that month, Lieutenant Giles arrived at
Kotree from Kurrachee, and Captain Balfour hauled down his
pennant and made over to that officer the few remaining vessels,
which were to form a civil department under the orders of the
Commissioner of Scinde. In this year the superintendence
of the Indus Steam Flotilla, a purely commercial company,
was entrusted to Captain John Wood, I.N., the intrepid
explorer of the sources of the Oxus, in 1838 ; and that
# See reply of Sir Charles Wood to a question of Colonel Sykes in tlie House
of Commons on the 10th of March, 1862.
f Lieutenant Griles gained the Albert Medal—as did also Mr. Shuttle-
worth, I.N., for gallantry in saving life at Bombay—which was presented
to him at Kurrachee on the 4th of April, 1871, by Sir William Merewether, the
energetic and able Commissioner of Scinde. The presentation took place with
great eclat, before a crowded audience, the band of H.M.'s 66th Regiment being
present. Sir William Merewether, in eulogising the services of Commander Giles
since the year 1839, when he joined the Service, of which he was always con
sidered one of the smartest representatives, and paying a compliment to the
Indian Navy, which, he said, " has given a long list of brave and distinguished
officers," added :—" For more than fourteen years now has Captain Griles most ably
conducted the management of the port of Kurrachee, and I am sure all who have
ever visited it, will bear the fullest testimony to his unvarying kindness and con
sideration, while their confidence in approaching their journey's end was greatly
increased by the knowledge that so experienced an officer and thorough sailor
held the keys to admit them." Captain Giles earned the Albert Medal for the
great bravery displayed by him in saving the crew of the ship ' Alicia,' w r hich had
struck on the Kurrachee bar, driven before the full force of a south-west
monsoon. In making the presentation Sir William Merewether said :—" Cap
tain Giles, I esteem it a high honour that the duty has been entrusted to me of
presenting you this much prized decoration, the reward for distinguished gal-
Ian trv in saving life at sea. I congratulate you most heartily on this just
recognition of your humane and gallant conduct, and I wish you many years of
continued honoured life to wear the order." Captain Giles also received the
medal of the Royal Humane Society for great gallantry in rescuing the crew of
the ship 'Julia' in 1857.