'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎551] (570/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
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H.M.'s gunboat 4 Penguin,' Lieutenant McHardy, cruising off
Cape Guardafui, were detached under command of Sub-
Lieutenant Fountaine, to intercept slave vessels between the
river Juba, # or Govind, and Kwyhoo Island. The details of
their tragic end never were actually known, as not a soul of the
two boats' crews escaped, but what is certain of their movements
is soon told. The boats proceeded to the northward, and being
in want of water, the crews landed at Ras Mabber, or Cape
Stand Off—so called because the Arab navigators run out from
this point with the south-west monsoon, in order to round Ras
Hafoon, or the 44 Surrounded,"—situated in Lat. 9° 29' N.;
Long. 50° 50' E. The county from Ras-ul-Khyle, or Moro
Cobir Point (Serpent's Head), in Lat. 7° 43^., Long. 49° 45' E.,
round by Ras Ahseer, or Cape Guardafui, to Bunder Ziadeh, is
in the possession of the Mijjertheyn tribe of Soomalies, a
savage and treacherous race who require delicate handling;
and it would appear that a party of them suddenly attacked the
sailors, who, being taken by surprise, were forced to retreat to
the cutter, leaving the whaler high and dry on the beach. The
crews escaped with their lives, but they were not equally
fortunate in their next meeting with the natives. On the 26th
of September they touched at a place called Baraida, about
fifteen miles from Cape Guardafui, when the Soomalies again
treacherously attacked them, and the commanding officer and
thirteen seamen were killed or drowned while attempting to
escape to the boats. One man, being a strong swimmer, suc
ceeded in getting clear, and, on landing, was kindly treated by
a Chief, who sent him, with a guard of four men, to Bunder
Ullooleh, near a Cape of the same name; but as the party
were passing the village of the murderers, some of them over
powered the guard and killed the unfortunate seaman.
A vague rumour of the massacre reached Aden, and Major-
General Honner, C.B., Acting Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , in the
absence of Brigadier Coghlan, on the 21st of October de
spatched the 4 Semiramis,' Commander Adams, having on board
Captain Play fair, the able and experienced Assistant Political Re
sident (now Her Majesty's Consul General for Algeria), to Maculla,
to which port Lieutenant McHardy had proceeded, after vainly
searching and enquiring for his men along the coast up to Cape
Guardafai. Commander Adams arrived at Maculla on the
of October, and a few hours later the 'Penguin' came in, when
Lieutenant McHardy addressed an official letter to Commander
Adams, detailing his proceedings in search of his missing
boats. The Maculla Chief, on an application being made to
* This place, referred to in our account of the survey of Lieutenant Chris
topher, is also memorable as the scene of the massacre of one officer and two
boats' crews of H.M.'s ships 'Daedalus' and 'Leopard by the treacherous
natives.