"تاريخ البحرية الهندية. (١٦١٣- ١٨٦٣)." [‎١‎١‎٨] (٦٢٢/١٣٧)

118
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
From this period up to the 17th of December, a rigorous
blockade was enforced, the duty being most harassing to the
officers and men, who were employed night and day in the
boats, and constantly engaged skirmishing with the batteries
and parties on shore, when the boats were frequently struck by
shot. On the 17th of December the Sultan begged a truce of
three days, which he treacherously employed in sending a boat
to the x ^frican coast, whence the ' Coote' was supplied with
provisions, to endeavour, by a bribe of 200 dollars, to induce
the Soomalies to murder all the English who landed there. On
the 18th of December the Hon. Company's schooner 'Mahi'
and the barque 4 Anne Crichton,' laden with coals, arrived at
Aden, a significant intimation to the Sultan, had he chosen to
accept it, that the British were determined to enforce the fulfil
ment of the agreement into which he had voluntarily entered.
Hostilities were now resumed, and, on the 11th of January,
1839, a skirmish took place off Seerah Island, between the bat
tery on the mole and the schooner 6 Mahi' and a mortar-boat,
when two seamen were wounded and about twenty or thirty of
the Arabs placed hors de combat.
Commander Haines says in his official report to the Secretary
to Government, dated the 15th of January :— 44 1 have the honour
to inform you, for the information of Government, that during
the many skirmishes which have taken place between the boats
of the Hon. Company's sloop-of-war 'Coote' and the shore, the
crew of that vessel, assisted by Lieutenant Evans of the Bombay
European Regiment, Lieutenant Western of the Bombay Engi
neers, and the detachment of the former officer's regiment, have
behaved with great gallantry, in every instance, and it is won
derful that only two men of the 4 Coote' were wounded. In the
last skirmish of the 11th of January, under the command of
Lieutenant Johnstone, they were assisted by the 4 Mahi' schooner
and the mortar-boat. The action lasted for three or four hours,
doing the enemy considerable damage by destroying about
twelve feet of their battery without injury to themselves."
Meanwhile the Bombay Government had despatched a small
Expedition to take possession of Aden, and, on the 16th of
January, it arrived in Aden Back Bay. The ships of war were
H.M.S. 4 Volage,' twenty-eight guns. Captain Smith, senior
naval officer, and H.M.'s brig 4 Cruiser,' ten guns. Commander
King; and the troops, which were embarked in transports, con
sisted of four hundred men of the European Regiment, the whole
of the 24th Bombay Native Infantry, with the 4th company Ist
battalion Artillery, and the 6th company (Golundauze) Artillery,
the whole under Major Bailie, of the 24th Native Infantry.
Commander Haines having summoned the Sultan to surrender,
and received an unsatisfactory reply, immediately requested the