ortuguese fort at
Corlem, and shelled Bandara. Captain Loader, of the _Revenge_, without
orders, burned the undefended village on Elephanta, for which he was
suspended from his command; but at the end of a week he was reinstated.
Want of shipping for a time prevented any vigorous prosecution of
hostilities on the part of the Council. They were obliged to remain on the
defensive, while Portuguese galleys cruised off the island, making
occasional raids, killing a militiaman or two, and burning villages. Mahim,
Riva, and Darvi were all raided, but with small benefit to the assailants.
On the 28th August, at night, a Portuguese force landed and destroyed the
fort at Warlee, assisted by the treachery of a renegade Portuguese. On the
3rd and 4th September, two attempts to land at the Breach were repulsed,
and the Council were cheered by the arrival of the _Salisbury_ and
_Exeter_ from their Red Sea cruise.

Cockburn, of the _Salisbury_, less churlish than Matthews, at once put two
pinnaces and seventy-six men at the Council's disposal. A small expedition
of eleven gallivats under Stanton was also fitted out, and a battery
erected by the Portuguese at Surey to hinder provisions coming into Bombay,
was captured. One man of the _Exeter_ was killed and another wounded. Just
then came news that Angria was fitting out an expedition of five thousand
men to attack Carwar, and the _Exeter_ sailed there to defend the factory.

At the beginning of November, the tide turned. News having been received
that some of Angria's grabs were cruising off Warlee, the _Victoria_ and
_Revenge_, manned with crews from the _Salisbury_, were sent out. After a
hot engagement, Angria's commodore, a Dutchman, was killed, and his ship,
mounting sixteen guns, taken.

On the same day that the captured ship was brought into Bombay, two other
captures entered the harbour. The Directors had sent out from England
three galleys, the _Bombay_, the _Bengal_, and the _Fort St. George_,
manned with sailors from the Thames. As they were proceeding up the coast
they found themselves dogged for two days by two strange grabs showing no
colours. Resolved to put an end to it, on the third day, on the 1st
November, off Cape Ramus, they shortened sail and called on the strangers
to show their colours. They proved to be Portuguese, and the English hails
were answered by threats and shouts of defiance. The _Bengal_ then fired a
shot across the bows of the leading grab, which