fight without being able to take part in it, and the
Angrians drew off. No less than eighty Europeans were lost to the Company
in this action.

In January, 1732, the _Ockham_, East Indiaman, coming up the coast with a
light wind, was beset, off Dabul, by an Angrian squadron of five grabs and
three gallivats. At sunset they came within shot, and a little harmless
cannonading took place at long range, till dark. At one in the morning,
the moon having risen, they bore down again and attacked the _Ockham_ in
their favourite manner, astern. For some time the East Indiaman was
exposed to the fire of ten nine-pounders, to which it could only reply
with two stern-chasers. Captain Jobson, finding his rigging much cut up,
and seeing that the loss of a mast would probably entail the loss of his
ship, determined to entice them to close quarters, in the good breeze that
was springing up. The plan was explained to the crew, who were in good
heart, and encouraged by a promise of two months' pay. Every gun was
manned, while the fire of the two stern-chasers was allowed to slacken, as
if ammunition was running short. The bait took; the grabs drew up on the
_Ockham's_ quarter, with their crews cheering and sounding trumpets. At a
cable's distance the _Ockham_ suddenly tacked; and as she gathered way on
her new course, she was in the midst of the grabs, firing into them round
shot and grape, together with volleys of small arms. This unexpected
manoeuvre made the Angrians draw off, and the _Ockham_ resumed her course.
At daybreak, only four grabs were in chase, the fifth having evidently
suffered severe injuries. A stiff breeze had sprung up, and the crew were
eager for another bout, so the _Ockham_ tacked again, and stood for the
grabs. But they had had enough of it, and evaded coming to close quarters.
Their best chances of successes lay in calms and light airs. With an
antagonist like Jobson, in a good stiff wind, the odds were against them;
they had lost many men; so after hovering round for some hours they made
off to Severndroog.

In 1734, the Coolee rovers, who infested the coast of Guzerat, gave much
trouble. Their stronghold was at Sultanpore, on the river Coorla, and
they enjoyed the protection of several wealthy persons who shared in their
plunder. A squadron under Captain Radford Nunn was sent against them,
which captured five armed vessels and burnt fourteen more. To save others
from capture they burnt about fifty more small