f peace, opened negotiations. The Council, wishing to redeem the
prisoners, offered a six months' truce, and, after eleven months of
captivity the prisoners were sent to Bombay, with the exception of three
who took service with Angria.

In December, 1736, the _King George_ and three other vessels captured a
large grab belonging to Sumbhajee Angria, together with 120 prisoners. A
Surat ship that had been taken was also recovered.

The year 1738 was an anxious one in Bombay. The Mahrattas were occupied
with the siege of Bassein, which was defended with desperate valour by the
Portuguese. Sumbhajee's vessels were active on the coast, and Mannajee was
restless and untrustworthy. Commodore Bagwell, with four of the Company's
best ships, the _Victory, King George, Princess Caroline_, and
_Resolution_, was sent to cruise against Sumbhajee, while Captain Inchbird
was deputed on a friendly mission to Mannajee. On the 22nd December,
Bagwell sighted Sumbhajee's fleet of nine grabs and thirteen gallivats
coming out of Gheriah. He gave chase, and forced them to take refuge in
the mouth of the Rajapore River, where they anchored. Bagwell, ignorant of
the navigation, and with his crews badly afflicted with scurvy, boldly
bore down on them; on which they cut their cables and ran into the river.
Before they could get out of shot, he was able to pour in several
broadsides at close range, killing Angria's chief admiral, and inflicting
much damage. Fearing to lose some of his ships in the shoal water, he was
obliged to draw off, having had one midshipman killed.

Mannajee at once took advantage of Sumbhajee's temporary discomfiture to
attack and capture Caranjah from the Portuguese. Then, elated at his
success, and in spite of his own professions of friendship, he seized
three unarmed Bombay trading ships and two belonging to Surat. To punish
him, Captain Inchbird was sent with a small squadron, and seized eight of
his fighting gallivats, together with a number of fishing-boats.
Negotiations were opened, broken off, and renewed, during which Mannajee
insolently hoisted his flag on the island of Elephanta. With the Mahratta
army close at hand in Salsette, the Bombay Council dared not push matters
to extremity; so, invoking the help of Chimnajee Appa, the Peishwa's
brother, they patched up a peace with Mannajee. At the same time, Bombay
succeeded in making a treaty of friendship with the Peishwa, which secured,
to the English, trading facil