29th, Severndroog was sighted, and Angria's fleet of
seven grabs and ten gallivats was observed coming out. The signal to chase
was made, but obeyed with little alacrity by the Peishwa's people, though
experience had shown that they could outsail the Bombay ships. James gave
chase with his little squadron, his Mahratta allies being left, by evening,
hull down, astern. The Angrians made prodigious exertions to escape,
hanging out turbans and clothing to catch every breath of air. All the
following day the ineffectual chase continued, the _Protector_ outsailing
its own consorts, and losing sight altogether of its Mahratta allies.
Finding it useless to persevere, James hauled his wind, and stood to the
northward for Severndroog, which he had left far behind in the chase. Here
he found Ramajee Punt, who had landed a few men, and entrenched himself at
about two miles from the nearest fort, with a single four-pounder gun.

The harbour of Severndroog[1] is formed by a slight indentation in the
coast and a small rocky islet about a quarter of a mile from the mainland,
on which was the Severndroog fort, with walls fifty feet high, and, in
many places, parapets cut out of the solid rock; the whole armed with
about fifty guns. On the mainland, opposite to Severndroog, was another
fort. Fort Gova, armed with, about forty-four guns, while southwards of
Gova were two smaller forts on a small promontory, Futteh Droog and Kanak
Droog, armed with twenty guns each.

James at once saw that the reduction of the different forts by the
Peishwa's troops would be a matter of months, even if he was able to keep
out succours from the sea, which the monsoon would render impossible; so,
in spite of the Council's orders, he resolved on taking matters into his
own hands. He had been brought up in a good school, and knew that, to
match a ship against a fort with success, it was necessary to get as close
as possible, and overpower it with weight of metal. After taking the
necessary soundings, on the 2nd April he stood in to four-fathom water,
taking with him the _Viper_ and _Triumph_, and bombarded Severndroog fort.
The Mahratta fleet gave no assistance, so the _Swallow_ was detached to
guard the southern entrance. All day long the cannonade continued, till a
heavy swell setting into the harbour, in the evening, obliged a cessation
of fire. The fort fired briskly in return, but did little damage; while
the Mahratta fleet lay off out of range, idle spec