were received
with great tenderness and humanity. The reader, we hope, will excuse
us for having thus particularized a transaction so interesting and
extraordinary in all its circumstances. The suba having destroyed
Calcutta and dispersed the inhabitants, extorted large sums from
the French and Dutch factories, that he might display a spirit of
impartiality against all the Europeans, even in his oppression, returned
to his city of Muxadavad in triumph. By the reduction of Calcutta, the
English East India company's affairs were so much embroiled in that part
of the world, that perhaps nothing could have retrieved them but the
interposition of a national force, and the good fortune of a Clive,
whose enterprises were always crowned with success.

As the English East India Company had, for a whole century, been at a
considerable expense in maintaining a marine force at Bombay, to
protect their ships from the piracies of the Angrias, who had
rendered themselves independent princes, and fortified Geriah in that
neighbourhood; many unsuccessful attempts had been made to destroy
their naval power, and reduce the fortress, under which they always
took shelter. In the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-four, the
fleet of Tullagree Angria, the reigning prince, attacked three Dutch
ships of force, which they either took or destroyed. Elated with this
success, he boasted that he should in a little time sweep the seas of
the Europeans, and began to build some large ships, to reinforce his
grabs and gallivats, which were the vessels on which he had for merely
depended. Next year his neighbours, the Malirattas, having signified
to the presidency of Bombay, that they were disposed to join in the
necessary service of humbling this common enemy, so formidable to the
whole Malabar coast, commodore James was detached with some ships
of force to attack Angria, in conjunction with those allies. They
accordingly joined him with seven grabs and sixty gallivats. They
proceeded to the harbour of Severndroog, where Angria's fleet lay at
anchor; but they no sooner received intelligence of his approach, than
they slipped their cables and stood out to sea. He chased them with all
the canvass he could carry, but their vessels being lighter than his
they escaped; and he returned to Severndroog, which is a fortress
situated on an island within musket shot of the main land, strongly but
irregularly fortified, and mounted with fifty-four pieces of