Indian Antiquary Vol 49

SR No.: 032541
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 252
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 34 MB

Page 22

18
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(FEBRUARY, 1920
and also as a sign of "No Quarter” or “No Surrender", in which signification it was also used as an emblem of Piracy, the Muhammadan flag was liable to be misunderstood by the Company's cruisers, especially when a ship carrying it refused to submit to examination. Captain White, being on the look out for pirates, considered it his duty to examine all suspicious vessels, and had, of course, to explain his conduct when regrettable incidents occurred. Declaration of Captain Richard White and officers regarding a fight with a
Muhammadan ship. “The 23rd day of February 1700 in the latitude of 21 degrees and 26 minutes North and Meridian Dist. West from St. John's96 2 degrees 39 minutes, att two of the clook in the afternoone, see a saile to windward of us with his larboard tacks on board, the wind att N. Wt. Wee stood towards him with our starboard tacks, and at four haveing gained allmost up with him, hoisted our colours, and hee not haveing sattisfyed us with a return of his, fired a shott, wide of his forefoot," for him to bear downe and acquaint us what hee was. Hee then hoisted red colours for a little time and hauled them down again, but would not bare downe, so wee tackt and weather'd up with him, and shortned saile under his lee, calling to him by one William Thornburye, our Pilott, in the Moors language, to brace too and inform us what hee was. I assured him wee were friends and that if hee was an Indian Trading Shipp or upon any honest account, 98 wee were the King of England's shipps and would doe him noe manner of damage, that we came to protect them by endeavouring to apprehend the Pirates, and told them if they had noe boate on board wee would send ours to sattisfy him what wee was and bee informed. what they were, but I had noe other answer than two or three shott one after another and without any colours, which entered the mainsayle and foresayle, and immediately thereupon in Moors language (as our Pilate informed us) cald out and bid us, “Goe to Hell ! Goe to Hell ! Wee wont acquaint you nor trust you. Goe to Hell !”
I bid him have a care what hee did except hee designed to have his shipp sunk, butt makeing the same return of words again and still fireing att us, I gave him my larboard broadside and doe suppose itt did some damage, after that backt astern and hauld up to windward of him, and gavo him my starboard broadside, which did him noe less damage. I plyed him in this manner till two of the clock this morning, having received severall shot from him in my sayles and rigging, but I thought it in vain, seeing him so resolute, to fire any more till brake of day, having disabled him and therefore [being] sure of him.
I must confess at last I took him for a Pirate or an Arab, who are very insolent in these parts, and fireing without his colours, as well as before the evening was sett in as after, did confirm me in the same opinion. I could not conceive him to be a Moors? ship, because they generally love peace and quietness att sea, and the next morning when I came up with him fir'd severall shott att me without colours. His rashness has caused his shipp to bee disabled, tho I endeavoured what I could to hinder itt if he would have
Sanjân, 88 miles north of Bombay. Soo Yule, Hobson-Jobson, ..v, Saint John's for the history of the term.-ED. 87 Foremost piece of the keel.-ED.
A ship was said to be on the account when she was engaged in piracy. " A ship belonging to an Indian Muhammadan. So Indian Hindus were known to the British as Gentoos or Gentilen.