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 3U

HISTORY OF INDIA.

(Book II

A.D. 1662. hands, and seized a country junk in the (junge.s with tiie determination to hold it as a security. Mir Jurnla, the celebrated Mogul general, immediately threat- ened to retaliate both on the inland agencies and on their factory at Hooghly. The agent, now terrified at the result of his own boldnes.s, sought counsel from the president and council of Surat, who directed him at once to repair and re-deliver the junk; and in the event of this concession not being deemed sufficient, to prepare for shipping all the Company's property and leaving the place. In sending these orders, the membei-s of the Surat council put the agent on his guard against the wiles of the Mogul officers, who, they assured him, Acquisition " usually offered civilities at the very moment when they intended to have bytheciown. recoursc to violencB and depredation." The dispute was ultimately arranged,

and the desperate measure of with- drawing entirely from Bengal wa« of course abandoned.

While the Company were thus threatened in the east of India, their footing in the west was about to be- come far firmer than it ever had been before by an event to which it is now necessary to attend. In June, 1661, two months after granting the above charter, Charles II. married the In- fanta Catherine of Portugal, and obtained, as part of her doAvry, "the port and island Bombay in the East Indies, together with all the rights, profits, teiTitories, and appurtenances thereof whatsoever." The island of Bombay, stretching eight miles from north-east to south-west, with an average breadth of three miles, has an estimated area of Httle more than eighteen square miles. Its value, however, must not be judged by its superficial extent. By land-locking a deep bay in a central locality, it forms the very best harbour in India. The use of such a harbour had long been earnestly desired by the Company ; and it was now secured in the be.st possible form by becoming the property of the Briti.sh crown, and consequently not liable to be interfered with on any pretext by the native powers.

In March, 1662, the English government de.spatched to the East Indies a