Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/361

 Chai>. VI. J

I'EACE WITH HOLLAND.


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t^W'}

Bird's-eye View of Trincomalee — Cliurchill's Voyiiges

richly laden. A running fight commenced oil" the coast to the south of Mixsuli* a d. i6T4 vessels. The others, thouii'li not with- out sustaining con- siderable damage, found their way to Madras In the In- dian Archipelago, where the Dutcli superiority wasstill more decided, it was impos.sible for tlie Company tt)
 * );itam, and issued in the sinking of one and the capture of two of the Company's

traffic with any advantage, tiiuugh they were now alive to the im})oi-tance of carrying their trade still farther east, and endeavouring to establish that direct intercourse with China from which, in cour.se of time, their chief, if not their only connnercial profits were derived.

The danger to which Bombay had been exiiosed from the Dutch ceased i''^"^--' "'"'

® J 1 ^ ^ Holland

entirely in consequence of a new whirl in European politics, by which, in 167-i, peace was concluded, and shortly after happily cemented by the marriage of the Prince of Orange with Mary, daughter of the Duke of York. Another danger, however, immediately succeeded. The Moguls and the Mahrattas were con- stantly at war; and now that the English, by the possession of an island belonging to neither, were gradually beginning to assume the dignity of an independent Indian power, their alliance was naturally courted by both. The true policy of the Company in the meantime was t(^ maintain a perfect neu- trality; but the circmnstances were such as to make this almost impossible. The Mofful fleet, commanded by the Siddee, soujrht shelter from a storm in ti.o M«.gui

^ •' ■ ® _ fleet in bow-

Bombay harbom*. To refuse it was impossible, without provoking tlie Moguls; i.ayi.iii..mr

to grant it was equally impossible, without giving umbrage to Sevajee. In this

dilemma the Bombay government took the only course wiiich lay open to them,

by allowing the Siddee to remain till the storm blew over, and then requesting

him to depart. He refused to obey ; and collecting his vessels in the channel

which separates the island from the mainland, landed a number of armed men

at the villages of Sion and Mazagong, and drove out the inhabitants, apjiarently

with the intention of gaining a permanent footing on the island. This was not

to be tolerated; and after desultory hostilities to the disadvantage of the Siddee,

he purchased permission to prolong his stay by engaging that no more than 300

of his men, armed only with their swords, should be ashore at one time, and that

he would make no attack on the Corlahs — a fertile district of the Concan, stretch-

inof alono- the eastern shore of Bomliav harbour, and belonfrinu to the Mahrattas.