Volume 1

Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes.

  • Bombay Presidency
Date:
1893-1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    223/522 (page 205)
    AND ISLAND. 205 happen^ gives us a right to seize it for ourselves, we apprehend the attempt in our present circumstances is no wise prudent or fit to risk reasons : It would require the raising at least twelve hundred men to dislodge the troops now on Karanja with Manaji in person. And though it is probable, unless opposed by the Alarathas we might carry the attack through with success, yet as a sumeient force could not be got together without disarming our passes, and that the President has certain intelligence of a large number of Maiathas assembled at Alarol (about eight miles north-east of Bandra) ajipaiently with no good intention, such a step might and probably would be attended with bad consequences to our island, as it is reasonable to expect the Marathas would attack our passes when they found them unguaided. Nor would our seizure or taking of Karanja be attended with any secure maintenance. For so long as the Marathas continue ^in the neighbourhood, the charges must exceed the revenue which we am sure our Honourable Masters would be little inclined to support. e roit itself at Karanja is in its present condition entirely untenable, being a large ruinous fortification commanded by a neighbouring eminence. A new fort would be necessary for the preservation of the p ace and the Marathas would not fail of attacking it, as they consider Kaianja part of the Portuguese domain, and even now avow that A ana]! Angria has taken possession of it for them. In which case it wmuld require at least twelve hundred men with competent ammunition and stores to garrison it with any hopes of holding out. Especially since the Agris or salt labourers, who made a body from seven to eig t hundred men well armed and chiefly depended upon for the defence of the place, are gone over to the enemy and were indeed the means of his introduction. All which considered, though we cannot but be sensible of the great inconvenience to Bombay of this new neighbour, it is agreed that we forbear any attempt of this sort that may either endanger the safety of our own island or involve us in increased charges.^ Hope of help from Bombay failing, a few days later (I2th March) Karanja surrendered to Manaji, the garrison being permitted to depart with their baggage. Captain Inchbird returning from Karanja lepoited that agreeably to the orders given him for destroyino* ManajPs ga ivats the bomb ketch and Triumph were stationed at the northmost point of the island and himself with the Defiance and all our large gahvats to the southward, and that they had the good fortune to bring away eight fighting gahvats and thirteen fishing boats, setting fire to one other gahvat which they could not get off. The vessels were ordered back to their station at the passes, except the Britannia and Carolina who are to continue m Pen river to prevent any of ManajPs boats passing. The I6th April 1739 the President (Honourable Stephen Law) offers to e considei ation of the Board the necessity of agreeing and fixing upon some measures to be observed with our new neighbours the Maiathks. 1 Bony Gov. Consultation, Sth March 1739, Pub. Diarv 12 of 17SS SQ ss s horrest s Mar^itha Series, I. Pt. 1. 33. ^ ^ l/ob39, 8b-8 2 Bom. Gov. Consultation, 12th March 1739, Pub. Diary 12 of 1738-39, 93.94. Chapter I. History^ OfPer of Karania, 1739. Karanja surrenders to Md,iidji Angria, 1739. Lead supplied to the Mardthds, 1739.