of the Englijh at Bombay: He fortified this little fpot. Finding
ourfelves too weak to remove fo dangerous a neighbor, we ftir-
red up againft him the-Siddee, or admiral to Aurengzebe. This
brought on feveral lharp naval aitions *. The Siddee feized on
the neighboring Hunary, and each party carrying on a cruel
war, gave importance to thefe inconfiderable fpots.
C hovle. Choule and Vidloria, and feveral other fmall places, are given
in the charts on this coaft. Dunda Rajapore was a port, the
rendezvous o f Aurengzebe's fleet, under the command o f his
Siddee. The Siddee was an office formed at the time when the
Mogul empire firft extended itfelf to thefe coafts. Its duty was
like that o f the Coinés Littoris Saxontd, on the French and Britijh
fhores, and was here intended to repel the infults of the Malabar
or Fortuguefe cruizers; as the Roman Comes was thofe o f
the Norman rovers. In the year 1682 there were a hundred and
twenty Gallivats, and fifteen Grabs; and a vaft army encamped
•in the neighborhood.
Correfpondent to them, were Nitrias, the modern Newtya,
•Tynadis, Muziris, and numbers o f other ports mentioned by the
P ir a t e C oa st . Greek and Roman hiftorians. This is the Pirate coaft, and
•extends almoft from Bombay till we have arrived very, near to
Goa. The Romans were obliged to put on board their merchant-
fhips a number of archers to defend them againft the attacks of
the pirates +, which, according to the Univerfal Hiftory, x. p. 267,
are faid to have been Arabians. Mr. Rennel gives an admirable
defcription of this extent of free-booters.
* Orme’s Fragments, 122. t Hin. Nat. Hift. lib. vi. c. 23.
“ Perhaps
“ P e r h a p s there are few coafts fo much broken into fmall
“ bays and harbours, and that at'the fame time have fo ftraight
& a general outline. This multitude of fmall ports, uninter-
K rupted view along fhore, and elevated coafts, favourable to
“ diftant vifion, have fitted this coaft for the feat of piracy ; and
“ ^the alternate land and fea breezes that prevail during a great
“ part of the year, oblige vefiels to .navigate very near the fhore.
“ No wonder then that Pliny fhoukl notice them in his time as
“ committing depredations on the Roman Eaft India trade; and
“ although a temporary check has been given them in the
“ d effraction of Angrids fleets, See. yet we may expect that
“ they will continue the practice while commerce lafts. They
“ are protected by the fhallownefs of their ports, and the
“ ftrength of the country within. As pirates, they have greater
“ natural, advantages than thofe o f Barbary, who, being com-
“ pelled to roam far from their coafts, have expenfive outfets.;
“ here-the prizes come to their own doors,, and the cruizers
“ may lie fecure in port until the prey is difcovered.”
T h e veffels ufed by thefe pirates are o f two kinds. The
larger are called Grabs: a few have three mails, and carry
three hundred tons ; the lefler have only two mails, and are of
the burden o f a hundred and fifty tons. On the main deck,
under the fore-caftle, are mounted two cannons, nine or ten
pounders, pointing forwards, and firing over the prow *, which
is con limited like that o f a Mediterranean galley. The cannons
on the broadfide are from fix to nine pounders.
G r a b a .
V o l . I.
* Qrme, i. p.. 400.
P Gallivats