Shivaji and His Times c12.s7.3

c12.s7.3

But the Siddi occupied Underi ('Henery'), a small island about a mile in circumference, close to Khanderi, with 300 men and 10 large guns, fortified it (9th January, 1680), and tried to silence the Maratha guns on Thal. Daulat Khan with his fleet came out of the Nagothna river and attacked Underi on two nights, hoping to surprise it, “but the Siddi’s watchfulness and good intelligence from Chaul frustrated his design.” On 26th January, 1680, Daulat Khan assaulted the island at three points, ready to land 2,000 men and conquer it. But after a four hours’ engagement he retreated to Chaul, having lost 4 *ghurabs* and 4 small vessels, 200 men killed, 100 wounded, besides prisoners,* and himself severely wounded. The Siddi lost only 4 men killed and 7 wounded, but no vessel, out of a fleet of 2 large ships, five three-masted frigates, one ketch and 26 gallivats, with 700 men on board,”—such was the superiority of the Abyssinian ships to the opener and more slender vessels of the Marathas. Underi continued in Siddi hands throughout Shambhuji’s reign, and neutralized the Maratha occupation of Khanderi, the two islands merely bombarding each other. (*Ibid.*, also 31 January.)