The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c15.155

c15.155

In 1742 Tulaji took the *Jupiter*, one of the best vessels of Europe that La Bourdonnais had sent to Goa for provisions. The next year they captured the *Neptune*, another French ship, near Calicut. But henceforth Tulaji completely changed his attitude and sought the friendship of the French. In 1747 he actually sent two envoys to Mahe with a proposal of an offensive alliance against their common enemy, the English of Bombay, but his offer was politely rejected by Dupleix. On different occasions the Angria had seized and carried away the following vessels belonging to the East India Company or their subjects: ‘The *Charlotte*, belonging to Madras, the *William*, belonging to Bombay, the *Severn*, a Bengal freight ship, the *Derby*, the Grab *Restoration*, the Sloop *Pilot*, and the *Augusta*, the *Dadaboy* from Surat, the *Rose* from Mangalore, the Grab *Anne* from Gombroon, *Benjimolly* from the Malabar coast and the *Futte Dowlat* from Muscat’. It is needless to remark that the heavy financial loss caused by the Angria brothers greatly exasperated the English, but their fleet and several strongholds were still considered invincible and all attempts against them had for nearly half a century proved futile.