The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c15.22

c15.22

The Portuguese, however, found themselves in a very sorry plight. Their possessions on the Bombay coast had been isolated and Angria was in a position to cut off their communications by land and sea. Success had augmented his self-confidence and he exacted a fee not only from Portuguese subjects fishing in the sea and the estuaries, but also levied a contribution on their villages. In 1713 he gave the Portuguese authorities further offence by attacking a frigate of 34 guns that had just landed a Portuguese force at Chaul. In this combat also the Angria’s fleet, though numerically superior, was discomfited; whereupon the Viceroy resolved to take the offensive and sent Antonio Cardim Froes with a fairly numerous flotilla to reduce Kolaba. Having sailed with six Pals and some Gallivats, he blockaded the port. The Angria, who was not inclined to hazard a naval action, responded by hauling his fleet ashore out of range of the Portuguese guns and leaving Froes to continue his ineffectual blockade.⁴ Three months later the Portuguese Captain was forced to depart by the receipt of news of the arrival of the Arab fleet at Surat. In consequence, possibly of the Viceroy’s complaints against the Sidi¹ for lukewarmness, the latter in December, 1713 also sent an expedition against Kolaba;² but as Angria obtained his provisions by land, the Abyssinian was no more successful than his European ally.