GOVERNMENT OP ARABIA. 173 



prises, until their prowess was felt and dreaded from 

 the mouth of the Euphrates to the Indian Ocean. 



It was about the year 1797 that they first came 

 into collision with the British government in the 

 East ; for, as they had hitherto waged war only 

 against what are called native vessels, no hostile 

 measures had been taken against them by the Eng- 

 lish. In that year they had the boldness to vio- 

 late this neutrality, by attacking, under pretext of 

 obtaining a supply of ammunition, one of the East 

 India Company's cruisers, the Viper of ten guns, 

 while lying at anchor in the inner roads of Bushire. 

 The pirates were beaten off; but with the loss of the 

 gallant Lieutenant Carruthers and a considerable 

 number of the crew. This act of daring treachery, 

 however, did not call forth the immediate vengeance 

 of the India government. In 1804, fresh aggressions 

 were commenced, and continued for a series of 

 years with increasing insolence and barbarity. Not 

 fewer than nine British cruisers or ships of war, 

 the Fly, Shannon, Trimmer, Fury, Mornington, 

 Teignmouth, Minerva, Sylph, and Nautilus, were 

 successively attacked or seized by these daring ma- 

 rauders, and numbers of their crews and passengers 

 put to the sword. 



This system of lawless aggression, and the seri- 

 ous injury suffered by the Gulf trade, at length 

 induced the British government to have recourse 

 to vigorous measures for maintaining the national 

 character, and clearing the seas of these brigands. 

 In 1810, Lieutenant-colonel (afterwards Sir Lionel) 

 Smith and Captain Wainwright were sent against 

 them with a considerable armament, which sailed 

 from Bombay in September, and soon anchored 



VOL. II. L 



