MAHRATTA PIRATES. 
183 
turesque object, but much increases the danger of 
approach to Mascat in stormy weather. Just as we 
came in sight of it, five boats bore down upon us, 
which, by their suspicious manoeuvres, we had no 
doubt were Mahratta pirates. These boats are nu- 
merously manned. We showed them eight wooden 
guns, and flourished our fire-arms in such a way 
as to lead them to suspect that ours was an arm- 
ed vessel,-— which it seems they took it to be, for, 
finding we showed no disposition to run before them, 
they bore away towards the Malabar coast. 
These pirate boats are long and narrow, generally 
carrying from fifty to sixty men, mostly Arabs. They 
hoist an immense latteen sail from a slight yard at 
least fifty feet long, and are fast sailers. Two of 
these boats might have taken us with ease ; but our 
vicinity to Mascat was no doubt one strong reason, 
coupled with our bold appearance, for not attack- 
ing us. These pirates are much dreaded, and ren- 
der a voyage up the Persian Gulf at all times dan- 
gerous. They are exceedingly ferocious, sometimes 
committing atrocious cruelties upon those who are 
so unfortunate as to fall into their power. The 
celebrated Angria, so formidable in the latter part 
of the seventeenth century, was the first who ren- 
dered the Mahratta piracies worthy of a place in 
history. Of him and his successors a short account 
may not be unwelcome to the reader. 
