Pennant, Thomas: The view of Hindoostan (Band 1) (London, 1798)

[ *57 ]

T H E

LIFE of SIR WILLIAM JAMES, Baronet;

COMMUNICATED BY LADY JAMES.

Oir William James embarked in a fealife at twelve years of
age. He was more than twenty years at fea before he got the
command of a fhip. He was with Sir Edward Hawke in the
Wejl Indies, in 1738, as a junior officer. Some years after, he-
commanded a fhip in the Virginia trade; in her he was taken
by the Spaniards, in the Gulph of Florida, and carried a pri-
foner to the Havannab. His fufferings after his captivity will
be related hereafter:—In the beginning of 1747, he went to
the Eaji Indies as chief officer of one of the Eajl India Com-
pany's fhips, and performed two voyages in that ftation., In
1749, the Eajl India Company appointed him to the command
of a new fhip called the Guardian, equipped as a fhip of war ;
in her he failed to Bombay, to protect the trade on the Malabar
coaft, which was much annoyed by the depredations of Angriat
and other pirates, with which thofe feas fwarmed.

During two years he was conftantly employed in convoying
the merchant fhips from Bombay and Surat, to the Red Sea, the
Gulph of Perjia, and up and down the Malabar coaft, from the
Gulph of Cambay to Cape Comorin. He was frequently attacked
on this fervice by the different piratical flates. At one time,
when he had near feventy fail of fhips and veflels under his
charge, he was afTailed by a large fleet of Angrid's frigates and

Vol. I. L1 gallivats.