to relieve the Carwar factory, which was beleaguered by the Sunda Rajah.
The chief of the factory at this time was Mr. George Taylor. In the spring
of 1717, a Bombay merchant's ship carrying an English pass and flying
English colours had been seized by the Rajah, who imprisoned the crew.
Demands for their surrender were being made, when, in May, the _Elizabeth_,
belonging to Mr. Strutt, a private merchant at Surat, with £15,000 worth
of treasure on board, went ashore near Carwar. Before more than half the
treasure could be removed in safety to the factory, the Rajah sent down an
armed force to seize the ship as jetsam, imprisoned the captain and crew,
and laid siege to the factory. So Hamilton was sent down with a small
squadron and some troops. Fortunately the factory was exceptionally well
provisioned. On the 30th August, the _Morning Star_, with five gallivats
and a sloop, arrived off Carwar, and blockaded the harbour till the
arrival of Hamilton and the rest of the force on the 12th September. In
command of the land force was Midford, one of the Company's factors. On
the 13th, the troops were landed, under Midford and Stanton, in a heavy
surf which drove the gallivats[1] on shore and upset them, throwing the
whole party into the water. Midford, with some of his men, struggled on
shore, but Stanton was taken out of the water senseless.[2] In the midst
of this scene of confusion they were suddenly charged by the Rajah's
horsemen. Half drowned, undisciplined, and with their ammunition spoiled
by water, they could make only a feeble resistance. Midford and his
English Serjeant, Hill, were desperately wounded and made prisoners,
together with five Europeans and forty-seven topasses, while sixty men
were killed and two gallivats lost. The wretched topasses had their noses
cut off, five European heads were stuck up in derision before the factory,
while Midford and Hill were alternately cajoled and threatened to induce
them to take service with the Rajah.

In consequence of this disaster, the factory sued for peace, but the