a small guard.  As soon as his back was turned, Matthews manned his boats, brought off all the liquor he had been paid for, and some of the native guard as well.  After which notable achievement he sailed away for Bengal, consoling himself with the thought that he was not like one of “those vile pirates, who, after committing many evil actions, had settled down among a parcel of heathens to indulge themselves in all sorts of vice."[5]

After a fortnight at Charnock’s Point, the squadron made its way round the north of Madagascar to Manigaro (Manankara) Bay, whence they steered for Johanna.  As the Directors afterwards remarked, Matthews ought to have divided his squadron, and searched both coasts of the great island; but his heart was not in the quest for pirates; he was bent only on trade.  Sending the Salisbury and Exeter to cruise towards Socotra, he took the Lyon and Shoreham to Bengal, and, in the beginning of August, he was at anchor in the Hoogly, near Diamond Harbour.  There he remained till the end of October.  There were no pirates in the Bay of Bengal, but the sugar trade was very lucrative, and he wanted to invest in it.

He was not long in Calcutta without coming to loggerheads with the Council concerning Mrs. Gyfford, who, as Mrs. Chown, has already been mentioned in these pages,[6] and whose third husband had perished in the Anjengo massacre eighteen months before.  In flying from Anjengo she had carried off the factory books, together with all the money she could lay her hands on.  As the Company had large claims on Gyfford’s estate, the Council was bent on making her disgorge.  Matthews espoused her quarrel, as he did that of all who were in the Company’s bad books, and, in defiance of the Council, carried her off to Bombay, and eventually to England.

[1] ’Thrust his cane in his mouth.’—­Downing.

[2] Malwan was a small fortified harbour belonging to Kolapore, about
    sixty miles north of Goa.  The Malwans were noted pirates.

[3] When Watson came to India, he returned salutes gun for gun.

[4] Perhaps Autongil Bay.

[5] This account of Matthews’ visit to Madagascar rests to a great extent
    on the narrative of Clement Downing, who held the rating of a
    midshipman on board the Salisbury at the time.  It is confirmed by
    the logs of the Lyon and Salisbury.  He makes no attempt to conceal
    his opinion of Matthews’ misdoings.  He also gives the history of John
    Plantain, who finally made his way to Gheriah, and took service with
    Angria.

[6] See p. 80.

CHAPTER IX

A TROUBLED YEAR IN BOMBAY

Loss of the Hunter galley—­Quarrel with Portuguese—­Alliance of Portuguese with Angria—­War with both—­A double triumph—­Portuguese make peace—­Angria cowed—­Matthews reappears—­Trouble caused by him—­He returns to England—­Court-martialled—­The last of Matthews.