The failure of the attack on Kennery, under his own eyes, taught Boone that, without some assistance from England, he could hope to accomplish little against Angria, whose ships now lay off the harbour, making it difficult for trading vessels to go in or out.  Three times the Morrice got under way, and three times had to return, before she could start on her return voyage to Europe.  In consequence of Boone’s representations, the Directors sent out the St. George, a sixty-gun ship, to act as a guardship for the harbour.  Her arrival only served to show the incompetency of many of the Company’s naval officers at that time.  In laying the ship on shore to scour its bottom after the voyage from England, its back was broken, and the St. George became a total wreck.

Meanwhile, with an eye to a future campaign against Angria’s strongholds, Boone set to work to build a floating battery.  The Phram, as it was called, was designed with shot-proof sides to carry twelve 48-pdrs.; but, as will appear before long, its fate was as ignominious as that of the St. George.

His own observation had convinced Boone of the treachery of Manuel de Castro.  On his return to Bombay, the renegade was put in irons, and shipped off to St. Helena.  There he was detected in fomenting a mutiny among the convicts and slaves.  He was deported, and before long made his way back into Angria’s service.

Meanwhile, the wall round the town, the building of which had been one of Boone’s earliest projects, was nearing completion.  It was built entirely, or almost entirely, by contributions from the native merchants, and Boone reported to the Directors that, when the whole space was built over, the ground-rents would realize Rs.8890 a year for the Company’s treasury.  The church also, the building of which had been started by Aislabie, was finished about this time.  The original chapel inside the factory was no longer able to accommodate the increasing English population, besides being in a ruinous condition.

Like other chiefs along the coast, the Bombay authorities gave passes to traders living under their protection, and in their warfare with Angria they had adopted the practice of other chiefs, of not recognizing the immunity of vessels that did not carry passes from themselves.  We find at this time the Kattiawar traders complaining of two ships having been seized that held protective passes from Angria.  In reply they were told that they must have English passes.  The Company was at war with Angria, and his power was increased by those who paid him for protection.  So, like all neutrals, they had to suffer in a war with which they had no concern.