ter, having
completed their provisions and water, left the coast. Not a man was lost
in all the service. When Java was taken, in 1811, a squadron was sent to
Sourabaya; but none of the large ships could get over the bar; and their
officers would scarcely credit the fact that the _Culloden_ and
_Powerful_ had reached Griessee.

The _Culloden_ arrived at Madras on the 10th of February, and found
there the _Russell_ and _Duncan_, with troops embarked to attack
Tranquebar. They sailed next day, and the place surrendered on being
summoned.

But all these operations, complete as they were in their success, were
of far less importance than the effectual protection which Sir Edward
afforded to commerce. His position, with reference to this point, had
been peculiarly fortunate: for the confidential intercourse which
existed between him and his brothers, and the warm interest which they
took in one another's pursuits, had induced him to give much attention
to the commercial system of the country. Particularly, he had become
familiar with the important subject of insurance and convoys, upon which
his brother had been much in communication with the government. At an
early period of his command in India, he submitted to the merchants and
underwriters a proposal to establish a regular system of convoys; and
invited them to suggest from their own local experience the regulations
likely to be the most convenient and effectual. The merchants entered
readily into his plans and the results were satisfactory. Some loss was,
indeed, still experienced through a frequent practice of masters of
vessels to sail without convoy, or to separate from it on the passage.
The commanders of the enemy's cruisers generally treated their prisoners
well, and released them at the earliest opportunity; so that sailing
without protection became a mere commercial calculation between a higher
premium of insurance, and the profits from an early arrival, for little
personal inconvenience was to be apprehended from capture. To check this
practice, the Bengal Government, in December, 1806, issued a
proclamation, declaring that all masters of vessels who separated from
their convoy without sufficient cause, should be removed from India; and
in 1808, the Court of Directors ordered, that the master of every
country ship should enter into a bond of 5,000 rupees, at the
custom-house from which he cleared, as a penalty for any separation. Not
that the danger was often