Very shortly afterwards, Sumbhajee died, and was succeeded by his
half-brother, Toolajee. The reputation of the English in Bombay was now so
good, that a quarrel between Mannajee and the Peishwa was referred to them
for arbitration.
The predatory policy of the Angrian family did not suffer in the hands of
Toolajee. Within a few weeks of Sumbhajee's death, his squadron fought a
prolonged action with the _Warwick_ and _Montagu_, East Indiamen, and
carried off five small vessels sailing under their convoy. Commodore Hough
in the _Restoration_, together with the _Bombay_ grab, was at once sent
down the coast, and found seven Angrian grabs with a number of gallivats,
which he forced to take shelter under the guns of Severndroog. A year
later, the _Princess Augusta_ from Bencoolen was captured by Toolajee, and
taken into Gheriah. After plundering it, Toolajee found it was too poor a
sailer to be of use to him, so he allowed the Bombay Council to redeem it
for Rs.8000.
Meanwhile, war with France had broken out, and the capture of Madras by La
Bourdonnais dealt a severe blow to English prestige.
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