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It tells of a desperate sea battle off the Malabar Coast of India with six pirate ships in which a roundshot from the President penetrated the powder magazine of one of the pirate vessels which exploded.

Mr Gibbins added: “Cannons are common finds on the wrecks of merchant ships from the age of sail, when most ships were armed. But it’s very unusual to know that guns on a merchantmen were actually used, especially in such a colourful action and on the very voyage on which the ship was wrecked.

Pirates, starving, storms, shipwrecked, beaten and robbed. Whew!

[Grimmy]

“Pirates, starving, storms, shipwrecked, beaten and robbed. Whew!”

Back then, all that was darn near just another day at the office for sailors.

[colorado tanker]

I don’t think it was at all unusual for a ship of the British East India Company to have discharged its cannons. They were built for defense as well as cargo hauling. They sailed in dangerous waters with valuable cargoes usually without Royal Navy escort.