He also had muslim staff.Since most of these people were illiterate, Angre employed Europeans, generally Dutch, to command his best vessels. He also employed a Jamaican pirate named James Plantain and entrusted him with significant responsibilities such as the chief gunner post. Angre employed Manuel de Castro, a Portuguese soldier who was about to punished by the East India Company for his failure in capturing Khanderi Island, which was controlled by Kanhoji Angre. Bases In 1698, Angre located his first base at Vijayadurg ('Victory Fort') (formerly Gheriah), Devgad Taluka, located about 485 km from Mumbai. The fort which was originally built by king Bhoj and strengthened by Maratha ruler Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is located on the coast and has an entrance hollowed out in it to accommodate entry of a vessel from the sea. Angre created an operating base from the fortified islands of "Kolaba" at Alibaug. Khanderi and Underi off the coast of Thal, Alibaug, and attempted to levy a tax on every merchant vessel entering the harbour. He established a township called Alibag on seashore at southern tip of Mumbai. The main village at that time, was today's Ramnath. Kanhoji even issued his own currency in the form of a silver coin called the Alibagi rupaiya. In 1724, Angre built a port at Purnagad, located in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra. Seven guns and 70 cannonballs were found in the port. The port was also used for limited trading activities. Campaigns Kanhoji intensified the attacks on European ships on the western coast of India. On 4 November 1712, his navy even succeeded in capturing the yacht HCS Algerine of the President of Bombay, William Aislabie, killing the chief of their Karwar factory, Thomas Chown, and making his wife a prisoner, not releasing the captured yacht and Mrs. Chown until 13 February 1713 for a Jakat/tax of 30,000 Rupees. The release was done along with the return of previously captured territory, hoping that the East India Company will help him in his other wars, but later Angre made an alliance with Balaji Viswanath and continued fighting the company. He seized East Indiamen Somers and Grantham, near Goa as these vessels were on their voyage from England to Bombay. In 1712, he disabled a thirty-gun man-of-war which was conveying Portuguese "armado" and captured it. Angre eventually signed a treaty with the East India Company President Aislabie to stop harassing the company's fleet.