"تاريخ البحرية الهندية. (١٦١٣- ١٨٦٣)." [‎٢‎٨‎٢] (٦٢٢/٣٠١)

282
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
ing in preparing boats for the sick and wounded soldiers, one
hundred and thirty in number, whom Sir John Cheape wished
to send down by the steamers to Donabew, and, on the fol
lowing day, some thirty of them were despatched under the
directions of Captain Tarleton, guarded by the boats of the
squadron. The entire force commenced the return march on
the 22nd, and Commander Rennie arrived at Bassein on the
evening of the 25th. Of the 'ZenobiaV men, two died of
cholera, three others were severely injured from a tree falling
on them during a heavy thunderstorm, and all the remainder,
officers and men, suffered from exhaustion and illness caused
by exposure, which ultimately proved fatal in some cases. #
# Commander Eennie writes as follows in his Journal, of the proceedings of
the 18th and 19th of March :—" 8.45. a m. Our allies having joined, and amount
ing to two hundred and seventy men with muskets, and about as many carrying
provisions, armed, with dhaos, we started, and marching over a tolerably open
country, advanced rapidly for a couple of miles, then a mile of heavy jungle with
large trees cut down and thrown across the path, rendering it impassable, and breast
works thrown up about every hundred yards on either side of the road, which
was cut up with trenches and spiked. After getting through these impediments,
we again proceeded by a tolerable road and pretty open country until two p.m.,
when we halted in a large open plain, from which our advance guard had driven
an outpost of some fifty men, and in whose sheds we found some little shelter
from the intense heat. Here we barricaded ourselves for the night in case of an
attack, and it was quite astonishing to see the rapidity with which the natives
formed theirs. At eight p.m. we fired three guns to signalize to the army our
position, and they were instantly replied to by three rockets in a south-easterly
direction, apparently about four miles distant. Feeling now secure as to Sir
John's advance, I directed the men to breakfast at five a.m., and at 7.30 started
on a forward movement in a fog. We, however, had capital guides, one of whom
left Mya-toon's camp at midnight, and who knew every inch of the road. At
eight a.m. we drove in a picket of some fifty men who fired and fled, and at 8.30
heard Sir John open fire, distance about two and a half miles. At nine we came
upon a dense jungle whence we were fired on, but a dose of canister from our
12-pounders sent them to the right about and we entered the thicket, and until
11.30 were occupied cutting our way through the two miles of obstructions. The
road was quite impracticable for a mile and a half, felled trees all the way, and
three very strong entrenchments defending the path, the centre one full a thou
sand yards long and admirably constructed. Our guides told us when we
approached them, and by threatening their flanks, which was ably done by our
natives, we passed unmolested. We captured two small brass guns from the
centre entrenchment, and a spy told us when he passed the enemy before at
sunset that one of the c Phlegethon's ' guns was planted there, but, much to our
disappointment, it had been withdrawn during the night. Just as we emerged
from the jungle we heard the bugles of Sir John's advance guard, and five
minutes afterwards we discovered them on the left bank of the stream, at the
village of Kuentanee. This village extends on both sides, so, halting my men, I
crossed over and, finding the road by the left bank was stated to be much shorter,
crossed over the guns, &c., and piped to dinner. Moved off in about an hour and
joined Sir John about one mile off in a plain, and about an hour afterwards
accompanied him to the village of Kymen-ku-Dyun, to arrive at which we had
again to cross the river ; put the men into quarters, and received a most hospitable
invitation from H.M.'s 51st Regiment to join their dinner. I rode over the place
in company with Sir John Cheape afterwards, and his expressions were; ' D-—n
me if I think much of the place after all—heh ?' 4 We ought not to have lost so
many men here, heh ?' ' D—n me if I think much of it—heh, Thompson ? ap
pealing to his aide-de-camp. In the first place, the attack ought to have been
made from the Bassein side, and not from Henzada or from Donabew. Al^o