'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎350] (369/622)

350 HISTORY OP THE INDTAN NAVY.
armies came into collision at Khoosh-aub, when the Persians
were totally defeated, with a loss of seven hundred killed that
Th K being only ten killed and sixty-two wounded
ihe hrunt of this action was borne by the horse artillery and
the bcinde Horse, which made two brilliant charges
n u" 0 , f Fel - ,ruar y' ^e ' Assaye' sailed for "the Persian
(julf, followed by the 'Victoria' on the 22nd, and by the
Ajdaha on the 3rd of March.
Sir James Outram, pending the arrival of all his reinforce
ments, made active preparations to attack Mohamra, where a
.Persian army, thirteen thousand strong, was ascertained to be
assembled under the command of the Shahzada, Prince Khanla
Khan; at this point, situated at the junction of the Karoon
with the Shatt-ul-Arab, or main stream, the enemy had erected
batteries of solid earth twenty feet in thickness and eighteen
leet m height, with casemated embrasures, armed with heavy
guns, which commanded the passage of the latter river.
Two unhappy events, however, occurred before the departure
of the Expedition to attack this stronghold. On the 14th of
March Major-General Stalker, a soldier who had seen consider
able service, committed suicide by shooting himself through
the head with a pistol, and, on the 17th, only three days after
this melancholy event, Commodore Ethersey, now comraanding
the naval portion of the Expedition, committed suicide under
precisely similar circumstances, the verdict of the Court of
Inquest being that he died by " his own hand whilst suffering
under mental aberration."
The sad state of nervous depression to which Commodore
Ethersey had been reduced, was fully stated in the evidence
given by Commander Felix Jones, before the Court of Inquest.
If there was one officer more than another who commanded the
respect and confidence of the entire Service, as in every way
calculated for a high command by reason of his antecedents,
great experience, and indomitable courage and resolution, it
was Richard Ethersey, 46 Grim Dick," as he was called; but
failing health had unstrung that iron nerve, and he, who, some
ten years^ before, would have rejoiced at the opportunity of
earning^ distinction at the cannon's mouth, shrunk from re
sponsibility and was full of chimerical fears.
On Commodore Ethersey's death. Captain J. W. Young
assumed the command of the squadron, and, soon after, hoisted
his broad pennant on board the ^erooz,' when Commander
Selby, who, as Surveyor of Mesopotamia, had been stationed on
the Tigris in the river steamer 4 Comet/ assumed command of
the 4 Semiramis ? before the commencement of the ensuing
important operations. Sir James Outram intended to proceed
to the attack of the earthworks at Mohamra immediately upon
his return from Boorazjoon, but was delayed by the non-arrival