'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎452] (471/622)

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452
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
Indian Navy, expressed his acknowledgments in the following
terms u His Lordship in Council has received with great
satisfaction this account of the success of a small force of the
Indian Navy, under the command of Lieutenant Lewis, in an
attack upon stockades in Upper Assam, notwithstanding a most
determined resistance, as evidenced by the considerable loss
sustained. His Lordship in Council requests that Commodore
Wellesley will explain to Lieutenant Lewis and his brave
comrades, that more special and public recognition of this
service is only withheld because it will be more appropriately
given by the Government under which the force was imme
diately employed."
But the gallant commander of the Naval Brigade, who had
been wounded at Dacca, and again on this occasion, received
no reward, and died plain Lieutenant Lewis, while Lieutenant
(now retired Commander) Davies, familiarly known in the Ser
vice as "Pat" Davies, has been permitted to linger on in
constant suffering from his wound, after having served his
country with brilliant courage and devotion at Mooltan, in
Burmah, China, and India. Had either of these officers been
in the Royal Service, it is not too much to say that they would
have received promotion and the C.B.
Before this service performed in Upper Assam, Lieutenant
Davies had been engaged with the same enemy. After ex
changing, at Singapore, out of the 6 Auckland, with Lieutenant
Carew of the 4 Zenobia/ the latter ship proceeded to Madras,
and in May, on matters in Bengal beginning to look serious,
was employed transporting the Madras Fusiliers, under
Colonel Neil, to Calcutta. On her arrival here. Lieutenant
Batt was forced to invalid temporarily, and Lieutenant Davies
assumed command for six weeks, until Commander Stephens
arrived from Bombay to take charge. On the 4th of June,
being then in command. Lieutenant Davies received the loliow-
ing private note from the Secretary in the Home Departmen .
—« Confidential Home Office, June 4, 1877. My dear Sir -
The Governor-General desires that as long as the ' Zenob J a
remains in port—and she is not to sail till further orders s e
may be moored off the Mint, and that an evening gun may e
fired every day in the direction of Calcutta. Yours ai
fully, Cecil Beadon." ♦ „ .
On the 10th of September, Commander Stephens, ot
4 Zenobia,' then Senior Naval Officer at Calcutta, having re
ceived an application from the Lieutenant-Governor 0 . '
for an officer for special and urgent service, placed his us
Lieutenant at the disposal of Sir Frederick Halliday. Lariy m
September, 1857, intelligence had reached Calcutta oi a p o
* Sir F. Halliday, tlie Lieutenant -Governor of Bengal, writes
spread effects of the disturbances in the North- West have been