'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎265] (284/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
265
the zeal of both officers and men who have carried it out; but
I feel I shall fail in my duty to them if T did not bring to your
notice the exertions made by Commander Shadwell and the
men under him, in taking the guns a distance of eight or nine
miles through a difficult country, under an ardent sun ; by
Commander Lambert, and Lieutenants Mason, R N., and Ro
binson, LN., and Mr. Freeman, Master, LN., in their constant
attention and watchfulness in bringing up so large a convoy in
the boats. Lieutenant Robinson was afterwards attached to
the gun party, and Mr. Freeman was most useful to me in
directing our rocket battery, and in the construction of oar
entrenchments."
On the 20th of December Lord Dalhousie characteristically
cut the gordian knot of coming to terms with the " Monarch of
the Golden Foot and Son of the White Elephant," by issuing a
proclamation, " that the Province of Pegu is now, and shall be
henceforth, a portion of the British territories in the East," and
also directed that, in honour of the event, fc< a royal salute shall
be fired at every principal station of the Army in the several
Presidencies of India." Captain A. P. Phayre, with a suitable
staff of deputy, and assistant, commissioners, was appointed
Commissioner of the newly annexed province, which was
about two hundred miles in length by nearly two hundred in
breadth.
In 1752, just a century before, the British were possessed of
only a few factories and the Island of Bombay, and now, by this
act of Lord Dalhousie's, our authority was supreme over a vast
empire extending from Peshawur to Cape Comorin, and from
Kurrachee to the limits of Tenasserim, with a population, in
cluding the tributary states, which, by the census returns of
1871-72, exceeded two hundred and forty millions.
General Godwin left Pegu on the 20th of December, and
Rangoon on the 29th, for Prome, having given orders for the
march of a land column from Martaban to Shoe-gyne, under
command of Brigadier-Geneml Steel, C.B. On the 24th of
December an Expedition left Rangoon, under Commanders
Shadwell and Rennie, # of the ' Sphinx' and 'Zenobia,' in their
gigs, consisting of the following boats:—cutter of the 'Win
chester barge of the 'Foxpaddle-box boat of the 4 Sphinx,'
with a 24-pounder howitzer, and rocket-tubes ; two paddle-box
boats of the 4 Moozuffer,' with two 12-pounder howitzers and
forty men, under Lieutenant Mitcheson and Mr. Freeman ; and
two ^ paddle-box boats of the 4 Zenobia,' with two 12-pounder
howitzers and forty men, under Lieutenant Aylesbury and Mr.
* Commander J. Kennie assumed command of tlie 'Zenobia'in September,
vzce Commander E. A. Ball, who had been obliged through failing health to relin
quish the command temporarily to Lieutenant Sedley, and died soon after.