'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎368] (387/622)

368
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
situated one above and the other considerably below the town
are impassable for boats drawing more than a few feet of water'
while the strength of the current renders the passage of any
boat a matter of great difficulty. The Karoon had been sur
veyed by Commander Selby some fifteen years before, and
Captain Wray testifies, in his report to Colonel Lugard, to the
perfect accuracy of the map drawn up by that officer. At
Ahwaz the river is from 90 to 140 yards wide, with several low
islands in the centre; as the Karoon bends at this point, the
position is very strong, and a Persian Army of seven thousand
men, with five or six guns and a swarm of Bukhtiaree horse
men, occupied a ridge a few hundred yards above the bank.
To encounter this large force Commander Rennie had under his
orders three hundred men from the 64th and 78th Regiments,
three steamers, three gunboats, each carrying two 24-pounder
howitzers, and three ships-boats* with guns and European
crews.
The following extracts from Captain Keniball's despatch to
Sir James Outram, give details of the Expedition :—
" I have much satisfaction in announcing to you the complete
success of the Expedition which left Mohamra about mid-day
on the 29th ult., under the command of Captain (Acting Com
modore) Rennie, Indian Navy, and of which the political
direction was committed to my charge. After quitting Mo
hamra, the first traces we discovered of the enemy were at a
point about thirty miles up the river, to which our attention
was directed by the remains of fires, shreds of clothing, &c.,
indicating a recent bivouack. There we anchored for the night,
a little before sunset. About two p.m., on the following day,
we again fell upon the track of the enemy at Labaort-el-
Humeyrah, where they appeared to have bivouacked in compa
rative order, and, having parked their guns, we were enabled to
* Nominal roll of officers and men engaged at Ahwaz :—Lieutenants Crockett,
Carey, and Tozer, Naval Aides-de-Camp. Armed steamer 'Comet.'—Com
mander W. B. Selby, I.N.; Acting Master Holland ; Acting 1st Class Second-
Master Salmon ; Assistant-Surgeon W. Wood, M.D. ; twenty-one seamen and
sixteen Natives. Armed steamer ' Planet.'—Acting Master Fletcher, in charge ;
Acting Master Keen, six Europeans, and thirteen Natives. Armed steamer
* Assyria.'—Acting Master Neale in charge ; Acting 1st Class Second-Master
Fivey, five Europeans, and twelve Natives. No. 6 gunboat.—Lieutenant Edwards,
Midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Burn, and sixteen seamen. No. 5 gunboat.—Mate Hewett, Mid
shipman D'Arcy, and fourteen seamen. No. 9 gunboat.—Lieutenant Lakes,
Midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Fmnis, and fourteen seamen. 'Falkland's' cutter.—Midshipman
Law and eleven men. 'FeroozV cutter.—Midshipman Booth and eleven men.
* Assaye's' cutter.—Midshipman Scamp and nine men. Assistant-Surgeon Asher,
of ' Ferooz,' in medical charge of gunboats and cutters. Mr. Sims, 3rd Class
gunner of ' Ferooz,' temporarily attached to steamer 'Planet.' Nominal roll o
officers under the command of Captain Gr. H. Hunt, 78th Highlanders H.M. s
64th Regiment, one hundred and fifty men, Captain Goode, Lieutenant Haldane,
Ensign Pack, Assistant-Surgeon Lundy. 78th Highlanders, one hundred an
fifty men, Captain Hunt, Captain McAndrew, Lieutenants Cassidy, Finlay, an
Barker.