The National Register. — London, England, 1815-08-06 00:00:00

AVG 6. gang.t. a ut three miles dis'ant from handy; that the King had quitted the capital, and that the defences at Go naront a, anoth r ferry of the same river, about an equal distance from the city, were abandoned. A patrole, sent f i nrward during the night, under the com mand of Major Br nvinfigg, reabhed Gonarooha early in the morning, and folding the river, ascertained the truth of the intelligence in all its parts. Batteries of a great extent Were erected here, rcachirr from the common place of crossing for a considerable distance along the opposite bank, and commanding the ford ; but were entirely destitute of either men or guns. Hideous objects of the king's resentment here presented themselves, in the remains of poor wretches stuck upon poles on both sides of the river, seven of which were full in iew at the ferry, and the whole number counted iu that neighbourhood was nineteen. Major Moffat, with the advance of the 2d division, being A few ini'es in front of the general encampment, was, by Major Bro%%nrigg, on his, return with the patrole, directed to proceed forward to Gonarooha, in consequence of my orders to that effect. On learning the foregoing particu!ars, 1, on the 14th, dispatched Major Willerman, Deputy Qua:ter-Master-Ge nera!, towatds Kandy, with instructions to prevent the pos. sibility of injury to persons or property, by prohibiting the entry of the troops within the gates of the city, otherwise than as guards, under such disposition as Major Willerman might judge advisable. Mr. D'Oyley, who had accompanied the patrole the pre ceding evening, and remained at Gonarooba until joined by Major Moffatt's detachment, with which, before the arrival of Major \V Merman, he had advanced to the city, which was tort t,d entirely deserted of inhabitants, and stripped of all property ; empty chests, baskets, and mats, were the only things found, except some few articles of furniture, not portable enough, nor of sufficient value to he removed. The detachment encamped without the gate. On the I,th, in the morning, I left the position at Ame roospoora With Lieut. Colonel O'Connell's division, which I caused to halt at a convenient place on the hitherside of the river, proceeding myself to the King's granary, between Gonarovha and the town, where I passed the night, and on the following day entered handy with my personal suite and fixed my quarters in the palace. In the mean time I had learnt by reports from Major Hook, that he had been induced to advance, in prosecution cfa plan formed with ('apt. De Rusiche, who, with his de tachment, .had . ascended.the Jaltoewte Gravet, and was in communication with the first division, at a short distance to the left. lamination which those Officers had received, rendered it probable that the King was about to Hy, and that the only ft raining hope of securing bins was by a rapid and secret roventent of these tvt6 corps. I was apprized by Major Kelly that he had, after a faint r sstance by the enemy, posse ss ed himself o f the batteries commanding the ldalgasiuha Pass, and ascended the moon- Cins. A subsequent letter of the 13th announced the fur ther progress of this division as far as Maturate, and by one, d ited in the afternoon of the same day, at Maugala Dohbada Ganeure, one day's march from Haugoraukette, received by me on the 14th, soon after reaching the Palace, I was in formed of Major Kelly having seized (together with a great deal, of treasure) a number of women and children, whom he considered to be of the King'scamily ; but this idea was after wards found erroneous, though .several of the women proved to be related and allied to persons of the King's retinue. The treasure is reported to consist of silver coins of diarent de- E(NSTPR. scriptions, household implements, and ornament of silver to the weight of about Moths., - No report had been received of Major Mackay's approach, with the rzth division, from Trincomalee, but I calculated with confidence that he must be within two or three days march. I had learnt by reports from Major-General Jackson, that notwithstanding the most zealous and anxious exertions on his part, the movement of the 6th division hau been re tarded much beyond the appointed time, by unavoidable and insurmountable difficulties in the means of cat riage, and conceiving that the strength and dislmsitiow of the troops already in the field would prove sufficient to accomplish the objects of - the campaign, 1 addressed Gen. Jackson on the 15th inst. countermanding the march of the 6th division, and the return of any portion of it that might be on the march. It resulted from this situation of the troops, that the King, who was known to be in the Dessavany of Donibera, with a small number of adherents, was so environed, as to render his escape extremely difficult, and if he did succeed in getting through the pass leading to his last place of refuge, the moun tains of Bintenni, Captain Anderson, of the 19th regiment, commanding the 7th division from Batticalna, would at rive at that point, with every'probability of intercepting him. I now made a claim on the Adikir of Eheylapola, for the performance of his promise to raise the people of these pro vinces, so as to prevent the• King's escape, and to ascei Wl> the precise plaeT of his retreat, to which a detachment might he sent to mak&him poisoner. _ I This task the Adikar undertook with alacrity anti confi dence, offering to proceed to Dombera in person : disposi tions were made for the proposed purpose, by preparing a • detachment to accompany the Adikir, and dispatching ano . ther to form a chain of military communication with Major Kelly's force at Haugeraukette. Every thing being thus prepared, the Adikar set out for Dombera on the 16th, preceded by the detachment under the command of Lieut. Mylius, of the Ist Ceylon itgitnent, and accompanied by Mr. D'Oyley, who, on his arrival at Hakkeytugala, in the forenoon of the same day, fund the detachment already there, and learnt that they had fallen in with a party of the King's people, and, after a sharp resist ance, lint without loss on our side, had killed three and wounded one, and captured a number of person, two of whom were near relations of the King, and men of leading consequence, and almost all we: e 'elated or allied to hint. This account, dated the 16tii, reachtd me on the 17th, and the same day the pi isomers were sent in : when con ferred with, they claimed with earnestness their connection with the East India Company's Government. The prfriVipal man, by name Mutal Sawney, made a merit . of having re ceived presents and marks of distinction from the Gentle men in authority under the Presidency of Madras. Being asked as to the King's hiding place, and the force along with him, he said, it was several days since he had seen him; he was then in Dombera; he could not say if he continued in the same plice, but if not, be could only go to Bintenine; that his Court was lit a great measuie dissolved, and that there were no principal Sudan or Chiefs remaining with him. These communications were by no means made in the tone of a willing informer,;.but appear to have been true. The dispersion of the Contt we had every reason to believe, as on that and the following day, several Nayakars (as they are called) or relations of the King, surrendered themselves. In so far also as regarded the King's place of retreat, the account of the prisoner agreed with tyre daily reports re ceived from Mr. D'Oyley, who *matted him to be still in Dombcia, but did nut venttni to flatter himself or me that • E NATI T