The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-06-26 00:00:00

CASUALTIES IN BURMAN:

The following telegram has been received at the
India Office from the Viceroy, dated June 18: "Fol-
lowing casualties in affair with dacoits at Salen, June
12: Captain William George Durnsford killed, shot
through the head; No. 327, Private Arnold, died of
heat, apoplexy; No. 2499, Private Cooper, No. 680,
Private Terry, both wounded severely; No, 662,
Lance-Corporal Leaver, wounded slightly; No. 139,
Lance-Sergeant Fox, dangerously. All of 2nd Bat-
talion Liverpool Regiment."

A telegram from Rangoon, dated 17th inst., gives
some particulars of the wounding on the 15th inst.,
of Lieutenant Parsons, Assistant Commissioner of
Allanmyo, and Mr. Dobson, Superintendent of Police,
when attacking the insurgents at the village of Zeni,
ten miles to the north of the old frontier. A strong
body of Shans and Burmans held the village, which
was stockacled. Lieutenant Parsons and Mr. Dobson,
with a body of Madras Sepoys and Burmese police-
men advanced across some paddy fields and
attempted to carry the village. Two of the
Sepoys were killed by the insurgents' fire,
whereupon part of the Sepoys and all the
Burmese police fled, abandoning their officers.
The Sepoy jemadar behaved admirably, but his men
refused to follow him. The two Englshmen' after
being wounded, vainly endeavoured to rally the
Sepoys, and displayed great courage. Detailed in-
formation has been received from Bhamo as to the
retreat of the column recently sent against the
Kachyen Tsanbwa. The officer in command wished,
for military reasons, to burn certain villages on the
line of advance, fearing that they would afford cover
to the enemy in attacking the column on its return.
Major Coake, the civil officer at Bhamo, refused to
sanction this step, stating that it would probably
cause a general rising of the Kachyens. The com-
manding officer then objected to advance further,
owing to this difference of opinion; and as the troops
were greatly exhausted by exposure to the rain,
Tsanbwa's apology was accepted. In his letter,
Tsanbwa said that if he offended again, he hoped his
head would be cut off with a dah. The result of this
expedition has caused much dissatisfaction, as the
column was harassed when retreating, and fired upon
till it reached the plains.
The recent death at the hands of dacoits of Mr.
Phayre, Deputy Commissioner of Minhla, affords
another sad proof, the Calcutta correspondent of the
Times says, of the utter inefficiency of the present
arrangements in the new province. The fact that the
chief civil officer of a district is obliged to take the
field against dacoits personally and without any other
European shows how miserably inadequate was the
staff with which he was supplied, especially as regards
policemen. There can be no doubt that both pro-
vinces of Burmah are in a thoroughly unsatisfactory
condition, and it is impossible to avoid the conclu-
sion that no improvement can be expected till the
whole system of administration has undergone a
radical change.

A telegra—m in the second edition of Monday's
Times, dated Rangoon, June 20, says: On the 12th
inst. Captain Dunsford, of the Bengal Infantry, and
Lieutenant Wyneyard, with 40 rifles of the King's
(Liverpool Regiment), attacked 500 dacoits at Salen,
on the western bank of the river, 50 miles north of
Minhla. The dacoits were driven out, but Captain
Dunsford was killed, and three men of the Liverpool
Regiment were wounded. These dacoits formed part
of Bob Shway's force, who recently killed Mr. Phayre.
Lieutenant Huggins, of the 21st Madras Infantry, on
the 12th inst. routed a large body of insurgents at
Gau, 20 miles to the north of Salen. Ninety-two
insurgents, including five bohs or officers, were killed,
and many prisoners, including four bobs, were cap-
tared. The country continues to be very disturbed.
The present condition of Upper Burmah is largely due
to the want of sufficient civilian staffs.

Tuesday's Crazette contains a general order and
dispatches received from the Government of India
relative to the recent operations in Burmah. In the
general order the Viceroy speaks in the highest terms
of the services of Lieut.-General Sir 11. W. D.
Prendergast, K.C.8., V.C., and the naval, military,
and auxiliary forces engaged in the campaign. A
number of officers are specially mentioned and com-
mended for the energy and devotion they displayed
during the operations. The dispatches include two
lengthy ones from General Prendergast, giving de-
tailed accounts of the proceedings of the expedi-
tionary force, and acknowledging the valuable
assistance rendered by the officers and men under his
command. The most interesting items in the dis-
patcrhes are those relating to the negotialions with
King Theebaw after the arrival of the expedition.
On Nov. 26 the King sent a dispatch under a flag of
truce to General Prendergast, in which he said:
"The English Goveinment ought to have known
that the only reason why the Burmese Government
did not freely concede all the demands made was
because we were not allowed sufficient time for de-
liberation. It must have been apparent from the
tenour of our reply that the Burmese Government
was desirous of remaining on terms of amity and
frier.dship. . . . The country of Burmah is one
which deservesjustice and consideration. We believe
that it will receive this consideration at the hands of
the English Government. If this is granted, the king-
dom of Burmah need not be annexed. It is well to remem-
ber, too, that on a former occasion her Mos'i; Gracious
Majesty the Queen-Empress was pleased to declare
publicly that there was no intention on the part of the
English Government to annex Burmah, unless such a
step was necessitated on good cause shown. As no
such cause exists, the Great Powers of Europe should
not have it in their power to say that the Royal
declaration has not been faithfully observed. The
English Government entered our country and attacked
us with a number of war vessels. We were obliged to
resist. We now desire that hostilities shall cease,
and we trust the English Gcvernment will meet us
half-way, and enter into a treaty by which friendly
intercourse may be resumed between the two great
conntries."

The following reply was sent:
"General Prendergast begs to inform the Ken-
Woon-Mengyi, in reply to his letter of this date, that,
acting in accordance with the instructions he has re-
ceived from the Viceroy and Governor-General of
India, it is quite out of his power to accept any offer
or proposal which would affect the movement of the
troops under his command on Mandalay. No armis-
tice, therefore, can be at present granted ; but if King
Theebaw agrees to surrender himself, his army, and
his capital to British arms, and if the European resi-
dents at Mandalay are all found uninjured in
person and property, General Prendergast promises
to spare the King's life and to respect his family.
He also promises not to take further military
action against Mandalay beyond occupying it
with a British force, and stipulates that the
matters in dispute between the countries shall be
negotiated on such terms as may be dictated by the
British Government. A reply to this communication
must be sent so as to reach General Prendergast by
four a.m. to-morrow."

In reply to this the King sent a message, in which
he intimated his readiness to yield unconditionally to
General Prenderge st's demands.
The following is the account which the General
gives of the surrendering of the King :—"On Nov.
29, at two p.m., accompanied by my staff and the
principal Ministers of State, I visited the King in a
pavilion within the precincts of the palace, and assured
him that it was for the good of his country that
he should leave it without delay. The Queen-
mother and Queen's were present during the inter-
view. At half-past three p.m. Thobaw and the ladies
of his family were led forth from the palace through
the throne-room, between avenues of British soldiers,
to the bullock carriages prepared to carry them to the
ss. Thooreah, in which, guarded by two companies of
the Liverpool Regiment, and escorted by the Ngawoon,
manned by the Royal Navy, they were conveyed to
Rangoon.
At Mandalay were captured not only 1177 guns,
369 wall pieces, and 6723 stand of email arms, but
also the Royal dockyard, powder factory, saw mills,
gun factory, arsenal, and powder magazine, some
crown jewellery, and more than a lakh of peacock
rupees.