The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-04 00:00:00

THE WAR WITH BURMAII.

Wo have received our usual journals and des-
patches in anticipation of the overland mail. The
dates are Bombay, Sept. 1, Calcutta, August 19.
Our Bombay correspondent writes as follows:-
130MBAY, &WT. 1.
The Governor-General returned to Calcutta from
Rangoon on the 6th inst., when immediate orders
appear to have been sent to Madras to hasten the
despatch of one of the two brigades destined fur ser-
vice with General Godwin. This is to be taken
round by the steamers Feroze and Hugh :Lindsay,
with a few transports ; and the Bengal brigade was
at the same time directed to make all haste to Cal-
cutta for embarkation. Brigadier-General Steele is
to command the Madras division ; Brigadiers M.
ith N. 1., and Franklyn, 8 ttli Foot, the two
Madras brigades about to start for Burmah, with
Capts. C. F. Seymour, 84th Foot, and T. Haines,
19th N. 1., as brigade-majors. All the officers on
staff employ belonging
.to the different corps have
been ordered to rejoin immediately. The reinforce-
ment consisted of :

Men.

lat Bengal European Fainter% say 9:50.
19th Bengal N. 1 9OO
37th Ditto 9OO
Regiment of Loodhiana BOO
4th Stith LIXIIi Corps BOO

C. Troop Hone ArtiTleri
B. Ditto ditto
Kharkana, No. 8 lOO
Sappers and Miners l2B
Her Majesty's 84th Foot. 9OO
lit European Fusiliers 960
19th M. N. 1 9OO
30th Ditto
46th Ditto 9OO

Total 9,168
Or probably in all full 10,000 men. The General
had before close on 12,000 with him. On the ar-
rival of the first brigade from Madras, a force of
1,700 men (the 18th Royal Irish and a Native corps)
is to push on to Prome, capture and hold it as the
advanced post of the army. General Godwin is said
to have been averse to any movement till November,
or till the whole reinforcement had joined him, but
the Governor-General is believed to have overruled

him, with the consent of the Commodore and
the other head military men at Rangoon. The
General seems to be one of the old slow and sure
school, but the danger to be incurred from sickness
(already beginning to show itself to a large extent)
in a large standing camp after the rains in a swampy
country like Ourmah, has determined the Governor-
General todirect an immediate movement in advance.

Another cause which led to the resolution was the
daily received reports of the terrible cruelties inflicted
by the Burmese troops on the people of I'egu and
Promo, and every other place who had held friendly
intercourse with us. The poor people were crying
aloud to us for protection from their oppressors, and
would wo be sinless in refusing to listen to them?
.
Certainly not; and a heavy responsibility rests on
those who sent parties of our troops and seamen to
the cities of Pcgu and Prome, and then withdrew
them again, thereby exposing oar friends to the re-
venge of merciless wretches, who were too cowardly
to stand before us, but who delight in shedding the
blood of their defenceless countrymen. There can
be no doubt that the whole country, from Ran-
goon to Promo and round by Bassein, will
be annexed, and that en army of at least
fifteen thousand meu will require to be
kept in it for years to come. Several
faint attacks had been made on the garrison at Mar-
taban, but our troops no sooner showed themselves
than the enemy cut for it. Really it is almost a farce
to call the present "fire and run" system of the
Burmese by the name of war; a tremendous force
is, however, said to be collected near Prome, and
slaughter on a large scale on their side is looked for
when the 18th Royal Irish get amongst them. AU
along the banks of the river close to Promo there
are said to be guns in abundance placed in command-
ing positions, so as to sweep our steamers from the
river before we know where we are. If the Burmese

had but the tact and the o pluck," Ili an Irishman
would say, nothing would be easier than to annihi-
late us on the river, but by their ignorance and want
of courage have we so far succeeded, and so will
we go on and conquer, till we reach the gates
of Ave, if need be. I am far from underrating
the courage of our troops or the ability of their
commanders, but in reality a very small amount of
either seems to suffice to put his Golden-Footed
Majesty's braves to the rout. The let Madras Gre-
nadiers had reached Moulmein, and the left wing of
H.M.'s 80th had joined headquarters in Rangoon.
All the troops had been housed : heavy rain had
fallen, and the hospitals of the European corps were
unfortunately beginning to filL The markets were
well supplied, and the inhabitants perfectly peace-
able and friendly : they are reaping a silver harvest
of John Company's rupees such as they never
dreamt of six months since, so there is little
to be wondered at that they are delighted at
the idea of our annexing the country. '1 he latest
dates received are from Moulmein 9th, and
Rangoon, 11th August. One of the Madras Native
Infantry corps at the former place had only 240 men
fit for duty, and a great increase of sickness had
taken place at Rangoon—the beginning, it was
feared, of something likely to prove alarming. The
following is the best account I have seen of the
taking of Proms by the seamen of the river flotilla
under Captain Tarlton of the Fox frigate, who was
to to superseded in the command of the flotilla by
Captain Shadwell, of the Sphinx, his senior. A Cal-
cutta paper states that the place here called Promo
is not the city of Promo on the Irrawaddy, but a
second place of that name on a branch of the river
some dietance from the real Prome, a great portion
of which, OS well as the large town of Donabew, is
said t 3 have been purposely burnt down by the
Burmese : _ . .

The all absorbing topics of conversation here at present
aro the recent expedition to Proms and capture of 31
pieces of ordnance; and the Governor-General's visit to
Rangoon, with speculations as to its result, as regards an-
nexation and our advance to Prome. I will first give you
an account of the former proceedings, on the correcteess of
which you mey rely. As soon as the steamer Phlegethon
joined the other vessels, which had some time before gone
up the Irrawaddy, the whole under Commander Tarleton,
of her Majesty's frigate Fox, steamed on, and at Kenney
Gewn, a small battery opened upon them ; the steamers
stopped and returned the tire, but finding, after half an
hour's work, that our shot seemed to make no impression,
and that their fire did not relax, the proceeded on,
having bad one officer (Lieutenant Elliot) and one
private of the marines, wounded. The enemy's practice is
said to have been very good. On the following day the
fleet came in sight of Akouktoung, a strong position on the
right bank et the river, held by a force ;said to have been
originally 40,000 men, under a son of Bundoola, our great
opponent in the last war, with 35 guns ; but which at the
time of the arrival of the steamers had, from desertions and
other causes, dwindled down to 2,000 men. A kouk-toung
is situated at a bend of the river, about 400 feet high, the
encampment extended fully two miles along the brow of !
the hill which commands a passage of 400 or 500 yards wide.
To have forced their way put this strong position the
steamers would have found a difficult undertaking; from
its height our guns could not have been suf-
ficiently elevated, while, from the strength of the
current, the vessels would have been, fur a couple
of hours, exposed to the fire of 34 pieces of ord-
nance. Fortunately, jolt as they were entering the passage,
a native came off, and offered to show a small creek through
which they could peat, which offer was gladly accepted,

and the steamers entered the river again far to the north
of and well clear of Ahouktoung. The following moaning
they were off Proms ; end not an armed man to be seen.
Information soon came off that all the troops had gone to
Akouktoung, never dreaming that we could give them
the slip es we had done. Offers were readily made to show
where the guns were ; accordingly a party woo landed, end
who quietly and uninolestedly took possession of 23, con-
sisting of 42, 32, 24 and 12.poundere. The 20 iron gnu
were destroyed and thrown into the river, and the 3 brass
ones sent down to Rangoon. I believe a couple of
the et nosey wet* or lored to proceed a short dis-
tance up the river, in the hope of overtaking a
steamer belonging to the King of Ava, which was
said to be in the neighbourhood ; but they returned with-
out seeing or hearing anything of her. The following
morning the whole commenced their return, and as they
approached Akouk'oung, considerable anxiety was felt to
see if the enemy had moved over to line the creek, but no
such attempt had been made. T. e batiks would have
afforded excellent cover fur musketry, and a couple of field
pieces would have done great execution. The creek was
very narrow, and a boat or two sunk in the middle *mould
have formed an effectual barrier to the progress
of the steamers. The enemy evidently found out
their mistake when too late, for titer phoong through
the creek, the steamers came across a iminbir of
war boats with stores and full of men, moving over,
no doubt with the iotentinn of retro ning to l'rome
for its defence ; but they were a day utter the fair,
unfortunately no gun could. be brought to bear on them,
and they all landed, and made off as quickly as they c
Shortly afterwards the steamers came upon some more
boats which had been left unprotected, containing guns,
powder, and stores, right field piece"; were token with a
standard, some gilt umbrellas and a few small articles.
Hearing that all the troops had gone from A-kook-toung
back to l'rome, the steamers returned to the former place,
and got posaeseion of all guns. The exact number I have
not heard, but believe it was 21, making a tiro' of 32 cap-
tured. 'lwo of the steamers were lett to watch the pas-
sage, and to prevent the enemy from fortifying the creek,
one went to Baguio' and the fourth hes re, erased to Ran-
goon. Thus ended the expedition to Proem. What
ever may lie the other benefits deriv,ihle therefrom,
, we have at any rate drawn it of the enemy's teeth, led
the practicability of our proceeding up the river at
once has been made manifest. I believe there is hardly an
individual in the force who does not consider an immediate
advance desirable. A small force of 1.1100 European and
2,000 Native Infantry, with a light field batt,ry, four 8-
inch 'howitzers, end half a dozen ruortars wont,' hold promo
ewdest all comers, and the steamer; would lie employed,
till the amen for marcbiug from thence in bringing up by
degrees stores of all kinds, and the rest of the troops as they
are relieved here by reinforcements from Bengal and
Madras. The important points of advance, or no advance,
has not been decided, but of course it will be, before the
Gorerner.dieneral takes his departure. The Commodore
and other high authorities are, it is said, all in favour of a
speedy move, with the exception of General Godwin, who
is desirous of obtaining a large increase to the force before
lie leaves Rangoon; and of waiting till the season and the
road will admit of our marching by land, instead of pro-
ceeding by the river. Whatever may become known ess
this subject before the mail leases, I will inform 'OIL--
Cal-wits Englirhmari, Aug. 10.
The following order was issued by the Governor-
General about the 31st July at Rangoon :
The Most Noble the Governor•Oenerat of India cermet
forego the opportunity which is afforded to him by his visit to
Rangoon, of again offering to the combined force his most
cordial acknowledgments of the valuable end distinguirhed
services they have rendered here. The gratification which
the Governor-General experiences in thus onieratulating
the force on its surer,. is the field is greatly en.
banced by his being able to add Vie rression of
his most unqualified approbation ef its conduct
in quarters. In every branch, whether naval or mili-
tary, European or Native, the force has exhibited an or-
derly conduct and inoffensive demeanour towards the peo-
ple of the country, and a spirit of sound discipline, which
are u truly honourable to its character as the highdistinc-
tion it has won in battle. Whatever may be the future
course of this service, whatever may be the ultimate fate
of this country, the Governor General has the proud satis-
faction of feeling that the people of Bureaah will hereafter
sasociate, with the presence of a British force among them,
no other recollections than those of its irresistible bravery
in the field, of its order, forbearance, and uneilience in the
camp. By command (Signed) .1. S. BANK%
I Officiating Military Secretary to the (leveret:if-General.
Turmoil is again about to take the place of tran-
quillity on our north-west frontier: the ever trou-
blesome :Remands and Swatteca have again been
following their habitual predilection for murder and
rapine, and it is expected another force will have to
be sent out into the Swat Valley, to chit...rise such of
them as fall in our way. The Afreedies of the
passes are also troublesome—nothing new, unfortu-
nately, with them. Along the eastern frontier pro-
found peace prevails. The whole country from
Peshawar along to Kurrachee has been deluged with
rain, and storms prevailed from the last week in
July till Aug. 7or 8. Capt. R. 11. Hicks, acting:
commandant of the 115th Irregular Cavalry, was
during a storm struck dead by lightning, while
in the act of shutting the window of the house in
which he was putting up. He was the eldest son of
Colonel G. Hicks, C. 8., 37th Bengal Native Infantry.
The river had overflowed, and the whole country wee
ono vent swamp. At Lahore numerous deaths had
been occasioned by houses falling in ail parts of the
city, washed down by the rain. General Roberts,
who had proceeded from Lahore to Peshawar to re-
lieve Sir Colin Campbell, was last heard of at
Rawul Pindee ; Sir Colin is on his way home via the
Indus and Bombay. The sum of 50,000 rs. has been
sanctioned by the home authorities to provide church
accommodation for nearly 8,000 Europeans in the
Punjaub !—while 47,000 re. had been spent on
the erection of a canteen for a single regiment.
The Governor-General returned to Calcutta from

Rangoon on the 6th ult., and resumed the reins of
government. The results of his visit arc becoming
apparent in the movements of troops on Madras and
Calcutta for immediate embarkation for Burmah.
Sir John Littler has returned from Darjeeling, and
resumed his seat in council; but Sir W. Gomm con-
tinues in the hills enjoying the cool weather of
Simla. Sir Richard Armstrong is by this time back
at Madras, to superintend the embarkation of the
troops for Rangoon. The construction of lines
of electric telegraph betwixt tho three pre.
sidencies and Lahore, under the superintend-
ence of Dr. O'Shaughncssy, has been elnetioned
by the Court of Directors, and material for
their construction is, we are told, now on its
way from home : the work will be begun so soon as
the learned doctor reaches India. It is computed
that the lines will be completed in three years. What
with railways and electric telegraphs, we arc at last
beginning to go ahead. The trade returns for Bengal
for last year show an increase of 2,191,502/. in im-
ports (chiefly in treasure, however), and 312,8816
in exports.
Two of the guns captured from the Scikhs at Chil-
Hammitt are to be sent home immediately for the
monument about to be erected at Chelsea in honour
of the officers and men of the 24th Foot, who fell on
that memorable occasion.
Our worthy governor, Lord Falkland, is looked
for in Bombay by tho 25th or 26th—probably to
meet Lord Fitzclarenco on his arrival here to assume
his office of commander-in•chief. Great complaints
have been made by the men of her Majesty's Stith, at
Poona, about the bad rations served out to them:
150 men of the corps arc said to be anxious to leave
for Australia, and to have applied for their discharge.
The infamous and notorious Nursoo Punt, of Baroda
celebrity, has been ordered to be dismissed from his em-
ployment, and declared incapacitated from ever again
holding office under government. Col. Watson. prin-
cipal commissary of ordnance, Bombay, is said to be
about retiring from the service; as also Colonel
Bruce Seton, now in England.
I'.S.—Brigadier the lion. r. Ashburnham passed
through Meerut about the 20th ult. on his way to
take up his command at Ferozepore : Brigadier HOMO
takes his place in the Buttons brigade. Sir John
Littler has not yet returned, it seems, to Calcutta.
but was to leave Darjeeling about the 10th of Sept.
lie had improved considerably by his sojourn in
the hills, but his health was still delicate. Three
out of four railway employAg (Europeans), tried for
riot, have been committed and sentenced to impri-
sonment, ono for three months and two for a fort-
night. They had beaten and imprisoned some
natives at a place called Basstleypore, where railway
works were being carried on. rho Rev. Dr. Car-
shore has been appointed chaplain at Jhelum and
Murree, in the Punjaub. Lieutenant Do Mole, Ist
Bengal l'usiliers, has resigned the I:ervicc.