The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-17 00:00:00

EXPEDITION UP THE GAMBIA.

The following letter is from an officer engaged in
an expedition against name of the towns in the inte-
rior of Africa, mention of whizh was made in the
public journals some time since :
Bathurst, Gambia, May 15, 1819.
I should have written sooner, but my time was so occu-
pied in assisting to get the troops in order, gun and rocket
practice, training horses, site., preparatory to at expedition
tato the interior, that I had not one moment to myself. Now
that the affair is over for the present, and we have returned,
I can afford to give you the news of our proceedings in this
savage country. The story is a short one, and therefore I
will relate it.
A rascally native king, presuming that her Majesty's
troops would not be enabled to march into the interior,
offered vi fleece to our governor, who paid him a friendly
visit, and his excellency had • narrow escape of losing his
life. The governor, for the honour of the British Bag, &I.
termired on having satisfaction, and therefore Major Hill,
of the 2nd West India Regiment, having arrived, a consulta-
tion was held, and an expedition was determined epos.
Application was made to Sierra Leone for troops, and to the
squadron for assistance, bat none could be obtained, and we
were left to our own resources—about 200 regular troops
and what volunteers could be procured from the old pen-
sioners and militia. With great efforts and persuasion, 33
pensioners fit to march and 32 militiamen joined the regular
troops, and these formed the whole brigade, out of which
30 men were allotted to man one howitzer, two 6.pouoder
fiell.gunr, end three rocket-guna—the native ponies being
trained to draw the guns and ammunition waggon'.
Having procured some labourers to carry water under
Major Hill, we embarked on board the Dover and Albert
steamers (the latter • hulk, towed by the Dover), and pro-
ceded ab nit 70 miles up the Gambia, where the troops
dis-
embarked, and commenced their March next morning (May
6) for the interior. About mid-day we arrived at the first of
the enemy's fortified towns (Bambacco), and the skirmishers
ermagesseed the play by exchanging shot" with the enemy
diner& their stockade. The town was then invested, and
the batteries were placed in • position and at it we went,
endeavouring to make a breach, but without effect.
Major Hill then sent a storming party to try and fore* the
stockade, and, although the men were boldly led, and west
right up to it, they could not force it, and were obliged to
Miss. The fire was then renewed from the battery, when,
at length, the rockets set the town in a blaze. It burned is
all divagates, and our enemy had to bolt for it, when hay
mime numbers were killed, both from the grape dlegleneed
hem the battery and the fire and bayonets of the *Limbless&
We reheard the town to a heap of ashes, destroying essay
portion of the stockade and houses.
We found on exemiaing the mango( defence, that we hell
a very cunning enemy to deal with. The stockade was
about 10 feet high, with tripoli rows of timber, and there
was an exterior tens of wild cane about 18 feet from the
interior stockade, and the fellows waited sitting in trenches
in this stockade until our men were cutting away the outer
*sea, and then deliberately delivered their fire. Had we
net bees able to burn the town, our loss must have boss
I'M great.
, We encamped that night on the grouni we fought es,
throwing out a strong picguet, who exchanged shots at in-
Mush during the night with the rascals is the woods.
Next day, the 7th instant, we marched for the King's
Town, of Renting. After scene hours, on approaching the
tows, we found the enemy drawn out in great numbers,
hone and foot, in our front, and the bush on our right flank
was lined by their men. Major Hill halted the advanced
peed, and sent a few rockets among the horsemen, which
sent them off, bat the foot stood their ground, and we had to
open on them with grape and minister, which they stood,
showing great courage. The commander finding that he
mast drive them from the wood, reinforced the advance, and
supporting them, we went right at the fellows, and, under a
very spirited fire, forced them to retire at the point of the
bayonet, and drove them, disputing every inch of ground,
up a bill, and into their town, the advance lying down on
the brow of the bill, within 20 yards of their stockade.
On making a reconnoisance we found the place most
difficult to attack, lying in a deep gorge, and defended with
double rows of triple stockades; the roofs taken off
the houses, and every preparation made for. an
obstinate detente. The guns were put in the best position
we could find, and we fired shell, round shot, and rock, is into
it, bringing all to bear on one point, in the hope of making a
breach, but without effect. We succeeded, however, in 'si-
ting fire to both ends of the town, end burning the greater
part of it, together with all the provision ,torts; but we
could not fire the centre, and, as our ammunition was
then nearly all expended, we tried to take it by storm, a
gun being ordered up within ten yards of the stockade, and
100 men to force it, but it was found impracticable. The
gun and men were then ordered to retire, and a consult"-
tiod was held with the geventer wits served as a captain of
volunteers. He eseeldered basins sae town and nearly de-
stroying the whale et mustlim was entftb ; and, as we had
washed mu le carry, and • very smell force to fight our
way back with next day, perhaps be was right; at the geese
time there we little doubt that next racesing, with fascism
and powder-belts, we weld have burned or breached the
stockades, and destroyed the walla within.
The slaughter of the enemy was very great, as they en-1
gaged us oa every point of our position daring the whole
time we were attacking the town, and we had to fight tam