The National Register.
London, England, 1821-05-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

and the line opened its fire upon the enemy. The •
Imaum with great promptitude moved bis force to
the right to close the interval, and a part of his men
moved along the rear of the seapoys engaged ! and
opened a fire of matchlocks upon such of the enemy
as were again attempting to come round the right.
The enemy at the sante moment detached part of his
force towards the left of the sepoys, where they were
met and vigorously encountered by the Imaum. On
seeing the direction of the enemy's attack, 1 imme-
diately rode off to lead the right, which was the
point attacked. The enemy continuing to press
forward, I was unable to leave, the extremity of the
right, lest the sepoys should misconstrue my depar-
ture and give way. I therecore continued upon that
point encouraging the sepoys to keep up their fire.
Ou observing the enemy v% ithin twenty yards, I
again made an effort to induce the sepoys to use their
bayonets, but without success ; and while I was
doing this, the whole of the sepoys turned together
and threw themselves on the Imaum's troops who
were behind. A few of them turned and fired their
muskets into the air, over the heads ofthose that fol-
lowed, and immediately resumed their flight ; I also
addressed myself to such of the officers as I met with,
and to some of the Europeans of the artillery, but
without effect. On perceiving the Imaum at a dist-
ance, I rode towards hint, and tbund he had just been
wounded. He had endeavoured to rescue an Eu-
ropean who was cut down, and one ot the enemy
fired at him so close that the powder entered the
wound ; the ball passed through his right wrist.—
The enemy, as far as I observed, advanced only with
the sword until the sepoys gave way ; but as soon
as that happened, his matchlocks were brought for-
ward with very fatal effect. After the sepoys had
given way, I saw the Arabs advancing upon the
whole front against the Imaum's army ; and his
force then give way: The pnrsuit was continued
in the direction of the Beni Bon Hassan, inclining
a little to the right or towards the hills. Finding
all efforts unavailing, on approaching the camp, I
made the Arabs who were outside throw themselves
into the intrenched camp, and called fir piquets.—
On finding them, I directed the officer of the piquet
and an officer of artillery, who had neither of them
been in the action, to make preparations for defence,
while I took out the piquet to the front. I parti-
cularly recommended this duty to the latter officer,
by saying to him " you are of the artillery :-1 at
the same time directed Mr. Sub Asssistant Surgeon
Fallon, of the hon. Company's cruiser Prince of
Wales, to take the best means in his power for
securing the sick. On returning with the piquet to
the camp, I found that Mr. Sub Assistant Surgeoi
Fallon had removed the sick and followers into a
fortified house, distributed ammunition and arms,
posted his people at their stations, and made the
best preparations for defence. His Highness the
the Imaum was of opinion that the town might be
maintained till reintiircements could rrrive, as the
inhabitants had long been at war with the Beni Bon
Ali without being overpowered. In this opinion I
was anxious to support him. In the morning it was
discovered that the two other officers, instead of
obeying the directions given them, had gone off on
the preceding evening to Soor, carrying with them
every person belonging to the artillery department.
Soon after daylight the sepoys ot the towers reported
that the people of the town had evacuated it during
the night. and I found it impossible to keep them
longer at their posts. On the 1 maum's repeating his
opinion that lie could not maintain himself in the
place. I told him we must destroy what could not
be removed and retreat. I asked him what he would
remove. He said he could remove the sick, and
give a camel for each of the sepoys : lie afterwards
added that he could find camels for some musket
ammunition. As goon as the Imaum came to a de-
cision, he appeared to be anxious to put it into exe-
cution ; and I felt apprehensive that if it was de-
layed, he would be left without a guard. He
desired me to destroy the remaining guns and the
powder. While he gave directions to his people,
an artilleryman, wounded in three places, who had
come in during the night, fortunately found some
pikes ; and Dr. Fallon, with the assistance of some
pioneers, emptied the powder barrels into a well.—
The carriages would have been cut to pieces, but the
departure of the artillerymen rendered it impossible
to find tools. The Imaum proposed setting fire to
them ; I objected to it, on the ground that it would
be the signal of dispersion to his followers, and of
pursuit to the enemy. But I prompted the Bedouins
to remove every thing which could be carried off;
and I apprehend very little was left to the chance of
falling into the hands of the enemy. As soon as the
Imaum began to move, the sick were placed upon
camels, but it was found impossible to procure them
for any other purpose. After proceeding eight miles
the Imaum proposed moving upon Muscat, from a
belief that the passes to Soar would be occupied by the
enemy. His Highness, with myself and Dr. Fal-
len, and the remainder of the detachment, arrived at
Muscat on the 17th. A boy came into the troops
at Beni Bon Hassan on the morning of the combat,

- _-
who says he belongs to Bombay, and was taken five
years age with four other boys, in a vessel with two
masts and 26 hands, Nachodah's name Ibrahim,
bound to Muscat with rice; the vessels name he has
forgotten. He says the Arabs dismissedvthe rest of
the crew, took out the rice, and set the vessel on
fire. Two boys also belonging to Mangalore have
also come dcwn to Soor, and are on board Ifs
Majesty's sloop Curlew. These incidents identify
the Ben Bon Ali with piratical operations
I have determined on sending to Bombay the two
officers mentioned in a former part of this letter,
with directions to report their arrival to the Adju-
tant• General of the army. My sole reason for not
placing them under arrest without delay is, that such
such a proceeding might involve a necessity for
publishing at the head of every regiment in India
that a detachment of sepoys had been deserted by it.
officers; and I would not do what might confine the
government to any specific course. At the same
time 1 shall transmit charges to the Adjutent.G,
neral with lists of evidences against the event of its
appearing to be desirable to proceed in that manner.
The loss of the detachment engaged has necessarily
been most severe, as must always be the case when
troops wait to be attacked with the sword, and then
give way. Of the officers in the action, Lieutenant
Boswell, Ist battalion 2d regiment, and myself are
the only ones hitherto known to survive ; Lieute-
nants Morley and Gidley, and Sub-Assistant-Sur-
geon Fallon, were not in the action of the morning.
I beg leave to notice the services of Dr. Fullon, as
having been extensively useful during the defence
made in Beni Bon Hassan, and during the march to
Muscat ; and as being the only officer able to be of
any assistance who stayed by me and the detach.
ment, and arrived with them at Muscat,Lieutenant

Boswell having been incapable of duty from fatigue
and injuries received. The number of men who
returned with me to Mu:wit, or who arrived at Sour
after the action, amounts to four hundred and forty.
six, of whom one half are followers.
I hay, the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) T. P. THONIPSON,
Captain li th Light Dragoons,
Commipsionet and Agent.

THE QUEEN.
On Monday evening last Drury-lane theatre was
honoured by the presence of her Majesty the Queen,
rather unexpectedly. At a little before seven
o'clock, her Majesty arrived at the theatre. at-
tende by Lord and Lady Hood and Mr. Austin, in
her carriage and four, with the footmen in state
liveries. No preparations had been made for her
reception, nor was the manager in the house on her
arrival. Her Majesty was ushered into the stage-
box in the dress circle, opposite that occupied by his
Majesty on Wednesday. Her Majesty did not on
her entrance present herself at the front of the box,
but remained behind the lattice work, and it was
not until nearly the end of the first act of the play,
which was Lord Byron's new tragedy of the
Doge of Venice, that the presence of her Majesty
was made known to the audience by some persons
in the pit, who having seen her Majesty's carriage
on the outside, came in and shouted out " The

Queen ! the Queen !" The cry was electric—the
whole audience rose, and her Majesty presented
herself, when she was received by loud and continued
acclamations. She bowed most graciously, and then
retired to the back of the box. " God save the
Queen" was called for from all quarters, and the
tumult was so loud as to put a stop to the per-
formance, when Mr. Thompson, who pciformed a
character in the play, came forward and stated, that
he was requested to ask their pleasure.—" Gcd
save the Queen" was the general answer. The
uudiend were shortly after informed that none of
the vocal perfumers were then in the house, but
that they would be in before the afterpiece began,
when they would gladly execute the commands of
the audience. At length Mr. Elliston arrived, and
said that in the very arduous situation in which he
stood, he would endeavour to gratify their pleasure,
and that at the end of the play the vocal performers
would be in the house, when they would execute
their commands by singing the hymn called for. In
the mean time, he begged that the performance
might be allowed to proceed. This address suc-
ceeded, and at the en.l of the tragedy the whole of
the company came forward and sung " God save
Queen," which was loudly cheered by the house.
The dress-boxes were filled by respectable company,
who received the song in the most respectful manner.
Her Majesty left the theatre immediately after, and
at the dour a serjeant's guard kept open the avenue,
and saluted her Majesty by presenting arms, She
Was loudly cheered by the populace, and appeared
to be in excellent health and spirits.

On Monday last Johnson, !Bamford, and Healy,
convicted of sedition at Manchester, were liberated
front the Castle of Lincoln, after entering into re-
cognizance', &c. their term of confinement having
ecn completed.

COURSE OF EXI
Amsterdam, 12 14 C. F.
Ditto,at .101, 12 11
Rotterdam, It IS

Antwerp, 12 10
Hamborith, 3S 7
Altona, :16 S
Paris, 3 days' sight, 26 60
Ditto, 26 1
Bottrdeanx, 46 15
Frank log on the Maine,lsof
Petersbnrgh, 9* 3 U.
Vienna, El. Flu. 10 20
Trieste, Et. Flo. 10 a 0
Madrid, 36—Cadiz, 30
Bilboa, 351—Bat erlons, 35

PRICE 0
Bank Stork 22(
3 per Cent. Red. 72}
3 per Cent. Consols 1-1{
3} per Cent. 931
4 per Cent. 914
5 per Cent. NA. 109 i
Loug Auu, I'S 13-16

• STOCKS.
Omninm 0.
Imp. 3 per Cent.
Julia Bonds 4S
India Stock
F.sclietmer Bills 3s. di,.
Cons. tor Ac. 71i'
Lottery Tickets Xl4 14s.

THE NATIONAL IREGISTER.•

toutlon.

f•UNDAY, MAY YD.
.-41110-

Our readers will see, by our Parliamentary Re-
port, that the motion of Sir Francis Burdett for an
inquiry into the Manchester massacre has been nega-
tived by a majority of 124 ; this we had anticipated,
because we know that so long as the present consti-
tution of the House shall be permitted to continue,
nothing but an entire accident can cause a motion to
succeed, when opposed by the impure influence of
his Majesty's Ministers. For this fate of the motion
we were therefore prepared—we were confident that
inquiry into a series of the blackest acts that ever
disgraced the page of civilized history would not be
granted ; but we little expected such an avowal as
escaped the lips of the ►Host noble the Marquis of
Londonderry—it has been uniformly held by those
who have best and longest known his Lordship, that
however honourable his private character (and pri-
vate character we have always held entirely sacred)
in his public situation he was the only minister
who woulzi, from time to time stand up in his place
and assert as truth a direct alsehood. Of this we
have long been aware, but we little expected the
avowal of it from his own lips—however, with re-
ference to the assertions he made in November,
1819, on the subject of the triumph of Peterloo,*
on Wednesday night, he made the following memo.