The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-04 00:00:00

INDIA BOARD, DEc 2.

A dispatch, from which the following is an extract,
has been this day received at the East India House :
From the Governor-General of India in Council to the
Secret Committee of the East India Company, dated
Fort-William, October 25, 1852.
- -- - -

From the General Order, and the dispatches published
on the 23d inst., you will learn with satisfaction of the
capture of Prome, on the 9th and 10th idem, with but a
triflng loss on our side.

GENEBAL ORDERS BY THE GOVERNOR•GENERAL OF INDIA

IN COUNCIL.
Fort-William, Foreign Department,
October 23, 1852
The Most Noble the Governor-General in Council has
much gratification in publishing, for genera' information,
dispatches received from Commodore Lambert and from
Major-General Godwin, which report the capture and
occupation of the city of Prome, after some resistance,
and with comparatively trifling loss.
The steam squadron and the boats of her Majesty's
ships, conveying the troops upon the Irrawaddy, an-
chored off Prome on the 9th of October. A fire from

the shore was silenced by the fire of the steamers and of
the boats. The troops having been landed, drove the
enemy, some three or four thousand strong, from the
suburbs ; and on subsequently advancing to the great
pagoda and to the heights beyond, they found the posi-
tion wholly abandoned by the Burman force.
The Governor-General in Council desires to express in
the strongest terms his obligations to Commodore Lam-
bert, for the care, the energy, and unwearied zeal which
he has shown in directing the naval preparations for ad-
vance, and which have conduced so largely to the early
and successful renewal of operations in the field.
His lordship in council begs to offer his thanks to
Captain Loch, and to Commander Shadwell, for their
conduct of the service on the river ; and to Commander
Rice, for his direction of the body of seamen upon shore.
His thanks are also due to Commander Campbell, of
the Indian navy, whose merit has been acknowledged by
the Commodore.

The Governor-General in Council has viewed with
high approbation the services of the officers and men,
who, upon this occasion and for several months past,
have been employed in boats upon the river, subjected
to severe exposure, and engaged in harassing duties,
which they have performed with the utmost alacrity and
cheerfulness, and with conspicuous advantage to the
public service.
To the officers, seamen, and marines of her Majesty's
ships, of the Indian navy, and of the Bengal marine,
who have been serving upon the Irrawaddo, and to
Commander Tarleton, who long commanded them, the
Governor-General in Council is desirous of offering his
hearty thanks.

The Governor-General in Council has in like manner
to assmro Major-aoneral Godwin of tho matisfaotion with
which he has viewed the skill and judgment by which
the Major-General enabled the troops to obtain posses-
sion of an important post, without delay, and with but
little loss.

To Major Mayhew, Deputy Adjutant-Ceneral ; to
Major Allan, Deputy Quarter-Master General ; to Cap-
tab Smith, Interpreter ; to Captain Burne, Military-
Secretary ; and Captain Chads, A.D.C., the Governor-
General in Council tenders his thanks.

Especially to Captain Christie and to Captain Welsh,
of her Majesty's 80th Regiment, for the gallant manner
in which they led their men to the attack, and to all the
officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of the
force, the Governor-General in ouncil desires to give
assurance of his cordial approbation.
While thus congratulating the naval and military
forces on the first result of their advance, the Governor-
General in Council feels it to be due to the memory of an
old and gallant sailor, that he should add a public ex-
pression of the deep regret with which he has received
intimation of the death of his Excellency the Comman-
der-in-Chief of her Majesty's ships in the Indian Seas.
Although Admiral Austen did not survive to witness
the successful conclusion of the operations in which he
had shared, the Governor-General in Council desires to
record his admiration of the staunch high spirit which,
notwithstanding his age and previous suffering, had led
the Rear-Admiral to take his part in the trying service
which has closed his career.
The Governor-General in Council has been grateful for
his services, and laments his death.
C. ALLEN, Secretary to the Government of India.

Commodore Lambert, R.N., to Charles Allen, Esq.
H.M.S. Fox's Boat, on Board the Fire Queen,
at Prome, October 11th, 1852.
Sin,— I request you may be pleased to inform the
Governor-General in Council that, having embarked on
board the East India Company's steam-vessels under my
orders H.M. 18th and 80th Regiments, the 35th Regi-
ment Madras Native Infantry, a detachment of Sappers
and Miners, and of the Bengal Artillery with their field-
guns, I dispatched them as they were ready to rendez-
vous off Yangernsiah, a town situated at the upper end
of the Panglang Creek, which joins the Irrawaddy to
Rangoon River.
2. The Commissariat, Ordnance, and Engineers'
stores, and about 1,010 followers attached to the regi-
ments, were conveyed in steamers, large Burmese
cargo boats, five small schooners, and a barque.
The cargo boats, manned by Burmese crews, ad-
vanced in three divisions under convoy of the barges
and pinnaces of her Majesty's ships, Fox, Winchester,
and Hastings ; the barque and schooners were towed by
the steamers.
3. These arrangements being completed, I left Ran-
goon on the 24th ultimo, and Major-General Godwin-
joined me on the following day at Yangernsiah.
4. Having hoisted my broad pendant on board
the Fire Queen, the steamer in which the Major-
General embarked, I weighed from Yangernsiah
on September 27th with the steam squadron specified in
inclosure No. 1, and proceeded up the Irrawaddy to
Prome, calling at Henzadah on my way.
5. On the morning of the 9th of October, Prome was
in sight, and on the squadron nearing the city, the
enemy opened fire with a couple of guns and musketry,
which was returned by the steamers as we proceeded
into the bay, where I anchored in a convenient position
abreast of the town for landing the troops.
6. The enemy continuing to keep up a fire after we
had anchored, I sent the boats of the squadron, under
the command of Captain Loch, C. 8., of her Majesty's
ship Winchester,_ to throw in a'few shells and canister
shot amongst them, which had the effect of silencing it
for a time, although they kept up a very spirited fire on
the boats, which wounded two seamen.
7. They then brought a gun down abreast of the Fire
Queen but had only time to give us one shot before it
was dismounted by the fire from the steamers, which
effectually cleared a landing place.
8. Major-General Godwin now expressed his wish to
land the 80th Regiment and a party of artillery with two
guns, at half-past four, which was effected without any
opposition, and the lower town cleared of the enemyo
9. At daylight next morning the remainder thebeing
feing
troops were landed, and a brigade of 50
formed under Commander Rice, at the M:a
ode and
request, to assist in working the guns, thepago
n of, the
r-G- neneral's
other parts of the city were taken possess
Burmese flying as the forces advanced
f Prome was occupied
10. Thus the important city
by British troops with the triflin
of theolosasrmofyo,ne killed and
a
while in the
three wounded on the rt
squadron only four werep
wounded, who are named in
enclosure No. 2.
thanks are due to Captain Loch, C.B
11. My
for the assistance he rendered methroughout these.
operations ; also to Commanders Shadwell and Rice,
of her Majesty
I sups Sphinx and Hastings, the
former for his unremitting attentions to the instructions
I had sent him previously to my entering the Irrawaddy,
and to the latter officer for the part he took when on
shore with the brigade of seamen. Nor can I speak too
highly of Commander Campbell, the officers and men of
the Indian navy and Bengal marine.
The skill and perseverance displayed by the officers
and men belonging to the boats appointed to convoy the
cargo-boats from Rangoon to Prome, a distance of more
than 200 miles, against a rapid stream, exposed occa-
sionally to a fire from the enemy, is deserving of my
highest praise.—l have, &c.
GEORGE R. LAMBERT,
Commodore Ist Class, Commanderin-Chief.