The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-02 00:00:00

Total of naval and brigade

" Military department, Major Minchin commanding ;
second in command, Captain Pryce. I may first tell you
the sepoys behaved nobly—they covered the whole re-

trea..
Killed—Captain Pryce, 67th Bengal Native Infantry
t((bahlue,lyr,siTeegdvioieetarteibltD: )
, 2 onabew). Sepoys killed, 9 ; sepoys wounded
hotdy and
,Thatsetrgo.
an
"7., entrthe weLaobacs mohysewaart
pretty wo rwl ce,
buriedlal and thno shows.
of
morning of the Bth at Rangoon, close by the side of poor
Doran, of the 18th Royal Irish. Pito co mmorlos is
sadly cut up about this sad affair. His own son had two
bullets through his jacket.
" By poor Captain Loch's death, Commander Shad-
well, of the Sphinx, has got his promotion, and is now
Flag-Captain of the Winchester. Hillyer, of the Win-
chester, is also made Commander in the Sphinx. The
Sphinx is going home—she leaves in a fortnight. The
Rattler started for China about a week ago."
Another letter says :
" The boats of the fleet have again been driven by the
Burmese, a little above Pantanno, up the identical creek
that Captain Hewett, 1.N.. thought it rashness to ven-
ture. Commander Lambert, R.N., was in command of
the whole, Lieutenant Mitcheson, 1.N., second in com-
mand ; the expedition altogether was about 180 strong.
On the 16th of January the attack was made on Pan-
tanno, and the place as formerly (when Hewett com-
manded) carried with very little loss. Mitcheson re-
ceived a slight wound in the thigh—he was the only
officer touched. On the following morning (17th) the
advance was made up the creek (two boats could not
pull abreast), the banks low and covered with dense
jungle, stakes driven into the river, and trees filled across
to bar the passage. The boats had got up about four
miles, when—who would have thought it ?—a few ex-
plosions were heard from either bank, and corresponding
to these two or three men fell, a few more explosions,
and two or three men again fell, and so on to the end of
the chapter. The fire got hotter and hotter, till they
were driven back with twelve men killed and wounded,
seven men, including Mitcheson, belonging to the Mo-
zuffer. Mitcheson was wounded severely, the ball pass-
ing through the bend of the knee, and it will be some
time ere he can recover the use of the limb."
Poor Major Hawes, of the Ist Madras Fusiliers,
committed suicide at Bassein by cutting h
shr is throat.
The reason for such a rash act is yetshrouded in
mystery.
The report which went home by last mail, that
General Steele met with a reverse, turns out to be
untrue. That officer is employed in carrying out
his orders, and is now making a sweep round Pegu.
At Ava peace counsels are in the ascendant • the
brother of the King is still the ruler, and the king
himself is a prisoner in that brother's hands. Com-
missioners are on their way from the capital to the
British camp, to listen to the terms of peace which
we are to dictate. The whole country of Pegu is
peaceful, with the exception of the robber bands,
which infest the whole province. It .was one of
these bands against which poor Loch and his party
were sent. Another party, under Commander
Rennie, of the Indian navy, was sent up the Bas-
sein river, and had done right good service. The
last-named officer landed his men and three guns,
and pushed across the country in pursuit of the
enemy. The latter was at last brought to bay,
when Rennie's party opened upon them, and, at
the distance of fifty yards, killed some fifty with
grape and canister ; the remainder flew in every
direction. A correspondent of the Calcutta Citizen
thus writes regarding the affair
" The enemy's outpost was reached on the 23d and
driven in, closely followed by the boats as far as the main
stronghold. Four small pieces were landed, and the
blue jackets started 16 miles inland across country to a
place 8 miles from Donnabeau, driving before them about
12,000 of the enemy,. and killing one chief and five men,
getting back to their boats, after 35 miles' hard march-
ing, the following night.
" On the 25th, Captain Rennie, with the men of the
Nemesis, again started up the river, and on the 28th
reached Lymena by dark, and landed the guns at day-
light. On the 29th he pushed on in search of the native
chief, halted in the evening until midnight, and again
pushed on by the light of the moon, and at daylight of
the 30th was in presence of the enemy, in force number-
ing about 3,200 men, who came on very boldly, mis-
taking our fellows for Dacoits, and opened fire.
" Captain Rennie waited for them until within about
200 yards, when he returned the enemy's fire with canis-
ter and grape, repeating the dose a second time, which
sent the Burmese flying in all directions, throwing down
their arms, and in most complete confusion.
" Forty-eight of the enemy were killed and fifty taken
prisoners, among whom were two sons of the chief, one
them being seerely. wounded in the foot. The chief's
horse was found cut in half by a shot. The rout of the
enemy was most complete, and the villagers, who had
been much oppressed by the chief and his followers,
turned out in pursuit."
This affair of,Captain Itennies seems to be one of
the most brilliant performed during the whole war.
General Godwin has returned to Prome after gar-
risoning Meaday.
In Kurrachee some disturbances have taken
place, but the particulars thereof are not known.
The state of Bhaivulpore, on the Indus, is also in a
disturbed condition. The present Nawab, an ille-
gitimate on of the late liawab, it is said, was