The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

(From the Bombay Times of Feb. 12.)
We mentioned in our last that the Aeng Pass,
through which our troops in Lower Arracan com-
municate by a short cut with Prome, had been
strongly stockaded, and that 3,000 of the enemy
held a post 5,000 feet high, from the front alto-
gether unapproachable. A chief named Makeekay
having described to us the enemy's position, Cap-
tains Nuthall and Sutherland, with a party of the
Arracan battalion, proceeded to a place called
Thorawa on the Ist of January, where they
learned that a Burmese force had left the neigh-.
bourhood to attack Promo, and that the defenders
of ' the stockade had become careless of their
charge since the British troops had 'quitted their
neighbourhood. The most careful inquiries have
been instituted, and all the requisite arrangements
made, the attacking party started before dawn on
the sth, and proceeding through the jungle found
themselves about nine a.m. within eight hundred
yards of the pass on the Burmese side of the moun-
tain. Here they rested for the day, while Captain
Nuthall pursued his inquiries, and just before dusk
they were moved on to within two or three hun-
dred yards of the pass, and so as to be within reach
of the high road. They were under arms by two
o'clock on the morning of the 6th, but so difficult
was their progress that it took them two hours to
clear the jungle. They now formed, and proceeded
in the most profound silence in the direction of the
barricades, which they reached, as had been de-
sired, just before dawn. Captain Nuthall• having
himself proceeded to inspect the works found the
enemy sound asleep, and suspecting no danger. Capt.
Sutherland was ordered to advance in full force against
the gate, which he carried, and entered the stockade
at once,while Capt. Nuthall, who had seized on pur-
pose an eminence close by, caused a volley to be
poured upon the head of the sleepers which spread
death and dismay in all directions. The enemy
never for a moment rallied, but scampered off as
hard as their feet could carry them, leaving the
stockade, and everything in it behind, including
their arms all loaded. They had not been allowed
so much time as even to fire. This decisive and
brilliant affair, the most brilliant and decisive that
has occurred during the war, which opened up to
us the country at once, shows what our troops can
do when disencumbered of a general, and proved
how easy it would have been to have pressed for-
ward on Ava when Prome was captured ten
Months ago, and dictated our terms in the capital.
The enemy having disappeared in considerable
strength near Martaban, General Steelmoved out at
dawn on the 14th, with the whole force in the gar-
rison, one company of each of the native regiments
excepted. His -advairce consisted of a party of
aelenty-five men of the Madras, and a similar num-
. ber of the Bengal Europeans, and companies of the
Bengal 10th, and Madras sth Native Infantry, a
detachment of Irregular Cavalry, and two 24
Pounder howitzers. The road lay through a thick
entangled jungle, barely passable by carts. The
enemy were first seen behind a strong breast-work,
stretching along the base of the hill, as our troops
cleared the forest, and approached the plain on
which they had intended to encamp. We were
received by a salute from their guns, followed by a
brisk fire of musketry and jingalls, while the
Men were debouching. A couple of well-di-
rected discharges from our howitzers, the shells
bursting right over them, followed by some
rockets, sent the enemy scampering, and when
Our troops pushed on they found the works,
Which were singularly strong, abandoned, the place
having fallen into our hands without the loss of a
single man. The enemy's artillery were found to
Consist of short pieces of bamboo, bound round with
cord--they had all burst on the first fire. Every
precaution had been taken to cut off their retreat,
but this was found impossible from the nature of
the ground. An immense number of carts and
120 elephants had now been collected, and a march
in the direction of Shoegeer and Sitang was ordered
to commence on the 17th • the force to return by
I'egn, within 14 miles of which the enemy were said
once more to have collected. No authentic parti-
culars as to their further operations have yet
reached us. The mishap said by the Rancoon
Chronicle to have befallen them is generally dis-
believed, and we have little doubt that when we
next hear from them, we shall be able to give an
excellent account of them, as they Will of the ene-
my. A large flotilla of boats, with a man-of-war
convoy, started for Promo with commissariat stores
on
the the 25th. A boat
expedition was dispatched on
22d, up the creek between Dod bnabewnanduHndenni:
zanda, after a brigand,
who had
ing the country
with a large band of followers.l
The banks of the creek were jungly precipitous,
and high, so that the enemy could skulk in safety
on the crest, and fire down upon us with fatal
effect. They were compelled to return to Ran-
goon, which they reached on the 24th, without
securing their capture—one marine having been
killed, and eleven sailors wounded ; one officer was
very severely hurt. A second expedition against
the same enemy was under orders for the 27th,
commanded by Captain Lock, with Captains Shad-
Well and Rowley Lambert. It consisted of 300
soldiers and 100 seamen, on board the boats of the
wx, Winchester, and Sphinx, and there seems
very reason to hope that on the present occasion
they_. will be successful. Such is the string of stir-
ring events with which the first month of peace

presents us. It is well that General Godwin was
uot on the. spot, or he would, in all likelihood,
have still been waiting for reinforcements. With
the affairs of Burmah our intelligence for the fort-
night begins and ends. Profound tranquillity
lezgns throughout India, and even our north-west'
frontier scarcely supplies us with an accident or
"Pent,

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CALCUTTA MARKETS—FEB. 5.
(Front the Calcutta Englishman.)
The Precursor, with the London mail of Dec. 24 last,
arrived in the river on the 3d inst., and the letters were
delivered yesterday. The advices regarding colonial
markets are upon the whole satisfactory.
In our export market sugar has been quiet during the
Past fortnight, and operations in it have been chiefly con-
fuled to the lower kinds of new date ; refiners, deterred
by the high rates required, are not yet at work on the raw
Material. 1,445 maunds of raw silk have been exported to
Great Britain during last month ; the article is in eager
inquiry. Filature silks have been contracted for at 12 to
14 Rs. per seer, and comparatively high prices have been
Paid for native produce. A fair quantity of torahs
(59,209-pieces) had gone forward to Great Britain in
Jan. -Of late the demand has abated, owing to holders
requiring an advance of 2 to 3 rupees, to which only a
few parties have been found to submit. The export of
saltpetre to Great Britain during the same period has
been 45,747 mds. The demand for this salt has fallen
of, and its value has declined about 2 annas per md.
Rice has also been sent to the same market in large
quantities. The exports in January amount to 291,757
111, da- The finer kinds of jute are nearly out of the mar-
'et, but the middling qualities are taken up with avi-
dity at full prices. The crop is stated to be a short one.
Turmeric is regaining favour ; 2,717-mds. had been sent
to Great Britain and 5,871 to France in January.
We regret that we can report no improvement in our
'roped market, which remains depressed. Holders of
Cotton goods are as anxious as before to realise, while
the., local inquirylas not improved, and the up-country
"'nand still continues inert. The absence of that demand
;at this season particularly is unaccountable, as it is known
that stocks in the interior have been reduced. It would
be
impossible to place goods in quantity at the reduced
current rates. The accounts received from home of the ex-
port trade there are also of a nature calculated to have an
eliurious effect upon our market, inasmuch as the large
Prnents lately made and in piogress, and the speculative
/3Pirit displayed, tend to destroy the firmness of holders,
and make them anxious to realise. So long as parties
at home continue to throw in larger supplies than can
be absorbed by the demand in our market, no improve-
Ilent can be hoped for ; on the 'contrary, certain loss is
in to result: Copper is dull, and has further receded
41 value. With the exception of bars and hoops, which
:f e in fair request, and pig, which is in active.demand,i
descriptions of iron are depressed. The price of
'palter has fallen to Ct. Rs. 7-12 and 7-13. Lead is
41,,..0 dull; and looking down.
The Money market keeps well supplied. The share
market has been made firmer by the move above re-
rr.,,ed to in Government Securities.
2 -eixeliange after the date of our last report rose to
trB., 11d. and 2s. Igd., although a few transactions have
ar'eolipired on better and some on worse terms. Drawers
ta., now unwilling to part with their paper at the above
40'len, while remitters are holding out for them. At
xi4cli'g' to press very little had been done, and it remained
undo
which party would give way.
I,,eeights declined a little, but are again much as they
emtfe• Our quotations now are s.
LOndOnPetre ; 3/. 7s. 6d. to 3/. 10s. sugar ;and 41. rice to
tb:ll,dgo•—Soon after the dispatch of our last report,
bu rench relaxed in their demand, and as English
market
would not come forward on the same terms, the
hiaet became dull, with a decline of about Rs. 10 per
vhie, Five sales have been held since the 17th ultimo, at
1,13 2,988 chests were brought forward, out of which
were withdrawn and bought in. Since the 24th
wi,a° no sale has been held, and the only transaction
chest has transpired is one by private contract of 57
Erni i 8 ~.. ise ar.d Glasse's indigo at 160-0. Shippers are
denier refusing to meddle with the article at the prices
arrivnaded, and holders generally have been waiting the
lliort. et' the home advices before submitting to conces-
u,t The mail has just arrived, but sufficient time has
eeiZr elaPsed to alto,* the effects of the advices re-1
oft develop themselves. 9,259 chests have been
6tl UP to the 2d of February, inclusive of which

J. Mathison, Med. Est., at Vaniembady, on the 3,529 are for Great Britain, and 4,458 . for France.
26th Dec. ; Lieut. F. M. Minchin, 35th Regt., Business will be resumed next week, when it is hoped
N. 1., at Prome, on the 20th Dec. ; Quartermaster prices will be determined.
R. Palmer, 28th Regt. N. 1., at Perambore, on the
26th Jan."
Bengal.—Capt. Turner, 51st N. 1., at Calcutta ;
Lieut. G. Miller, 40th N. 1., of fever, at Burmah ;
Capt. C. S. Reynolds, 19th Regt. N. 1., at Assam;
Major Minchin, 67th N. 1., at Rangoon.