Star.
London, England, 1826-07-11 00:00:00

EAST INDIES,

MADRAS COURIER, FEBRUARY 14. 4:
" ARRACAN, JAXIIMILY 17.
ei The 49th Regiment Native Infantry embarked about
the 20th inst. and the 62d in a few days after, for Chit-
tagong, leaving the. Ist Grenadier Battalion, the only
corps at Arracan. They arrived here six weeks ago,
seven hundred effective men, and are now reduced to
nearly half that number, !Living upwards of three bun-
dyed sick, and still from ten to twelve going into hospi•
tal daily. Out of seventeen officers, six have gone away
on. medical certificate, and one officer (Lieutenant Peel)
died ow the 22d ult. •

4 force of between 20,000 and 40,000 men is said
to have assembled on the other side of the Talak hills,
and should they make an attempt to re-take Arracan,
they would not find much difficulty in doing so, unleu
other troops are sent to defend the place, as by the time
Lthe Burmese could arrive the whole of the Grenadier
Battalion stands a good chance of being in the hospital;
and as far the Artillery detachment, they have not ten
men fit for duty.
" FAIRUARY 21.---Veutenant Flood, of his Majesty's
13th, we are glad•to perceive, has been released by the
Burmese. He was taken on his return from a visit to
General Cotton's camp; the Kee Woonghee'a assertion
that he was ignorant of the matter was probably true
for he has since returned. Dr. Sandford and Mr. Ben.:
net, the officers who were taken on their way from
Prome, were at the capital, and well treated. There
was a report that a letter, signed by them, strongly re-
commending peace, and saying that he ef the Golden
feet bad sworn never to sanction the surrender of any
territory, and that a Burmair never breaks his oath
had been received: this letter was evidently signed by
compulsion. The Burmahs must have a very mean
opinion of our penetration to think they could impose
on us by so shallow an artifice. Brigadier Stewart,
who had delayed marching in consequence of the peace,
Moved forward to Prome immediately on the renewal
of hostilities. His Majesty's 45th proceeds by water.
Brigadier Pepper continued in Pegur, waiting for rein-
forcements before he could advance oa 'l'onghoo, which
is said to be very strong : the Siamese were on the march
to join him. The cholera, we are sorry to say, had made
its appearance ou board his Majesty's ship Alligator,
and was making dreadful ravages among the caw ;
Mr. Grills, her purser, had lately fallen a victim to it.
Commodore Sir J. Brisbane had returned very ill, and
had sailed for.Penang in the Boadicea. The great bell
had been returned to the Burrnahh and was replaced in
its original situation, to the great satisfaction of the peo.
ple, who crowded to welcome their old acquaintance.
FiIIItUARY 24.—Up to the 24th of January, we un- '
derstand that treasure to the amount of ninety lac: in
hat dcash, besides plate and jewels, had been discovered
in the fortress of Bhurtpore, and more was expected.
Some difficulty occurs as to prize-money, which we
trust will,by and by,terminate satisfactorily to all parties,
at least as far as the young heir of Bhurtpore and the
captors of the treasure are concerned. A thorough in-
vestigation is requisite to decide in the first instance
what is the Rajah's property, and what is not. Of course
the Rajah's property must be restored to him inviolate.
Whether upon his offering a bonus to the gallant troops
that rescued him and his property from the fangs of an
usurper, Government would permit their acceptance of
it, is not for us to spy; but we think it clearly stands to
probability, that one third of the property captured
does not ionajdc belong to the rightful heir of Bhurt-
pore. The revenues of Bburtpore, we have understood,
amount only to about one lac- per annum. It is said,
that a number of disaffected Zumeendars, kc. lodged
property in the fort of Bhurtpore, considering it as the
chief place of security, now that the Briti.h Rajah was
about to terminate ! Should the investigation, that we
daubs not will ensue, establish that but comparatively a
bmill share of the property captured belongs to the
Rajah, the 'rest, we presume, will become prize to the
captors. The feeling with which the natives appeared
ito contemplate the siege of Bhurtpore, and the chagrin

"Letters have been receives from Lord Combermere's
camp, announcing the surrender of AI war, the la.t of
the refractory forts. His Excellency the Commander
in Chief was consequently already on h;s rein• n to the
Presidency, where he was expected to arrive about the
end of next month."
(The Mowing extracts of letters maga some curious details of
occurrences during the armistice with the Burmese

PATASAOOII, JAN. 24.
" During the cfssatinn of hostilities pending tie ar-
mistice, the Kee Woonghee and Mara Sylvia fi eqireotly
came across from Mellown to visit the British Ce rs-
mender in Chief. On the 13th, there was a horse race
in camp—the Malta Sylwa's Goatlike charger against a
horse of Major Jackson. The M.jor won the rice :
the Maha Sylwa's pony, as the stakes, became Fure ted
accordingly, bet was not accepted of. This beginning
.of the sport attracted others to the scene, and Various
queer-looki a • als started, and many tumbles oc-
curred. N t of consequence, however, h ip-
pened, and both the British and Burmese sport.men
parted at dusk, de ighted with the day's amusemen.s
There being little or nothing to do, the dive.sion of
shooting was permitted to our officers, who were our in
parties from. morning to evening, particularly the Ala-
dresses% who evinced a most noble contempt for e
heat and the suri. The encampment was surrounded
by swamps and jeels, and these were a number of ague
cases among the troops; but there was abundance of
game, as the mess tabies of every corps in camp testified.
" At the conferences of the Commissioners, Mr.
Mangles, the Secretary of the Briti.h Commission, con-
ducted his department, we learn, with such ability, and
so much to their satisfaction, as to receive the thanks of
the British Commissioners

On the 17th of January, as on the next day the
armistice was to terminate at two, P.M. much anxiety
prevailed in camp on the subject; in this the Com-
mander in Chief, we may believe, shared, for we are
informed that he possesses an excellent knowledge of
the duplicity and intriguing character of these semi-
barbarians, and doubts every word they utter, for
which it must be confessed they have now afforded him
sufficient cense. Up to three o'clock, P.I.S. there was no
appearance of the prisoners, nor of the ratified wary ;
but the Kee Wounghee was heard to declare that he
had heard officially from Ave that the ratification had
taken place, and that it and the prisoners might be ex-
pected hourly by water. Nay, be even said that it they
did not soon cast up, he himself, the Calling Blengte.
and Maha Sylwa, would delirtr themselves op as
hostages to our army.
a The British camp servants frequently crossed the
river to Mellown, to buy fowls, Bcc. and were toll by
the Burmese that they now considered them as ftieuds,
and they absolutely treated them as such.
II During the evening of the 17th the Burmese Chiefs
came across, and held a teasing unsatisfactory con-
ference, or rather palaver, with Sir Archibald. The
question lay in a nutshell; but they either evaded it, cr
leaded it with inconsistencies and impertinencies to such
a degree, as to require much temper to keep up terms
of diplomatic courtesy with them.
II On the morning of the 18th Sir Arch:bald sent
them a message to the effect that he would mtet them
on board the conference-boat at two o'clock. After
much shoaling on their part, the Calling Mengee sham-
med sick. However, they were given to understand,
that if the ratified treaty, the prisoners, and four lace,
were not forthcoming by twelve o'clock th..t night,
hostilities would re-commence.

" To this ultimatum no reply having been made, cur
batteries, which had been got ready unJer night with
surprising celerity, opened upon the enemy's woi ks
about ten o'clock in the morning of the 19th with great
effect, and must have astonished the Burmese not a
little. The artillery practice is described as both splendid
and efficient. Our batteries continued playing until
half past two o'clock, by which time the fort of Mel.
lows became almost too hot for the enemy. At the
concerted signal, the storming party (which had pre-
' viously been embarked on board the gun boats, some
distance above Mellown,) moved d)wn across the river
I As the wind and current were favourable, they shortly
reached the opposite shore, ascended the hill, as our
i .correspondent writes, n beautiful style, and, in twenty-
five minutes from their leaving their own bank,. Mellown
was ours."