Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-26
FOR THE NATIONAL ISTELLIGEScER
INCIDENTS OF THE BURMESE CAMPAIGN,
By an Anachs Of the Hon. East India Company.
STEAM AND ELEPHANTS.


and Commodore LAMBERT proceeded to convert the King
ship he restoration of which longer to be thought
of into collier and by the same process which pro-
NOTED Commodore ABpooLAS useless Burmese navy
very soon became most useful tub Of Goals.
The "Phegethon" ordered to repair forthwith to
Moumen to assist the Proserpine in protecting that
town, which, since the late difficulty" would be
than ever liable if not to combined attack least to
the predatory incursions of the thieves Of Maraban.
before these daco had been frequent and
full The robbers crossed the river in war boats at night
the stream being where it separates the towns
and, in formidable force and well armed made success
full descents upon the native quarters of Moumen
pied by friendly Burmese and Bengaee and Chinese
ders small force Of Sepoys which formed the patrol
could be easily inundated or ovcrpowered and the su
burbs eectuay pllaged before the alarm could reach
the environments and troops be got under arms With
such IMMUNITY indeed, these saes effected that
silence ceased to be enjoned, and nocturnal alarm &C
companied by repeated voeys of musketry and much
banging of gongs easily explained by the noncalant
sentinel who promenaded your enclosure with the cool
assurance that it was only Martaban dacoits.'
In the time hmsy bamboo huts being rddled
men, women, aud children often enough included in
common massacre, not unattended by
which scarcely admit of delicate recital and dwellings
wantonly fired which had first been lesurey pillsged
was light Burmese wealth. where it is to be suspected
OF ALL is with eye to these dacoitees commonly con-
verified into rubies and concealed The wearing apparel
of people who go comparatively naked is consider
able the furniture and domestic utensils of fm
lies who feed with their fingers from pumpkin rnd
common and repose luxuriousy yard and half Of
turkey red" AS for their dwellings, the conHagraton
and reconstruction Of of them is any time little
than froc. The material of which they are built
grows in abundance few yards off in the jungle No
expert journeyman builders required; the art is
taught in every family which also furnishes its Ia
bor Split bamboos are of easy carriage nails in
demand for they tied together with strips rattan
and matched with palm other leaves and thus com
modious, well-construced dwelling, sufficiently spacious
for the accommodation of large family, provided with
various pleasant chambers and the luxury (which is
necessity there of ample yerandah round about the
whole, and all together well ventilated and weather proof
and ingenously conrived to encounter the chances of
latitude of yphoons and rainy seasons erected in
days, at cost, by and his wife, concubine or
two, and some !" babes and Stockings"
Such abode this subsequently the sufficiently
comfortable hospital of the writer Cat that time the
sick list during rainy season at Rangoon when literal
y the floods do and pour endurngy for four
cursed months Strange to say though many crevice in
the roof admitted the light of heaven, water pencra
ed through the apertures. This is doubtless owing
to the peculiar formation of the leaves with which the
matching is done and which resemble many cutters
grooved tiles The dampness of the ground is avoided
by the elevation Of the lower Aoor which is laid
frame raised upon uprght some two or three feet from
the EARTH and leaving space beneath where fowls and
parah dogs snugly housed in common, and rarely
disturbed by the occasional appaon of vaga
bond of ackal wherca the aforesaid pariah dogs in
continenty away My house consisted of large
apartment, Twenty feet square, which parlor office,
and dining in one smaller sleeping apartments
Mt end and bathroom at the other the whole
rounded by wide verandah, which the roof project
ed very far aording dry accommodations. Here, in the
dry season and when the heats greatest made
lodging Hither touches and musquto-nets
brought and here read and smoked and talked by day
and slept by night amid the barking of ackas the howl
ing Of pariah dogs Ia sentimental tribe whose is
vscferousy to serenade the when she present
dabolcally to bewa her absence when she is not the
hoong Of owls and other spirits Of darkness and the air
and babel Of restless beggars and boats people the
beach This not unpleasant abode, together with its of
ces consisting Of Kitchen stable and lodgings for the
servants completed in six days at cost of hun
dred rupees $780, the Burmese contractor finding every
thing, inclusive Of the subsistence Of his people.
As the Phegeton descended the river her way from
Rangoon Moumein skrting the shores she passed.
overhauled several boats well manned Of
which seized and destroyed making prisoners of the
crews about hundred in all In other instances the
people took to the water first contrving to capsze their
boats and sink the arms and ammunition they contained
which, though harmless enough in their hands, they had
reason to apprehend might prove fatal in These
prisoners we conveyed to Moulmein where uncondi
tonay released them. They gladly enough became in
offensive and useful denzens Of that place. after ocious
y mparting officers much useful information touch
ing the numbers and condition Of their forces, the
Notifications then existing or In process OF construction
they had been able to ascertain them, and their
spondence with Ava. 1t would be well to remark in
this connexiOn that throughout the in instance
were prisoners detained when active partsans and
Of high rank when they possessed Of import
information their services could be made available
in special emergency and even in such they
suffered under no their brief detention and
Justly rewarded in proportion to their usefulness
Toward the close of the war among the compapys best
friends were still be found many Of these reclaimed
Burmese. The disafectiou of the people unanimous
They had learned to appreciate at very carly period of
our intercourse with them the personal security
agement to industry and freedom Of competition guaran-
tied to them by British control, and in simple faith and
in considerable numbers they eagerly accepted British
protection demanding Of safeguard beyond
plghted word and finding odous conditions attached
the compact Only the circumstances of their impress
ment flor volunteer in Burmah would be anomaly
their families detained hostages for their good beha
vior" and their experienced apprehensons Of the
geance of their deferred them. Outlines these
reasons alone mpeed whole towns to take up and
engage in the struggle against which would otherwise
and by choice have hoistcd the white flag and extended
the olirebrnnch They asked nothing than that
should not at any time from the hour Of their espousing
our cause, withdraw countenance and guns This
would have required steamer at every village between
Rangoon and Prone, which inadequate force could
not furnish In this way had wcll-nigh lost the al
lance ut oil events the neutrality, of Pegue Many in
stances Of the same shall be narrated hereafter
In volume entitled 1.-TWO Years in Ava, by Officer
on the Staff Of the Quartermaster Generals Depart
ment" (svo Londen: Murray, 1927 graphic
and accurate description Of Burmese wer-boats which
will well enough for the present period and may
with proprety be quoted here for changes in Ava
frequent and slow There is such thing Young Bur-
mah Though that precocious young politician has got as
far Bengal his way there, and Young Bengal Is as
well known House. in Calcutta Young
America the lobby of the House of