Stanley Brooke did not accompany the land column, as the general
said to him, two days before:
"I have been speaking with General Cotton, and he said that he
should be glad if I would attach you to his staff, until the force
unites again. Not one of his staff officers speaks Burmese and,
although he has two or three interpreters with him, it will be
better, if Bandoola sends in an officer offering to surrender, that
he should be met by a British officer.
"In the next place, it may be necessary for him to communicate with
me and, assuredly, with your experience of the country, you would
be able to get through better than anyone else. I do not apprehend
that there would be any great danger, for we know that every
available fighting man has been impressed, by Bandoola; and the
passage of our column will completely cow the villagers lying
between us and the river.
"I suppose," he said, with a smile, "that you have no objection,
since it will save you a long and, I have no doubt, a very
unpleasant march; and you will also obtain a view of the affairs at
the stockades at Pellang and Donabew."
The land column started on the 13th of February, the water column
on the 16th, and the detachment for Bassein sailed on the following
day. Stanley was delighted at being appointed to accompany the boat
column. The march through the country would present no novelty to
him, and it was probable that the land column would encounter no
serious resistance until, after being joined by General Cotton's
force, it advanced against Prome. His horses went, with those of
General Cotton and his staff, under charge of the syce and Meinik.
The one steamboat kept, at the start, in rear of the great flotilla
of boats so that, in case of any of them striking on a sandbank, it
could at once move to her assistance, and pull her off. The scene
was a very bright one as, in all, upwards of a hundred craft, of
various sizes, proceeded together. In front were half a dozen
gunboats; next to these came the two sloops of war; followed by the
rest of the boats, proceeding in irregular order. There was very
little stream, for the rivers were now quite low and, although the
flat country was still little more than a swamp, the rains in the
hills that supplied the main body of water to them had long since
ceased. The ships' boats were, of course, rowed by the blue-jackets.
The other craft were, for the most part, manned by natives; though
the soldiers on board occasionally lent a hand.
Two days after starting, the boats destroyed three newly-erected
stockades, that were found unoccupied; and on the 19th reached
Pellang, where three very strong stockades had been erected. A
battery was thrown up next day from which, as well as from the
steamboat and sloops of war, shells were thrown into the stockade;
with such effect that two of the enemy's works were evacuated, as
soon as the troops took the offensive, and the main Pellang
stockade was also abandoned, without resistance. The two smaller
works were destroyed, and a portion of the 18th Madras Infantry was
left here, to maintain communication with Rangoon.
On the 27th the flotilla entered the main stream and, the next day,
the advance came in sight of Donabew. It was another five days
before the whole force was in position, for several of the most
heavily laden craft stuck fast on the sandbanks at the fork of the
river. The next day Donabew was summoned to surrender. Bandoola,
who was at the head of 15,000 men, returned a refusal; which was
given in courteous terms, differing very widely from the haughty
and peremptory language in which all previous communications had
been couched.
The next day a party of the 89th landed on the low-lying ground
between the main stockade and the river and, in spite of the heavy
fire, succeeded in ascertaining the strength and nature of the
defences. The main work was in the form of a parallelogram, about a
mile long, and stood on ground rising above the general level; and
fifty pieces of cannon, of various sizes, were in position on the
river face. Two outworks, constructed of square beams of timber,
with an outer ditch and a thick abbatis, defended the southern face
against an attack from an enemy landing below it.
It was necessary to leave a strong guard on board the flotilla,
lest an attack should be made by war canoes and fire rafts. The
general, therefore, had not more than 600 men available for the
assault. As the enemy's guns completely commanded the river, it was
necessary to land below it; and on the morning of the 7th the
troops were disembarked, with two six-pounder guns and a rocket
detachment. Forming in two columns, they advanced against the lower
of the two covering stockades and, after an exchange of fire with
the enemy, rushed forward and forced an entrance into it; although
the enemy resisted with more resolution than they had, for some
time, shown. 280 prisoners were taken, and the rest of the
defenders fled to the second work.
Two more guns and four mortars were landed and placed in position
and, after the stockades had been shelled for a short time, a
storming party--under Captain Rose--advanced to the assault. So
heavy a fire was opened upon them that the little column was
brought to a standstill, and forced to fall back; with the loss of
its commander, and of Captain Cannon of the 89th, while most of the
seamen with the storming party were either killed or wounded.
This want of success, against a mere outwork, showed General Cotton
that--with the small force at his disposal--it would be worse than
useless to renew the attack for, were the outwork carried, the loss
would be so great that it would be hopeless to think of attacking
Bandoola's main position. He therefore determined to abstain from
further attack, until reinforced.
"Now, Mr. Brooke," he said, as soon as the troops had been taken on
board the boats again, "I must bring your services into
requisition. This is just the contingency that we thought might
possibly occur. I cannot advance up the river until Donabew is
taken, and I cannot attack the place with the force at my command.
Therefore I will at once write a despatch to General Campbell, for
you to carry. You will be accompanied by the two men of the
bodyguard, who have come with me as orderlies. I shall have no use
for them, here; and three of you, together, need not fear any
molestation from the few people remaining in their villages, and
may be able to cut your way through any of the bands of deserters,
or beaten troops, dispersed over the country."
"Very well, General. I shall also take my Burman, on my second
charger. He may be useful in getting news as to roads from the
natives; who will, as likely as not, fly into the jungle when they
see us approaching. However, there is not much fear of our losing
our way, as it will be along the river, as far as Tharawa."
A boat was at once sent off to the craft carrying the two orderlies
and the horses of the staff. As soon as the despatch was written,
Stanley, after shaking hands with his companions, was also rowed to
the horse barge. This was, at a signal of the general, taken in tow
by the steamer, and piloted to the opposite bank. A boat, sounding
ahead, presently found a spot where there was enough water for the
barge to get alongside the bank. The horses were led ashore; and
Stanley, the two troopers, and Meinik mounted.
The Burmese are poor riders but, during the wet season, Stanley had
often taken Meinik, on his spare horse, when riding about in the
camp; partly because he could trust him to look after the horses
carefully, and in the second place to accustom him to ride on
horseback so as to act, if required, as an orderly. Meinik was
quite of opinion that there would be no risk, whatever, in passing
through villages; but thought it probable that they might fall in
with disbanded troops, as it was known that the land column had,
soon after starting, captured the fort of Mophi; and that its
garrison, between two and three thousand strong, had taken to the
jungle and dispersed.
"Still, master," he said, "I don't think it likely that they will
attack us. They will be expecting no one, and we shall come upon
them by surprise; then they will run into the bushes, thinking that
you must have many more troops behind you. No, it is not likely
that they will have many guns; they would throw them away when they
fled, partly to run faster through the forest, partly because most
of them will be making off to the villages, hoping to lie concealed
until the war is over; while if they had guns in their hands, it
would be known that they were deserters, and they might be seized
and sent across the river to Bandoola, or up to Prome."
They rode some fifteen miles before dark, and then took up their
quarters in a village. The few old men, women, and children
inhabiting it fled, at their approach; but when Meinik went to the
edge of the jungle, and shouted out loudly that they need not fear,
for that no harm would be done to any of them, and good prices
would be given for food, two or three returned and, finding the
statements to be true, one of them went into the jungle again, and
brought the others back. Fowls and eggs were brought into the hut
that Stanley occupied, and a good supply of grain for the horses
was also purchased. Thus, Stanley was able to avoid breaking into
the small stock of provisions they had brought with them.
The inhabitants of this part of Burma were a tribe known as
Carians. They were the tillers of the soil, and were an industrious
and hardy race. The country was so rich that they not only raised
sufficient for their own wants, but sent large supplies of grain
and rice to Ava. They were very heavily taxed but, as a rule, were
exempt from conscription. Nevertheless they had, on the present
occasion, been forced to labour at the stockades, and in
transporting food for the troops.
Their forest villages were small. They consisted of little huts,
erected either in trees shorn of their branches, or upon very
strong poles. These abodes were only accessible by rough ladders,
formed by nailing pieces of wood across the trees or poles. This
was absolutely necessary, on account of the number of tigers that
infested the forest. The village where they had halted was,
however, built upon the ground; but was surrounded by a strong
stockade. The people assured Stanley that none of the fugitives
from Mophi had come that way.
There had, they said, been many, after Bandoola's defeat; but they
had seen none, of late. They declared that they had far greater
fear of these than they had of the English; for that they plundered
wherever they went and, if they could not obtain enough to satisfy
their expectations, burnt the houses, and often killed many of the
inhabitants. The villagers volunteered to keep watch all night, at
the gate of the stockade; although they said that there was no fear
of anyone approaching, as strangers could not find their way
through the forest, in the dark and, even could they do so, the
fear of tigers would prevent them from making the attempt. Stanley
agreed to pay some of them to watch, but also stationed one of his
own men as sentry, relieving him every three hours.
An hour after they reached the village, they saw one of the war
boats rowing rapidly up the stream; and had no doubt that it was
bearing a message from Bandoola, saying that he had repulsed the
attack of the British. Beyond hearing the howling of tigers in the
forest, Stanley passed the night undisturbed, except when he went
to change the sentry. Meinik took his share of watching; and
Stanley, himself, relieved him an hour before daybreak.
By the time the sun rose, the horses had been fed and breakfast
taken. After riding some miles, the country became more open.
Cultivated fields succeeded the dense forest. The ground was
higher, and little groups of huts could be seen, wherever a small
elevation rose above the general level. The change was very
welcome, for they were able to travel faster, and there was less
chance of their coming suddenly upon a party of the disbanded
troops.
Presently, just as they reached a larger village than usual, by the
river bank, a thick smoke arose from one of the houses, and they
could hear female screams.
"Come on!" Stanley shouted, to the three men riding behind him.
"See that your pistols are ready to hand, and draw your swords."
Illustration: Stanley cut down the man who was about to fire the
hut.
This village was not, like the last, stockaded; being some miles
away from the forest. As they dashed into it, they saw some twenty
Burmese. Two women lay dead, in front of one house; and one of the
men, with a torch, was about to fire another. Absorbed in their own
doings, the Burmese did not notice the coming of the horsemen until
the latter were close to them. Then, with a cry of consternation,
they turned to fly; but it was too late. Stanley cut down the man
who was about to fire the hut, and he and the others then fell upon
the Burmans, with sword and pistol. Six of them were killed. The
rest were pursued but, dashing down to the river, they plunged in,
pistol shots being sent after them.
Stanley remained on the bank, until he saw that they had fairly
started to cross the river, then he re-entered the village. Two or
three frightened people came out from their hiding places, when
Meinik shouted to them that all was safe.
"They have all gone," he said, "you need not fear being disturbed
by them again. See, there are six guns lying in the road; and you
will find plenty of ammunition on those fellows that have fallen.
There are some spears and swords, too. Of course, you can do
nothing if a number of these fellows come; but if there are only
two or three, you and the women ought to be able to dispose of
them. Now we must ride on."
On the third day they arrived at Tharawa, and found that Sir A.
Campbell, who had been assured by the natives that Bandoola had
retreated, had continued his march the day before. The place was so
large that Stanley thought it unsafe for them to sleep there, and
they rode on to a little village, two miles away. Here they were
received with great deference, the passage of the troops the day
before having profoundly impressed the villagers. After waiting
three hours to rest the horses, they again mounted and, riding all
night, arrived in the morning at Yuadit--a village twenty-six miles
from Tharawa--and found the force on the point of starting.
"No bad news, I hope, Mr. Brooke?" the general said, as he rode up
to him.
"I am sorry to say, sir, that my news is not good. Here is the
brigadier's despatch."
"This is unfortunate, indeed," the general said, when he had run
his eye over the document.
"Mr. Tollemache, please to ride along the line, and say that the
column is not to get into motion until further orders."
Colonel Adair and the other officers of the staff had been on the
point of mounting, when Stanley rode up. The general called two or
three of the senior officers to him.
"Cotton can neither take Donabew, nor get past it," he said. "Here
is his despatch. You see, he has lost several officers and a good
many men; and that in the assault on an outlying work, only. I am
afraid that there is nothing for us to do, but go back to his
assistance."
"I am afraid not, sir," Colonel Adair said. "Our supplies are
running short already and, you see, we decided upon filling up all
the carts at Tharawa, where we made sure that we should be met by
the boats. The country round here has been completely stripped, and
it would be a very serious matter to endeavour to advance to Prome,
without supplies. Moreover, we might expect a much more serious
resistance than we have bargained for. The news that Bandoola has
repulsed his assailants--and you may be sure that this has been
exaggerated into a great victory--will restore the spirit of the
Burmese. It is evident that we must turn back, and finish off with
Bandoola before we advance further."
Orders were accordingly sent, to the officers commanding the
various corps, that the column was to retrace its steps and, while
they passed through the village, Stanley related, in much greater
detail than had been given in the despatch, the events of the
attack, and the nature of the defences at Donabew.
The troops marched along with a cheerful mien. It was, of course,
an annoyance to have to plod back along the road they had before
traversed but, upon the other hand, there was a general
satisfaction that they were, after all, to take part in the capture
of Bandoola's last stronghold.
Colonel Adair rode on with the little troop of cavalry. He was to
push forward to Tharawa, and was to offer rewards to the natives
there for every boat brought in. There was little doubt that many
of the fishermen had hauled up their craft into clumps of bushes
and brush wood, to prevent their being requisitioned by Bandoola
and, although it was not likely that a large number would now be
obtained, yet even if but a dozen were found, it would be of
assistance.
The rest of the force reached Tharawa on the following evening,
with the exception of a party left to protect the slow-moving
waggons. They found that nine canoes had been obtained, and that a
considerable portion of the scanty population had been, all day,
employed in cutting bamboos and timber for rafts.
The next morning the troops were all engaged on the same work, and
in the construction of rafts; and at nightfall three hundred men of
the 49th were taken across the river to the town of Henzada, in
case Bandoola, on hearing of the preparations for crossing, should
send a force to oppose the passage. It took four days' continuous
labour to get the little army across, as it was necessary to make
large timber rafts to carry the carts, horses and bullocks, guns
and stores.
Hearing that a force was posted, some fifteen miles away, to
intercept the detachment that was marching from Bassein; Colonel
Godwin, with a party, was sent off that night to endeavour to
surprise it. The Burmese, however, took the alarm before they were
attacked; and scattered in all directions, without firing a shot.
The army marched along the right bank, and arrived before Donabew
on the 25th of March. Communications were opened with General
Cotton's force, below the town; and both divisions set to work to
erect batteries.
The Burmese made several sorties to interrupt the work, and one of
these was accompanied by Bandoola's seventeen elephants. The troop
of cavalry, horse artillery, and the rocket company charged close
up to the elephants; and opened fire upon the howdahs, filled with
troops, that they carried. In a short time most of these and the
drivers were killed; and the elephants--many of which also had
received wounds--dashed off into the jungle, while the infantry
fled back into the stockade, into which a discharge of shells and
rockets was maintained, all day.
The next morning--the 1st of April--the mortar batteries were
completed; and these, and others armed with light guns, kept up a
continuous fire into the enemy's camp. At daybreak on the 2nd, the
heavy guns of the breaching batteries also opened fire and, in a
very short time, the enemy were seen pouring out in the rear of
their works, and making their way into the jungle. As there had
been no idea that they would so speedily evacuate the stockade, no
preparations had been made for cutting them off; and the garrison,
therefore, effected their escape with but little loss.
The troops at once occupied the work, and found large stores of
grain and ammunition there, as well as a great number of guns. From
some of the wounded Burmans, it was ascertained that the evacuation
of the fort was due to the death of Bandoola; who had been killed,
by the explosion of a shell, while watching the operations from a
lookout that had been erected for him, at the top of a lofty tree.
His death had caused the most profound depression among the
garrison. Their leaders in vain endeavoured to reanimate their
courage. The opening of the fire with the heavy guns completed
their discomfiture, and they fled without thought of resistance.
Indeed, the greater part had stolen away during the night.
A portion of the fleet had already passed up beyond the fort, under
a heavy fire; and the rest now came up. The supplies of grain were
renewed and, a guard being left to hold the works, which would now
serve as a base, the army again started up the river--the water
column proceeding to Tharawa, the land force marching back to
Henzada, whence they were carried across the river in the boats.
Here the force was joined by the reserve column from Rangoon,
consisting of several companies of the Royals and the 28th Native
Infantry, with a supply of elephants and carriage cattle which had
arrived from Calcutta.
On the 14th, Yuadit was again reached. No opposition, whatever, was
encountered; indeed, the whole country was deserted, the
inhabitants having been ordered away by the Burmese authorities, as
soon as the fall of Donabew was known. When within four days' march
of Prome, two native officials came in, with a communication to the
effect that the Burmese were ready to treat for peace. As it was
known, however, that reinforcements were on their way down from
Ava, it was evident that this was merely a pretext to gain time;
and the general sent word that, when he arrived at Prome, he would
be ready to open negotiations for peace.
The country through which the army was now passing was very
beautiful. In the far distance on the left, the mountains of Aracan
could be seen; while on the right the country was undulating,
richly cultivated, and broken by clumps of timber, with a
background of the range of hills running along near the Pegu river.
On the 24th the heights of Prome, eight miles away, were visible;
and the flotilla could be seen, lying at anchor a short distance
below the town. Messengers came out that afternoon, to endeavour to
induce the general not to enter it; but a reply was sent that this
was out of the question, that no harm would befall the inhabitants,
and that--as soon as he entered--the general would be ready to
receive any persons qualified to treat for peace.
Some hours before daybreak the army marched forward and, by
sunrise, were close to the town. The position was found to be
extremely strong. Every hill commanding the place had been
fortified, to the very summit. Strong stockades ran in every
direction, and it was evident that a great number of men must have
been engaged, for a long time, in attempting to render the place
impregnable.
Not a soldier, however, was to be found. A native of the place
presently met them, with the news that the governor and troops had
evacuated it, with the exception of a small party who were firing
the town. This story was corroborated by wreaths of smoke, rising
at various points.
The troops pressed forward at the top of their speed. On entering
the town, they found that the native population had all been forced
to leave and, piling their arms, they set to work to extinguish the
flames; which they did not, however, succeed in doing until nearly
half the town was destroyed. Fortunately the fire was checked
before it reached the great magazines of grain, and other stores,
for the army.
The belief that the negotiations had been only pretexts to arrest
the advance of the troops against the town, until the expected
reinforcements arrived, was confirmed by the natives; who presently
came in from hiding places where they had taken refuge, until their
army retired. They said that, as soon as the news came of the fall
of Donabew, fresh levies were ordered to be collected in every part
of Upper Burma; while the whole population of the province had been
employed in adding to the defences of the town, which had been
already very strongly stockaded.
It was a disappointment to the force, which had hoped that the
occupation of Prome would bring about the submission of the court
of Ava; and enable them to be taken down the river in boats, and
embark, before the rainy season again set in. Nevertheless, the
prospect of passing that season at Prome was vastly more pleasant
than if it had to be spent at Rangoon. They were now inland, beyond
the point where the rains were continuous. The town was situated on
high ground, and the country round was open and healthy. Although
for some little distance round the cattle had been driven off, and
the villages destroyed; it was certain that flying columns would be
able to bring in any amount of cattle, before the wet season began.
For a short time, it was thought that the occupation of Prome would
show the king and court that it was useless to continue the
struggle, any longer; but these hopes were dissipated when it was
known that a further levy of 30,000 men had been called out. The
court, however, was apparently conscious that its commands would no
longer be obeyed with the alacrity before manifested. The early
levies had obeyed the call with cheerfulness; believing in their
invincibility, and confident that they would return home laden with
spoil after driving, without difficulty, the audacious strangers
into the sea. Things, however, had not turned out so. The troops
that had left Ava in high spirits had been routed, with very heavy
losses. Their great general, Bandoola, had been killed; and
fugitives from the army were scattered over the land, bearing with
them reports of the extraordinary fighting powers of these white
enemies, and of the hopelessness of attempting to resist them. The
consequence was that in issuing the order for the new levy a bounty
of twenty pounds, which to the Burmans was a very large sum, was
offered to each man who obeyed the call.
The first step, on the part of the British general, was to send
proclamations through the country; guaranteeing protection to all,
and inviting the population to return to their towns and villages.
The troops were employed in erecting, with the assistance of as
much native labour as could be procured, comfortable huts outside
the town; so that the natives, on returning should find their homes
unoccupied and untouched. It was not long before this excellent
policy had its due effect. As soon as those who first returned sent
the news to their friends, the fugitives came out from their hiding
places in the forests, in great numbers, and returned to the city.
Those whose homes were still standing settled down in them and
resumed their ordinary avocations, just as if their native rulers
were still in authority; while those whose houses had been burned
set to work, with a cheerfulness characteristic of their race, to
re-erect their light wooden dwellings.
So favourable were the reports spread through the country of our
conduct that, in a short time, the population of Prome was
considerably larger than it had been before the advance of our
army. Similar results were speedily manifest throughout the whole
district below the town. From the great forest that covered more
than half of it, the villagers poured out, driving before them
herds of cattle and, in two or three months, the country that had
appeared a desert became filled with an industrious population.
Order was established. The local civil officers were again
appointed to their former posts, but their powers of oppression and
intimidation were abrogated, by the order that no punishment beyond
a short term of imprisonment was to be inflicted on any person,
whatever, until the case had been brought before the British
authorities; and soon the only fear entertained by the people of
the rich district of the lower Irrawaddy was that the British
troops would march away, and leave them again to the oppression and
tyranny of their former masters.
The markets of Prome were abundantly supplied with food of all
sorts and, as everything was liberally paid for, any number of
bullocks were obtainable for, although the Burmese are forbidden by
their religion to kill cattle, and therefore keep them only for
draught purposes, they had no objection to our killing them; or
indeed, to eat the meat, when they could obtain it. Labour of all
kinds was abundant, and great numbers of canoes were constructed
for the purpose of bringing up supplies from the villages on the
river, and for the advance of the force at the end of the wet
season. Until this set in in earnest, small bodies of troops
marched through the forests; driving out the bands that infested
them, and plundered and killed the country people without mercy.
The general's aides-de-camp had a busy time of it, being constantly
employed in carrying orders to the towns and villages, in hearing
complaints and, in Stanley's case, entering into agreements for the
purchase of cattle and grain. When in Prome, he spent a good deal
of his spare time with his cousin who, having bought a horse,
frequently obtained leave to accompany him on his excursions on
duty. A warm friendship had sprung up between them. Harry was two
years older than Stanley, and had been at Eton up to the time that
he entered the army. He was, however, in manner no older than his
cousin; whose work, for the three years previous to the outbreak of
the war, had rendered him graver and more manly than a life spent
among lads of his own age could have done.
Meinik always accompanied Stanley, wherever he went. He had now, to
the latter's quiet amusement, modified his Burmese costume; making
it look like that of some of the whites and, indeed, he would have
passed without notice as one of the Goa-Portuguese mess waiters, in
his suit of white nankeen. When riding, or on any service away from
the headquarter camp, he was dressed in a suit of tough brown khaki
which he had obtained from one of the traders at Rangoon. The coat
differed but little from that of the suit Stanley had handed over
to him; except that it was somewhat shorter and without the small
shoulder cape and, in fact, resembled closely the modern regimental
tunic. Below he wore knee breeches of the same material; with
putties, or long bands of cloth, wound round and round the leg, and
which possessed many advantages over gaiters. He still clung to the
turban but, instead of being white, it was of the same colour as
his clothes, and was much larger than the Burmese turban.
"Burmese are great fools," he often said to Stanley. "They think
they know a great deal; they know nothing at all. They think they
are great fighters; they are no good at fighting, for one
Englishman beats ten of them. Their government is no good--it keeps
everyone very poor and miserable. You come here; you know nothing
of the country, and yet you make everyone comfortable. We ride
through the villages; we see everyone rejoicing that they are
governed by the English, and hoping that the English will never go
away again.
"What do you think, sir--will you stay here always? You have had
much trouble to take the country. A great many people have been
ill; a great many died. Now you have got it, why should you go away
again?"
"It is quite certain that we shall not give it all up, Meinik. It
has been, as you say, a troublesome and very expensive business;
and the farther the king obliges us to go up, before he makes
peace, the more he will have to pay, either in money or territory.
Of course, I cannot say what the terms of peace will be; but I
should think that, very likely, we shall hold the country from the
sea up to here, with Aracan and a strip along the sea coast of
Tenasserim."
"That will be good," Meinik said. "I shall never go outside the
English land, again. There will be plenty to do, and a great trade
on the river; everyone will be happy and contented. I should be a
fool to go back to Upper Burma; where they would chop off my head,
if they knew that I had been down to Rangoon when the English were
there."