'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎270] (289/622)

270
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
Towards the end of the year 1852, a notorious Burmese
chief, Mya-toon by name, having under his orders a force of
seven thousand desperadoes, had infested the neighbourhood of
Rangoon, and burned down Donabew, on the right bank of the
Irrawaddy, and also many villages. Mya-toon was a man of
resource and skill, as we found to our cost, and became the
dread of the country. On the 12th of December, 1852, Com
mander Hewett, with the boats of the 4 Fox' and of his ship,
under Lieutenant P. W. Mitcheson, surprised at Pantanno a
body of three thousand Burmese belonging to Mya-toon's force,
and killed a large number of them, including a chief. The
attack was well planned, and executed with the dash and
judgment for which the captain of the ' Moozuffer' was distin
guished. On the 16th of January following, a second attack
was made on Pantanno, by Commander (now Rear-Admiral)
Rowley Lambert of the 'Fox,' with the boats of the squadron,
including those of the 'Moozuffer' and 4 Zenobia,'the number
of men embarked being about one hundred and eighty, and the
place was carried with small loss. On the following day,
Commander Lambert made an advance up a creek to attack the
enemy, in which he was not equally successful. There was
not sufficient space for two boats to pass abreast in this creek,
the banks of which were low and covered with jungle, while
stakes impeded the passage, across which trees had been felled
and dropped. The boats had only proceeded a few miles
when a volley of musketry was fired upon them from
each bank. Several men fell; the fire became "hotter
and hotter," and, at length, the? boats were forced to
retire with a loss of twelve killed and wounded, including
among the latter the Senior Lieutenant of the 'Moo
zuffer,' an officer of distinguished gallantry and ability,
who had led the party which, on the 12th of December, had
carried Pantanno with small loss. Lieutenant Mitcheson
received two wounds on this occasion, and the second in the
left leg was so severe that he had to submit to amputation.*
his zeal and gallantry in the performance of every duty on which he was employed,
either on hoard the ship or on detached duty in command of the boats. Lieu
tenant Hellard volunteered to command the boat expedition, which was the nrs
to enter the River Sittang, a most difficult and dangerous service, in which lie was
fully successful, and was of great assistance to the troops employed under Genera
Steel on the east bank of the Sittang. I cannot speak too highly of Lieutenan
Hellard. The very perfect and efficient order of the ' Ferooz ' is mamly to e
attributed to his untiring zeal and exertions." „ ,
* Commodore Lambert, under date, " Trincomalee, October 28, 1853, sen
Lieutenant Mitcheson the following certificate :—
"This is to certify that Lieutenant P. W. Mitcheson, of the Indian -^ av ^'^,
specially brought to my notice by Commander R. Lambert, of H.M. s snip o >
in command of the Expedition, for his gallant conduct when in charge o
* Moozuffer's ' boats in an attack on the enemy's position near Pantanno, on
16th and 17th of January, 1853, on which occasion he was twice woun e ,
second time so severely as to cause amputation of the left leg.