'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎279] (298/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
279
March, when it was found that the native allies only mus
tered forty men, the remainder having disappeared in the
jungle*
# The following Extracts from Commander Eennie's Journal, detail his pro
ceedings between the 2nd and 5th of March ;—" 2nd March, 7.30. Started on our
inarch, advancing very cautiously, our leading chief, Moung-tse-bo, evidently in
a great funk, and proceeded until nine a.m., when we came on an outpost of some
hundred men who fired and fled. The sound of the muskets did not improve
Moung-tse-bo's nervous excitement, and he persuaded Fytche to halt at ten
o'clock on the plea of the place we had reached being the only spot where we
would have a supply of water. We bivouacked in the open plain and remained
undisturbed. 3rd. Still no reports of guns on our left as we had hoped. Seven a.m.
Started for the Danao, proceeding with great caution, feeling every inch of the
road through a tree jungle, our flankers literally creeping along ; the road very
good, and the jungle pretty open, with occasionally a dense thicket; found the
breastworks, three in number, deserted ; they were of no great value, the last one
had a trench full of spikes in front, and had also a hole dug on either side. Moved
round them, and crawled along for another mile, when Kotso, the-native chief in
advance, reported his being on the Danao Creek, i.e.^ at the edge of the junsle,
whence he could see the creek, and that the opposite bank was held by
five guns. Fancying that we were too late for the fun, and that the force under
Sir John had outstripped us, I ran forward to prevent them firing on our natives,
and discerned by the reception that Kotso had mistaken Mya-toon's people, who
were all in uniform (blue coats with red head dresses), for Sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. . The instant
we showed, they opened a heavy fire upon us, but without doing us much harm.
We were on an open bank and they were firing from breastworks in tolerable
security, as we could only get a glimpse of their heads as they peeped over to fire,
and as every head had a show r er of bullets sent at it, they were not permitted
much time to aim. However, seeing no chance of driving them out by a fusilade,
I directed the men to cross the creek, about fifty yards wide and twenty feet deep.
This was gallantly done by Sedley from the left, and Wood with two men swam
across from the right and brought over a small canoe, and no sooner was a footing
established on the left bank than the brave defenders bolted, leaving behind four
dead, one gun, a 9-pounder, three jingalls, and thirty-two muskets. Not knowing
what might be our next operation, and finding our friends dispersing to loot, I
put a port fire to the village and burned it down. Fytche being decidedly of
opinion that we should halt for the day, I deferred to his wish and piped to
dinner. Moung-tse-bo was undoubtedly at the bottom of this, his courage, fast
oozing away ever since we started, had quite left him under the heavy fire, and
his nephew having been shot through the leg by a jingall ball, which broke the
bone, he was glad of any excuse to prevent an advance. We found the post to
be of great strength and the entrenchments well built of mud faced on both sides,
and spaces about three feet in height and as many thick, upon which our grape
made no impression, and behind which the enemy remained in perfect security,
thus accounting for their defence. We remained unmolested for the day until
five p.m., when, having just emptied the men's firearms at a mark, and whilst in
the act of refilling their pouches, we observed the enemy in great numbers filing
down the road from Mya-coon's camp and taking up positions in the jungle in
front and on our flanks, we being, as it were, on the chord of an arc, having a
diameter of about four hundred yards. No sooner had they got into position
than they opened a fire of jingalls and musketry, replied to by our allies, and
whenever they collected in knots by our guns. The latter soon slackened the
enemy's fire, and by dark it had nearly ceased. The bullets flew thick and
fast around, over, and amongst us, yet, strange to say, not a man was hurt, and
only one grazed Fytche, a jingall ball, on the shoulder. In the meantime, as I
saw we were in for a night of it, I got Sedley to form barricades of the carts, with
our bullocks in the rear, and placing the four field-pieces at the angles, kept all
ready to give them a warm reception, in case they dared to rush in. Our allies,
in spite of every remonstrance, kept yelling like demons and blazing away their
muskets, the coward Moung-tse-bo setting them an example in both avocations,
and, as was anticipated, by two a.m. had nearly expended all they had. At four,