Page 299 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE IXDIAN NAVY. 2G7

wounded. The conduct of every officer and man landed from
the cruisers has been most exemphiry. The exertions of Lieu-
tenant Guy, Mr. Munday, master's mate, and Mr. Moresby,
midshipman, attached to the ginis, are highly spoken of. The
detachment of marines from the ' Benares ' particularly distin-
guished theujselves. The enemy's force was estimated at two
thousand. Tlie Commander-in-chief of Boni's forces, with two
other chiefs, was killed, and their loss is computed at hve liun-
dred men killed and wounded."
From other sources we learn that the fighting was severe
throughout the day, and the Commandant, thinking he should
be nnable to carry the redoubts, was about to bivouac for the
night, when one of theuj was captured by a rush of the seamen
;
upon this a general attack took place, and the whole were carried
in a very short time. The success was complete, and the royal
flag of Boni was found by the side of the dead chieftain. Major
Dalton acknowdedged the services of Captain Eatwell and Lieu-
tenant Guy, who, he says, showed " their usual zeal and alacrity,
and ably assisted on the occasion." In this action eleven men
were killed and sixty-three wounded, of whom eight died, the
total number of casualties being identical with those in the me-
morable battle of Plassey, where Lord Clive founded our Indian
Empire. Captain Eatwell had a narrow escape of his life during
a hand-to-hand njelee, and was only saved fronj the creese of
a Malay by one of his men who ran his pike through hiui.*
* The following is Major Dalton's Report to the Lieutenant-Governor of Java,
: —
detailing the operations bj which the strong works, or" bentengs," at tiie Balian-
gan Pass, were carried by his small force " On the 7th of June, in tlie afternoon,
we moved to our advanced post, two miles distant from the enemy's position
;
this intrenchment was very strong and planned witli great skill, forming a chain
of redoubts, which described an area of a circle with salient and entering angles
to an extended line of about six hundred paces, flanked on both sides by rocks,
which are high, nearly perpendicular, and containing caverns which answered as
places of refuge against our lire ; one of tlie caverns in a principal redoubt served
as a magazine, and tliere was a fort or casement capable of containing about a
thousand men. This redoubt, witli the one on its right, formed the key of the
position, being within tlie distance of a few huntlrcd yards of the point, wliere,
in going through the pass the delile is very narrow. For attack, the troops were
formed into two columns, and a reserve, commanded by Captain Wood and Lieu-
tenant Davison, of the Bengal Kuro]iean Regiment ; a detacliment, witli a small
howitzer, under the command of Captain Rawlins, 4th Battalion, was sent to the
enemy's left to endeavour to turn liis position, and another party, under Lieu-
tenant Watson, European Regiment, was sent to his right, to drive tliemfrom the
straggling rocks, and at all events, to push him into the range of fire of our
battery. The battery ceased a little after six in the morning, and althougli
extremely well served the positions appeared to be too extensive and well con-
structed to receive from our guns any quick or decided impression ; the enemy
was supposed to be about two thousand strong, he had not any large guns, but
muskets and swivels in abundance. The attack on the enemy's left, after the
most spirited and ))ersevering exertions, was checked by obstacles wiiicli were
not to be surmounted. That on his right had obtained some partial success, and
which I endeavoured, witli a reinforcement, immediately to improve ; it was led
on with promptitude and effect by Lieutenant Ashe, assisted by Lieutenant
Uoding. We now completely succeeded in turning the position of the enemj,