Page 447 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE IXDIAX NAVY. 415
strong column, for not only was it necessary that the neigh-
bourhood ot" Rangoon should be cleared, but the numerous
fire-rafts which the Burmese sent down the river, occasioned
the most imminent risk to the shipping, and kept the naval
force in a constant state of harass. Sir Archibald, accordingly,
moved upon the stockades, on the 10th of June, with three
thousand men, four 18-pounders, four mortars, and some field
pieces ; and a portion of the naval force was also employed
under Lieutenant Fraser, R.N., who had been placed in tem-
porary command of the ' Thetis.'
The following is that officer's report of his proceedings in
co-operating ii> the attack on the great stockade at Kemmen-
dine, which was reduced by artillery fire, the enemy evacuating
—
when the troops advanced to storm : " In compliance with
your orders, on the 9th instant, at eleven p.m., at the com-
mencement of the flood-tide, I proceeded up the river in the
Hon. Company's cruiser ' Thetis,' accompanied by the ' Jessy,'
six of the gun flotilla, six row-boats, and the I\Ialay proa you
were pleased to put under my command.* At two a.m. the
'Jessy' and the row-boats took up the position assigned them,
about three-quarters of a mile below Kennnendine. The
' Thetis' was anchored at the entrance of a creek about the
same distance above Kemraendine, and abreast of the stockade
from which the gun was taken on the 3rd instant, but which
had been greatly strengthened. The gun flotilla were to have
been placed abreast of the opposite point, forming the entrance
of the creek (distinguished by a pagoda), on which, since the
3rd, there has been erected a formidable stockade : but in con-
sequence of the ebb-tide making against them, with the excej)-
tion of the ' Robert Spankie' and two others, they failed in
their endeavours to take up their position, and were brought
up a short distance below the ' Thetis.' About ten a.m.. the
batteries opened their fire against Kemmendine ; the stockaile
on the Pagoda point, at the same instant, commenced a fire of
musketry, and from four small pieces, ajiparently 4 or
6-pounders, upon the 'Robert Spankie' and the other two gun
vessels opposite to it, which was returned by them and kejtt
up on both sides for upwards of an hour. The stockades
abreast of tiie ' Thetis' not having fired a shot the whole time,
and observing that the flotilla did not succeed in silencing the
other, I took advantage of the ilood-tide just ihen making, to
drop abreast of it in the ' Thetis,' and after a fire of half-an-
hour, so far silenced the enemy, that from that time they only
fired an occasional musket at intervals when we had ceased,

* About three liundnul Cliiiicsc and Miilny sailors Imd roroiitlv 'yntw\ tho
combined forc-e at Riini,'ooii, iind *>iiu' tiin.< utti-rwurds livo Inindn'd Mii^h Kml-
men, natives of Ari-acan, urrived iVoui Cliiltugoiig, to uasist in lriin>]>.)rtiug the
army up the Irrawaddy.