Page 449 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDUN NAVY. 417
" Golden-footed" monarch, his master, to make a grand attack
upon the British lines, the enemy crossed the river above Kem-
mendine, from the Dalla to the Rangoon side, and, on the
morning of the 1st of July, three columns of one thousand njen
each, moved towards the British right, while the jungle in front
of the Dagon Pagoda and along the whole extent of the line to
the left, was occu})ied by a large force. But their attack was
weak, and, dispirited by recent defeats, they gave way before
an assault made by the Commander-in-Chief in person, who re-
ported that twelve thousand of the enemy were engaged. A
writer in the " Quarterly Review" (Vol. xxxv., p 51G), speaking
of the silence of the military liistorian of tlie war, as regards
the co-operation alforded by the naval portion of the Expedi-
tionary Force, of which, indeed, there is no mention in Sir
:—
Archibald Campbell's despatch of the 11th of July, says
" Major Snodgrass seems to have forgotten the part which the
Navy bore in repulsing this large force; and that, when, to dis-
tract our operations and destroy the shipping, not fewer than
fifty-three of their huge fire-rafts, protectetl by gunboats, were
sent down the river towards the fleet at the same time, all of
these were, by uncommon skill and exertion, turned off and
rendered harmless. And the officer by whose exertions was
effected this happy issue out of a great danger that threatened
the shipping, was Mr. Lindquist, of the Company's service."
Lieutenant John Alarshall, R.N., author of a "Narrative of the
—
Naval Operations in Ava," says of this young oificer : " The
activity and zeal of Mr. Lindquist, connnauding the row-boats
stationed at Kemmendine, was very conspicuous on this occa-
sion." About the same period Captain Hardy, of the 'Teign-
mouth,' then stationed just within the bar, and employed in
examining a creek to which Captain Marryat had directed his
attention, destroyed eleven large country boats, some already
loaded, and some loading, with stone, for the purpose of
blocking up the entrance to the river.
After the action of the 1st of July, the L'nemy continued to
receive reinforcements until it was said thirty thousand men
were assembled near Rangoon. The British Commandur,
therefore, determined, notwithstanding the incessant rains, to
bring the newly-arrived l)urmese General, Soomlia Wongee,
to action, and, on the morning of the iSth of duly, despatched
a strong colunni by land under General McHi-an against
Kummeroot, about live miles from the great Bagoda, while he
embarked with a second cohnnn to attack a connnanding point
upon the river above Kemmendine, in communication wiiii the
enemy's stockaded camp, and not only obstructing the naviga-
tion of the river, but affording an cxcuUeiit situation for ihc
construction of fire-rafts, in the hamlling of which the Burmese
were great adepts. "About a mile above Keunueiidine."' say.s
VOL. I. ^ 1'^