Page 459 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF TUE IXDIAN NAVY. 427
and ' Planet,' pilot brio-, we weighed and proceeded to our
position. The frigate drawing too much water to ajjproach the
shore near enough for her guns to prove useful, 1 placed the
gunboats close in shore, abreast of the enemy's works, and in the
morning disembarked the whole of our force, consisting of two
hundred Sepoys of the 40th Regiment, commanded by Captain
Vincent, twenty-six European Marines, and fifty-seven Euro-
pean seamen of the Hon. Company's frigate ' Hastings,' and
forty European seamen, volunteers from the Hon. Company's
ship ' Investigator,' under the command of Lieutenant H.
Wyndham, first of the 'Hastings.' I went on board the
' Elizabeth ' gunboat, to give such directions as I might think
requisite. A smart fire was kept up by tiie boats on the
enemy, who showed themselves in force, and fired smartly on
the boats, but with the exception of one shot from a large jingal
that hit the ' Burrampootra,' and a frw inusket-balls that struck
the 'Megna,' which was placed by her gallant commander,
Mr. Boyce, so close to the bank it was hard to miss her, no
accident occurred, the whole of the enemy fiying into the
jungle as soon as the troops landed, leaving their jingals behind
them. The|)osirion iield by the enemy was excL't-dingiy strong
and well-chosen, being coin))osed of a well-formed breast-work
fronting the sea, with a nuHah of considerable width between
it and the high sandbank forming the shore; the tide flowing
into the nullah, so that the place was capable of good defence.
The rear of the stockade was also entrenched at the distance of
about 100 yards, and that backed by a thick jinigle. As the
force, about noon, moved into the interior, and being unable
from my weak state of health to march with tiiem, 1 beg leave
to give the remaining account of tlie reconnaissance in the
language of my first-lieutenant, who coinmauded the nautical
party on shore.
"I have much pleasure in mentioning that, on the morning
of the l()th, Mv. Midshipman Laiighton landed about a mile and
a-half to the south of our first ])()sition. and, with the crews of
the ' Burrampooter ' and * Irrawaddy,' burnt a chowky belong-
ing to the enemy, who fied on his appearance. Hoping that
this diversion may meet the approval of the Iliglit llonouralde
Lord Amherst, Governor- General in Council."
The following is Lieutenant W'yndham's Report to (,'aptnin
—
Barnes of his reconnaissance on the island of Ramree: "In
obedience to your orders of the KUh instant, I proceeded on
shore with the seamen from the 'Hastings' untler my couuuand,
toco-operate with Captain \'iiicent. in the destruction of" the
enemy's stockades. The landing of tlu' force having been
effected in sight of the enemy, without opposition, about one
mile to the southward of Cndabeen, I was joined l>y Lieutenant