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HISTORY OF THE INDIAX NAVY. 433

employed in Assam, assisting, where practicable, the column
under the command of Brigadier Richards, and was of essential
aid in the operations.
An opportnnit}^ of earning distinction was afforded to one
of the Company's cruisers, which was turned to advantage. On
the 3rd of June, 1824, as the 'Vestal,' 10-gun brig, commanded
by Lieutenant James W. Guy, brother of the surveyor, was
nnder weigh near the island of Shahporee, at the mou'th of the
Naaf river, accompanied by two gunboats, under ]\Ii(lshii)men
Laughton andBoye,of the Bombay Marine, a fleet of one hundred
Burmese war-boats, all armed with guns and filled with men,
hove in sight. The enemy's boats, owing to their overwhelm-
ing force, were so confident of success, that they hailed the
little cruiser, and demanded her stu-render and that of the
gunboats. The reply to this request was volleys of grape and
canister, and, after a sharp action, the Burmese were glad to
make their escape, having sustained a loss of fourteen war-
boats and one hundred and fifty men.
—
The following is Lieutenant Guy's report: " Shortly after
I weighed anchor and stood down the river, I saw about one
hundred war-boats drawn out in aline ofl'Mungdoo Creek. On
our nearer approach a canoe was despatched, with five hands in
her, ordering me to surrender the vessel or they would take
her by force, and kill every man on board. This message I
answered by a broadside from my great guns. They kept uj)
a smart fire for about ten minutes, then retreated into Mungdoo
Creek ; the two gun-boats, under ]\lessrs. Laughton and l^oye,
chased them upon this, and poured in several well-directed
showers of grape and canister, which did great execution ; they
then returned, after having taken four prisoners from tin-
above-mentioned canoe.
" I then tacked and stood towards Shahporee island, under
which several boats lay. They endeavoured to escai)e, but
finding themselves cut off by the gunboats, they ran their boats
on shore and fled into the jungle, but not before numbers were
destroyed by the volleys of grape poured into them from the
gunboats. The rest of the boats having escaj)ed, 1 stootl for
the new stockade, fired a broadside into it whilst passing, then
ran down and anchored off the south-eastern point of Shah-
poree Island for the night. I should imagine about twelve or
fourteen boats were destroyed, as I observed them floating out
of Mungdoo Creek after the attack, completely shattered by t In-
great guns. I also beg leave to rejjort the great zeal and
activity evinced by the officers on board the vessel, as also the
high-sf)irited conduct of Messrs. Laughton and Boyt-, each
commanding a gunboat."
The Governor-General says, in his despatch of the 14tli of
—
July, to the Secret Committee : "The enemy were completely
F F
YOL. I.