Page 466 - INDIANNAVYV1

434 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. —

foiled, and received a severe and memorable chastisement from
the ' Vestal' and her gunboats, whose fire destroyed several of
their war-boats in the Naaf, and committed terrible havoc
among the crews and the troops who lined either shore,
expecting to find the vessels an easy prey. The cruiser and
gunboats immediately after made sail for Chittagong, where they
arrived in safety on the 7th ultimo."
We will now detail the services rendered by that portion of
the Bombay Marine, which assisted in the operations on the
south-east frontier and in Arracan, conducted by Brigadier-
General Morrison, C.B., of the 44th Regiment, an officer who
had greatly distinguished himself during the war in Upper
Canada. The naval force, which was placed by the Supreme
GoA^ernment, under the command of Commodore John Hayes,
who, notwithstanding his age, relinquished his comfortable
post of Master-Attendant at Calcutta to proceed on active
service, consisted of the following ships and gunboats:
The ' Vestal,' ten gun brig ; the surveying ships, ' Research'
and ' Investigator,' fitted with ten guns ; the six gun brigs
;'
' Helen,' Henry Meriton,' ' Planet,' ' Sophia,' and ' Asseerghur
'
the 'Trusty,' ketch, six guns, and steam-gun-vessel 'Pluto,'
six guns ; ten pinnaces, each carrying two guns, and eight
divisions of gunboats—each of ten gunboats, carrying a
12-pounder carronade—besides transports and country boats.
In addition to their crews, the vessels and boats carried a
flotilla Marine, about six hundred strong.
A portion of General Morrison's force* proceeded in Jamiary,
1825, to Coxe's Bazaar, Avhere the flotilla under Commodore
Hayes also rendezvoused. A detachment made the four
marches from Coxe's Bazaar to the grand estuary of the Naaf,t
and the heavy Artillery and the greater portion of the Infantry
were conveyed thither by the flotilla. A delay arose in the
arrival of the latter, due to a heavy gale of wind which it
encountered, when some of the native boats and gunboats were
stranded, and one officer and some men were drowned. The force
continued in camp at Tek Naaf until the 31st of January, 1825,
just a month from the period of quitting Chittagong. Before
* General Morrison's force consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 5th Brigades of the
British Army, with Brigadier-General McBean (second in command), and
Brigadiers W. Richards (26th Native Infantry), C. Grant, C.B., (54th Regiment),
and Fair (10th Madras Native Infantry). The troops consisted of H.M's. 44th
and 54th Regiments ; the 2Gth, 42nd, 62nd, and 49th Bengal Native Infantry ;
the 10th and 16th Madras Native Infantry ; Bengal Artillery, eight 9-ponnder9,
four 12-pounders, four 5-iuch howitzers; Madras Artillery, fovu- 9-pounders;
also six companies of Pioneers ; levy of Mugh Pioneers ; 1st and 2nd Light In-
fantry Battalion, and 2nd Regiment Local Horse. The total of effective fighting
men numbered nine thousand three hundred and forty-three.
t The Estuary of the Naaf, some three miles broad, separates the province of
Chittagong from the Kingdom of Arracan ; across this inlet were situated the
extensive stockades of Mungdoo, the first An-ucan post, at which it was supposed
the enemy would make a stand.