Page 468 - INDIANNAVYV1

43(5 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
Armstrong, of the Bombay Marine, to ex])lorc the entrances of
the Myoo and Arracan rivers, in communication with General
Morrison; and, feeling anxious for their safety, he proceeded
in quest of them, with the 'Research,' 'Vestal,' 'Helen,'
'Trusty,' 'Osprey,'and 'Gunga Saugor,' two transports, and
five commissariat sloops, leaving Captain Crawford to follow
^vith the gunboats.
On the 21st he was joined to the eastward of the Myoo, by
Lieutenant Armstrong, wdio reported as follows, in a letter
dated the 21st of February, 1825:— "I proceeded with the
vessels to the supposed latitude of Mosque Point (20*' 14'), and
finding the entrance of a river, which, from the correctest
information we possessed, led me to believe it to be the Arracan
river, I entered, crossing over a bar one and three-quarters and
two fathoms low water, and after a slight survey, discovered a
stockade that might give annoyance to the vessels in passing.
I landed with Lieutenant Coote, a detachment of H.M.'s 54th
Eegiment, a party of the Bombay IMarine Battalion, and the
European crew of the ' Pluto ' On perceiving us, the enemy
fled; it was situated in a strong position, being on a point with
a jungle in the rear. On the IGth, the spies belonging to the
Quartermaster-General's department, being closely pursued by
the Burmese, were obliged to retreat to the vessels. They
informed us we were in the Miou River, on which information
I proceeded to the south-eastward in quest of the Arracan
river, which we entered on the same night. On examining
the river, the pilot I had obtained informed me of a new
stockade commanding the channel, about eight miles from the
entrance, to which we proceeded with the ' Asseerghur,' ' Pluto,'
and gunboats. After firing a few shots we landed, and found
it deserted. It was not quite finished, in a very strong position,
and had the day before been garrisoned by five hundred men,
and had employed the villagers around two hundred days to
build it. It is 100 yards square, and full of barracks, the whole
of which we burnt (named by the natives Patinga). On the
20th, the spies gave me information that the Governor of
Arracan, with one hundred war-boats and two thousand men,
was coming down the river to attack us that night. I moved
out into the centre of the river, and kept the people under arms
all night. This morning, hearing guns in the ofiing, I proceeded
out to join the fleet. ]\Iosque Point is situated in latitude
20'' 5' 40" north, being nine miles to the south of the situation
given by the " East India Directory" (which is 20*^ 15' north)
about east-south-east from the Miou River.
Lieutenant Armstrong reported to the Commodore that the
people were much alarmed, and insisted on being taken off,
and as it was requisite to give them immediate support and
protection for the general good of the Service, Connnodore