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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 447

have to repeat how much I owe to Commodore Hayes, and ray
admiration in him of the good effects of a zealous and animated
example for enterprises."
The occupation of the entire province of Arracan, fulfilled
one important object of the war, and afforded a valuable
diversion in favour of the march on Ava; but it was not found
practicable to carry out the cliief object, that of effecting a
junction, across the mountains, with Sir Archibald Campbell's
Army. Several reconnaissances were made with the view of
proving the practicability of such a march, but without avail.
But though the success that rewarded the forces operating
in this portion of the Burmese Empire was complete, and gave
the British undisputed possession of the province, the Burmese
were avenged by the terrible losses their victors incurred while
occupying their provincial capital of Arracan and other points.
The malaria engendered in these fetid swamps and gloomy
forests swept off the officers and men of the army and flotilla
in hundreds, and of those who returned to India and p]ngland,
few escaped without carrying away with them the seeds of the
fatal "Arracan fever."
We will now resume the history of the campaign of the main,
or Ava, portion of the Expedition, under the command of Sir
Archibald Campbell, so far as relates to the services of the
Bombay Marine, taking up the thread of the narrative from the
month of November, 1824.
On the 7th of that month, Lieutenant Greer, connnanding
the Hon. Company's cruiser ' Thetis,' while proceeding from
Elephant Point to Rangoon, with a guard of only six marines,
greatly distinguished himself by beating off two large Burmese
boats, each carrying between thirty and forty armed men,
every one of whom were killed, several falling by his sword
and pistol. Lieutenant Greer says in his report to Sir Archi-
—
bald Campbell, dated the 14th of Novemlti'r : " I have the
honour to report that, on Saturday, the 7th instant, at eleven
a.m., I left the ship in a row-boat, with a guanl of six Sepoys
of the Bombay ]\Iarine Battalion, for the purpose of waiting on
the Senior Officer at Rangoon. Abreast of a small creek, a
little below Bassein creek, six war-boats pulled out and stood
lip close along till abreast of Bassein creek, when eight more
boats of the same description joined them ; they then came
out and endeavoured to cut us olF by pulling acn)ss the river,
ahead of the row-boat. I kept up a constant fire from the 12-
pounder and musketry until two of the boats came alongside,
when 1 immediately jumj)cd on board of them with the Sepoys,
and succeeded in bayoneting every man ; in one of the boats
there appeared to be a chief, whom I shot in the act of darting
a spear at me. The other twelve boats were coming close up,
but, seeing the fate of the two, made off towards the shore.