rived at Donabue before we had gained Bassein. It found a
most formidable fortress, or rather, three fortresses in one, mounting a
great number of guns, and, as I before observed, held by Bundoola, the
commander of the Burmah forces, in whom the Burmah troops placed the
greatest confidence. I speak from hearsay and memory, but I believe I
am correct when I state that there were not less than ten thousand men
in Donabue, besides war elephants, etcetera. Now the river force did
not amount in fighting men certainly to one thousand, and they were not
in sufficient strength to attack a place of this description, upon which
every pains had been taken for a long while to render it impregnable.
The attack was however made, and the smaller stockade of the three
carried; but when they had possession of the smallest stockade, they
discovered that they were at the mercy of the second, and in a sort of
trap. The consequence was, defeat--the only defeat experienced by the
white troops during the whole war. The troops were re-embarked, and the
boats were obliged to drop down the river clear of the fire of the fort.
I believe two hundred and fifty English troops were left dead in the
stockade, and the next day their bodies, crucified on rafts, were
floated down among the English boats by the triumphant Bundoola. In the
meantime a despatch had been sent to Sir A Campbell, who was in advance
on the banks of the river; stating that the force afloat was not able to
cope with the fortress, the real strength of which no one had been aware
of. The consequence was, that Sir A Campbell retraced his steps,
crossed the river, and attacked it in conjunction with the flotilla, Sir
A Campbell taking it in the rear. After some hard fighting, in which
the elephants played their parts, the troops gained possession, and
Bundoola having been killed by a shell, the Burmahs fled. Now it was
very fortunate that the expedition had been sent to Bassein, for
otherwise the Burmahs would have fallen back upon that place, which held
all their stores, and would thus have been able to continue in the rear
of Sir A Campbell, as he advanced up the river. But they had heard of
the destruction and capture of Bassein, and consequently directed their
flight up the river towards the capital. We were in possession of all
these circumstances shortly after we had taken possession of Bassein;
and although the death of Bundoola and taking of Donabue had dispirited
the