Several more of the war-boats were taken by our navy, together with a vast number of other boats of an excellent description, and well suited for conveying troops up the Irawaddi. This magnificent river being now entirely under our command, from its broad mouths on the ocean to the valley of Ava and Amarapoora, where it becomes unnavigable, Sir Archibald Campbell resumed his advance upon Prome. By the 12th of April he was again on the left bank at Sarrawah; and on the 14th he reached the spot from which he had retrograded just one month before, having been joined on his route by Brigadier-General McCreagh, with a column of reserve from Rangoon, and a supply of elephants, which were much wanted for the use of the Commissariat department.
Passing over several abandoned camps and stockades, our troops, on the 19th of April, reached Hudadoon, where the blue mountains of Arracan became for the first time distinctly visible. The landscape was beautiful, but the still smoking ashes of numerous villages cast a shade of sadness over the scene. In the evening a messenger arrived from Prome, as the bearer of a pacific letter from the chiefs of the Burmese army now collected at that city. The messenger seemed to be a silly old man, who drank much too freely for a diplomatist; and when he rose to take his departure he whispered in the General's ear, "They are frightened out of their senses! You may do what you please with them!"
On the 24th of April Sir Archibald Campbell was within sight of Prome, of which place he took possession on the 25th without firing a shot, the enemy having deserted it in the night, leaving in the works above a hundred pieces of artillery, and extensive supplies of grain. The town was on fire, and one entire quarter was destroyed; but, by the great exertions of our troops and navy, a considerable part was saved from destruction. Were it not for the cowardice of the enemy, Prome must have presented an almost impassable barrier to the progress of the British army: by nature and art it was
