on to the assault, without waiting for the landing of the other brigades; entered by escalade, and established themselves in the works, in the face of upwards of 10,000 men, who were driven away, in a confused and helpless mass, from the strongest stockade they had ever erected. The other brigades took the flying enemy, and completed the victory: the Burmese were driven with severe loss from all their stockades, and left the whole of their artillery and military stores in our possession.
In the house of Prince Memiaboo, cash to the amount of thirty or forty thousand rupees was found; all his stud was likewise taken; and, what was considered of still more consequence, as affording undeniable proof of the perfidious conduct of the Burmese during the late negotiations, both the English and Burmese copies of the treaty were also found in the house, just in the same state as when signed and sealed by the British and Burmese commanders.[1] The prince and his beaten army continued to retreat upon Ava with all possible speed, and Sir Archibald Campbell prepared to follow them up without delay.
On its advance the army was met by Dr. Price, one of the captive American missionaries who had been seized at Ava, and by Assistant-Surgeon Sandford, of the Royals, who had been taken prisoner some months before. They were commissioned from Ava to ascertain the terms of peace, and were informed that the terms tendered before the capture of Melloon were quite open for acceptance; and that, with respect to the pecuniary indemnification, the army would retire to Rangoon on the payment of twenty-five lacs of rupees, and would evacuate the Burmese territory on the discharge of a second instalment of the same amount. With this answer the delegates returned.
But though the missionary was sanguine as to the immediate favourable termination of the war, his Burman Majesty seemed determined to try his fortune once more before he submitted; in which resolution he was doubt-
- ↑ Thornton, v., 76.
