mese retired for a short time from the immediate vicinity of the British lines, and concentrated their forces at Donoobew, a strongly fortified town upon the Irrawaddy, about 60 miles to the northward of Rangoon. The rains had now set in, and the effects of a burning sun were only relieved by the torrents that fell from the accumulated clouds, and which brought disease along with their coolness. Constantly exposed to the vicissitudes of a tropical climate, and exhausted by the necessity of unintermitted exertion, it need not be matter of surprise that sickness soon began to thin the ranks, and impair the energies of the invaders. No one was exempt from the operation of these causes, and many officers, including Sir Archibald Campbell and Captain Marryat, were attacked with fever during the month of June. On the 14th, the latter wrote to Commodore Grant, reporting, that he had not a commissioned or warrant officer capable of doing duty; that seven of the Larne’s crew had already died from cholera morbus or dysentery, and that 26 more were in the hospital dangerously ill, besides many others slightly attacked or remaining convalescent. “I am afraid,” added he, “that we shall lose many men before we leave this place. The heavy and incessant rains, the unwholesomeness of the water, and the impossibility of procuring fresh provisions, to restore strength to the convalescent, forcibly point it out as the grave of a large part of the expedition.”
From the above circumstances, and as her services were not then essentially required, the Sophie was ordered to Calcutta, and directed to return as soon as possible, with provisions for both sloops, and as many seamen as she could procure, either by entering or impressment. Previous to the Sophie’s departure from Rangoon, six 32-pounder carronades were taken from her, to be mounted with four of the Larne’s guns on board the Satellite transport, formerly a sloop of war in H.M. service.
On the 25th June, two fire-rafts were destroyed by a small detachment under the command of Mr. Henry Lister Maw, midshipman of the Liffey, who had been left behind by Commodore Grant to act as naval aide-de-camp to Sir Archibald
