Every thing being now ready for the advance upon Ava, Sir Archibald Campbell formed such force as he possessed the means of moving, into two columns ; one to proceed by land, and the other by water. With the former, 2468 strong, he purposed moving in a direction parallel to the Lyne river, driving the enemy from all his posts upon that branch; and to join the Irrawaddy at the nearest accessible point, for the purpose of co-operating with the marine column in driving the Bandoola from Donoobew, should its aid for that purpose be required. The point upon which the land column would join the Irrawaddy, in a country so little known, could not be fixed. The island formed by the Lyne and Panlang rivers, was represented as a wilderness of impassable jungle, but across which, it was said, the Carians, by Bandoola’s order, had cut a path for the sake of communication from Meondaga to the Irrawaddy, opposite to Donoobew, by which, should it prove correct, it was intended the column should advance; but by much the most certain route, and in many respects the most eligible, led to Sarrawah, on the great river, about sixty miles from Donoobew.[1] The marine column, which was placed under the orders of Brigadier-General (now Sir Willoughby) Cotton, consisted of 799 European infantry, 250 sepoys, 108 foot-artillery, and twelve of the rocket corps: these were embarked in the flotilla, consisting of two mortar-boats, six gun-vessels, thirty armed row-boats, about sixty launches, flats, canoes, &c. and all the boats of the men-of-war remaining at Rangoon, containing every disposable officer and man of the Alligator, Arachne, and Sophie; the whole escorted by the Diana and Satellite, and under the immediate command of Captain Alexander. This force was directed to pass up the Panlang river to the Irrawaddy, and driving the enemy from his
- ↑ Snodgrass, 134, et seq, ”The Carian tribes, who cultivate the lands, are exempt from military service, and may be considered as the slaves of the soil, living in wretched hamlets by themselves, heavily taxed, and oppressed by the Burmese authorities, who treat them as altogether an inferior race of beings.” Id. 21.
