INDIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 84, 14 August 1852, Page 8

INDIA.

' Captube op Rangoon.—The Bengal Har- ' karu of the Ist May, contains the following important news relative to the Burmese war : — „ The Burmese at Rangoon commenced the attack on our fleet on Easter Sunday. We were obliged to return their fire which seems to have told upon our shipping. ' On Monday, April 14, there was a clear landing "for our troops, who advanced with ease, - -until .they met with a pause at the White Pagoda, or white house. During the pause our men suffered much. The stockade was well .' defended, but Major Fraser, is said to have been Jh first. The Great Pagoda was beyond, and not taken seemingly till Tuesday. AYe have possession of some 130 guns. The Burmese fought with unexpected determination. ! Our loss killed and wounded about 1 50. Among I- the'casualties Lieut. Donaldson Engineers, [;.-. killed; -Lieut. Doran, killed; Lieut. Trevor, se- |' verely wounded : Captain Blundell, wounded; i.' Col. Coote, 1 Sth regiment, severely wounded ; Rev. Mr. Baker, who exerted himself in attendf ing the wounded aud burying the dead, died • r soon after of chore]a. The troops will not move on to Prome. They ; are quartered in the Pagoda and Priests Houses, ! and in a good military position. i The Burmese are supposed to^mmber about L- 25,000. i Martaban' was taken on the sth April, before , the arrival of the Madras force which was not ; at the rendezvous till the Bth. The capture I of this place seems to have been effected easily |- and,, with little loss. S 'Majors Griffiths and Oakes, of the Madras \~) service, died from coups de soleil. j." . .Brigadier-Warren also suffered from a stroke t- of the sun, hut he recovered. _i . Major Bogle, the Commissioner of Tenasr* scrim, who accompanied the force from Maui- _; main to Rangoon, received a ball in the leg. ."' ."..The Admiral has arrived in the "Battler ;,-' steamer, at Calcutta, to consult the GovernorlS General as to an immediate advance on Prome. ; Be has been ill, and is yet infirm ; but purU. poses, we hear, to return to the scene of action. account says, "H. M. steamers M ' Rattler,' * Heimes,' and ' Salamander,' worked {r in concert with tlie troops, bombarded Martaban, i and covered the landing of the troops. '■ . The troops engaged were a wing of H. M. :.' 18th, a wing of H. M. 80th, a wing of the 26th (V-M.NrL, with detatchmentsof Bengal European '>* Artillery and Madras Sappers, in all about 1400 -;i_aen. • I ; The attacking party was commanded by Col. 1:. Reynolds, and Captain Gillespie of the 18th J;was first on, the walls. Only 16 men were ■■is wounded, no officer killed or wounded. feV^On-the.„loth and 11th April, H.M. and the ,j ; Company's vessels destroyed the whole of the Vl -stockades on the Rangoon River. On the 12th, '^H.M. 51st, H.M. 18th, and the 40th N.L f ; J Vanded, and took, after severe fighting, a stock-;->ade called the White Horse Picket, Major '.'lJFraser, of the Engineers, being the first into ,] the stockade. The heat was so excessive that further operations on that day were suspended. Cols. Foord, '•!<Warren, and St. Maur suffered severely from h the heat. | ( J,. jOaithe 13th the heavy guns were landed; on j .;iie-;_4th the troops landed at 5 a.m. Two company's of H.M. 18th, SOth, and 40th N.L, ! formed the advance. j :. The enemy's position was turned, and the \ Pagoda approached on the east side. At eleven /o'clock, after;the artillery had played on and j destroyed the east entrance, the storming party I was formed. It consisted of one wing H. M. j 80th, two companies of the 18th, and two coml paries of the 40th N.L, under the command of t.Col; Coote. The troops advanced steadily and | _tormed the Pagoda with a rush. All the country, round fell with the Pagoda.