Donabyu (White-Peacock Town) has: played, its
part in history, and one cannot pass it by without
thinking of the brave Bandoola, who tried all in vain
to stem the tide of British invasion. Rangoon had
already fallen, and the hopes of the country were
centred in the little town with its fortress and its
garrison of fifteen thousand men.
“ The main work,” as the historian tells, “ was a
stockaded parallelogram of one thousand yards by seven
hundred, which was on the bank well above the level
of the river. On the river face were fifty cannon of
various calibre, whilst the approach on the land side
was defended by two outworks. General Cotton’s force
carried the first stockade at the point of the bayonet,
but was repulsed from the main work, Captains Cannon
and Rose being killed, and the greater number of the
men killed or wounded. General Cotton then retreated
down the river waiting for reinforcements. Sir Archibald
Campbell, the Comrnander-in-Chief, who was
advancing north up the valley of the Hlaing, fell back,
established his headquarters at Henzada and proceeded
down the ri.ver. On arrival before Donabyu, he constructed
batteries of heavy artillery, the enemy making
numerous .sorties with a view of interrupting the work.
When the batteries were completed they opened a .fire
of shot, shell, and rockets, and next day the Burmans
were discovered to be in full retreat. This was
subsequently found to be due to the death ot Bandoola,
who had been- killed by the bursting of a shell.”
Again, a little later, a Dacoit chief held for a little while
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REAPERS AT DONABYU