e m b a s s y t o a y a .
were astonished to find the pfeesf m4ffae bands of the enemy. A detachment
of 3QQO Peguers, i a war boats, had arrived during then- absence.;.-
and on the 26th, engaged and captured all the boats that waited to convoy
thé deputies, t^ their master. . G^tJffli-'Bakafc^ndH^- at
proceed, conducted the deputies back to Negrais, where they returned on.
the 3d of April, purposing to wait the occurrence of some more favourable,
opportunity.
The irTypAirrmnt.«; that had thus prevented the return of the deputies
were of short duration. On the p s t of April, 113&, thePegaers reeeiweé
certain intelligence that Alompra had attacked Apporaza, in his.'camp a t
Synyangpng, and that their countrymen had suffered a total; defeat^t^eir.
own numbers being greatly diminished by desertion* Bassien became no
ln n y r a place; of safety; they judged if therejbromost prudent, to withdraw
towards Syriam. On the 2£d, the ruins of the town, and its vicinity, were,
completely evacuated, and She navigation of the, riv ear again opened to.
the Birmans.
T h e retreat of these troops was well timed; several detached parties of
Birmans appeared on the subsequent days,; and on the'28ih,~a body of
1000 men arrived at Bassien, a small number by land, the rest hy.w^tery
with 40 war-boats ; they experienced no resistance, and. made a few1 pri-v
soners. A strong convoy was sent down tojfegrais to.escort the daplrties,'
who now pursued their journey without molestation; .they returned an
the 3d of June to Bassien, and left it on the 5th, with a letter from the
resident at Negrais to Alompra, who had reached Dagon* early in the
preceding month.
* Now called Rangoon. Dagon is the name o f a celebrated'teöiplé; a ' short «^stance
from the present city.
{'/The victory '<gained"by Alompra* at^Byhy^h^hg/ ih the end of5 April,
„was deojsiVe>,jf the |l^gu^s''di«hfeari!ened1i fled to Syriam; and many did
not halt -u&tilhtiieyi reached Pegue. Aihong the latter was Appsrazaf
who left th e 'defence dl*, fcjy.fi an i*'1 to a relation of 4-he king of Pegue., fA<9?he
fortifications consisted of a feeble ramp alt, protected by a palisade, and an
inconsiderable fosse, almost dry. Bighttjastsuch obstacles would appear to
regular? trbopsi, 'drey presented a < formidable‘•'OppoSirion t®-the^ desultory
attacks of an undisciplined rabble.
The French and Ki:glish factories at Sy^Mml Were aJ-Ais fih fe ib a state
of ri\ ally, suciriasimighi be expected fronf rKSiSpififtb'fiftational "emulation;
and the avidity of traders on a'rurtow s'fcalle-; lhi_\si t-naVon' of faottefeec&me
at this juncture highly critical; d&ngen approached, could
not,-hope to be entirely exempt. iniltoWas1 not- to be' expected' that- they
would be suffered to remain in nentraMrandjiHl^,'indifferent spectators of
so serious a contest ; it therefore beca’me 'hieeisS&fyHo adopt soikA-d^dbd'
linpibf conduct, in order Tto avoid being considered? as a'chmirtotf'enemy,
whilst the contending powers seemed equally iiX$fous’lt<yW®ch'-t<bern;, In
tfajsid.iffi.cult situation neither the; Freiibh ndr -ihS'-'Englishfleem to have
acted with policy or candours and the iAprunlm&S of certain individuals,
finally, involved others as.well as the^seh?esMn'fatal!G®nsequerites.i i' i
Monsieur1 Bourno, the chief of the French fatetOryy in the interest of the
Peguers, but apprehensive of the power, and. dreading hfae" success, ’of the
Birmans, had recourse to dissimulation, and endeavoured to steer aJiffiddle
course. -Under pretence M occupying' a station where he could - morb
effectually aid - the Peguers, he embarked q& AcfedlJa Frehoh:;ship,- ■ and
with two other vessels belonging to h is ‘nation, dropped' down-,from
Syriam, and moored in the stream1 ofethe Rangoon riveV. Finding; soort