littkdread. q£ punishment. Captain Alves experiehcedinhis dw» person this
ig^ppye^e^lwMph; an individual, at such a juncture, k a y ’eopeettosuffer.
Under frivolous pretences Ms final- diamission was 'protninted | Aor could
he procure the promised answers to the letters of the Governor of Bengal
and Madras, until he had paid fees to .certain officers of government, who
took advantage of the times, to extort unauthorized emoluments. After
Suffering much vexatious imposition, he at length; ton. the 10th of October*
received in form the long expected documents, and on the same evening
left Chagaing to proceed to Persaim, accompanied by Antonio. The
mandate for liberating the English prisoners was punctually-obeyed :' there
were five in number, two of whom, Messrs. Robertson and Helass, Cap*
tain Alves, conformably to the promise made to the Birman King, left at
Persaim, to take care: of the property belonging to the India Company.
On the 1st of November he arrived at Rangoon, where he was received
with kindness and hospitality by Mungai-Narrataw, die Viceroy „-On the
4th he took leave of his host, and on the 14th got to Persaim, where
he again embarked, and sailing from Negrais, reached Calcutta a few days
before the expiration of the year.
In dje mean while the siege of Ava was carried on with vigour, and
the assailants were resolutely resisted. The royal army, computed a t
100,000 men, advanced their stockades within fifty yards of the ditch.
The batteries, consisting of a few old nine and six pounders, casually procured
from shipping at the ports, made little impression on the- walls,
which were unprovided with artillery, but of an uncommon thickness,
being,composed of earth and loose stones, supported by a well built face
of brick and mortar. The water in the ditch, which during the rains is
foil, had subsided so low as to become fordable in several places; the
P^jegçj-s, ma^elreppated attempts to carry the püâeé 'by-stpm-, biit were
repulsed ' ei e lost. The
tobplsj knoyrii^&à%-sur^j^|^jÇ&|i: awaitedvthosÀ whfl'jshoujd be taken,
defended tfigm^elyes obstisa-tdy ;^^gitol&fcionr.yÿ$#mofolhought of : when-
çpep}sy'.aW^^dfôV|i||} mtoiMgt esealade, theiwovksj'they poured
op them, meIt^Je|si^boUmgtoi©Jéîi®i}.aj¥i hot .pitolfi' wMsti)abrisk fire
ofcffiusquetry annoyed them a^àbswfie^îTheMegArvÉâs .thus protracted
for seven jpQnths, ^ n tfo o n s tilli fih£ri&h3îig',sanguine.itiopçs 'ofipcçoup from
the igoyjetopjent-®
These expectations were iimt »realized* iSupplieS^fcom-thf coiartoy failed;
gnd wSfbegan to make /ravages within the notwithstanding: the
pj^gazinçs, .wKÿ^.at the (CO,mJ0ence®ent, pf.the siege were full, Hajiibeeri
hpsbapded ^wjthphe .„utmost economy. Discontent is ever the concomitant
g f digtoess. Xhe'jGtoyernqr of. Mayah Dun, who had,embraced Nüftoan’sl
fçrjlpjse,, deserted from the fort. Flying to Mayah Chan, he collected, hfg
adherents, shut,opt being able Itb.fgsist 'the royâlfibxges, they set fire to the
tpwp, and betopk themselYçsJo the w©dds :and^uJpi^iwhence j^eyiiffte'ri
wards withdrew to the Eastèrlî pTpvincés^jwlir the authority nfi 'the
Pirman monarch was yet scarcely, acknowledged. s3She rebels bad likewise
evacuated the fort pffjEgngho. .Towards rfhe.iend •of :the year, the garrison
in ,Aya ^gas; reduced to the greatest «ftt-remity, and thdit th u m b s tdimi-
nished e e .half by , sickness, famine, and delkrtfoto Jn this^heJEpfess
„state, without ;apy chance of relief, ^fettoon jmade his «scape from the
fort in disguige; but had proceeded pnjy the distance,of two days’ jour#
ijtgy,, .when fie was discovered' by vSQKte' peasants', jandQbrouglit hack in
fitters. Tberfo rt.o f Ava;folk shortly after the „fligM,of its:commandant.
Such ..of his unfortunate adherents as.could n o t,effect .ilieiresc$p;e, iwere