Chittagong province, where* secure from pursuit, being then under protection
of the British flagi they disposed o f their spoils to-advantage, and
lived at ease, until returning want impelled themrta renew their predatory
inroads.
The river Naaf, which bounds the British and Birman territories, is
situated at a considerable distance from the town of Chittagong, the seat of
provincial government, and residence o f the®ngfish magistrate. 'The banks
o f this river are covered with deep jungles, interspersed with scanty spots of
cultivation, and a few wretched villages, where dwell the poorest class of
herdsmen, and the families of roving hunters, whose ocenparion it i s to
catch and tame the wild elephants, with which these forests, abound. T h e
asylum that such unfreepfented places offered to'persons esncesnsd .hr. a
lawless traffic, rendered it easy to be carried on without -the ' know ledsgs of
the English officers of justice-; nor amid it possibly reach the n ta e te r f
the Supreme Board, unless a proper representation was made, either by
the individuals that were aggrieved, or by the government o f their country.
This, however, was a condescension, to which, the; mighty Emperor of the
Birmans, who conceives himself superior to every potentateanjeairth,,
would never stoop. To ask redress was beneath his dignity ; he proceeded
by a more summary course to do himself justice. - On its being ascertained
that three distinguished leaders of the robbers had sought refuge
in the British districts, his Birman Majesty, without communicating, his
intention, or in-aay form demanding the fugitives, thought fit to order a
body of 500Q men, under an officer of rank, to enter the. Company’s territories,
with positive injunctions to the, commander not to return, unless
he brought with him the delinquents, dead or alive further, to support this
detachment, an àrmy of 20,000 men were held in readiness u tA im cw ,
, -,So ^without a.nyv-pyyi^ « remorf-jl
stance, o^tjie as^gpmont Qf ^rtyisplea^e^h;©, zoom TdrJA,»cussing -the
-Thh Birmans .hrfyjpg taken .B{^rythemsejyesta;fiedi!ess;|
their ,gfievaEceSj,,^^|gmy Jgtefyegsa^y them dbs&jthey had
i g j s t a k e n w h a t tjjtAijiujght;iqadlh ptO^uiggJipjpjjEjii^lishi
■ ^ tite ^ t-h e ^ e u u l d - ^ p i ^ ^ t ^ . g h ;/ ^ ^hjstplupWr
a stron^.deiachmuit.wah formed .it thq pit.Jad.tncy^ tjie iCwrttluGd ol.-wJiu.il
w-as intrusted to M^jpn,Q©peijal Erskiue ffi^e^tropps proceeded from GataJ
c^tta &(Ghittagongya-batta%n-,.o$-Ed^geaus]anrit,A^til4ejy by. watery, and
Ujg,-nativ6j sepoys^» land
' EfSereqi N#ipda Kiozq, -tfa^Birman-jehjtf;. 60r,whem>-the arduous task toftl
i^glaimpg the fugitives was assigned acted with njqres Gircur^pectiou
and prudence, thanjjthe- government from whiebuh^had received Jnsrind-I
Slft^tiops. I After his army, had crossed the river, and. encamped on the
vyestan bank>she*dictated a letter to-, the British judge; aAd magistrate'of I
Chittagong, acquainting him o f the reasonsdor, t t a inroad-; that the caption I
of|heyielinquents was his, gotoobject, withqutdh*bo.i®ngc apy^dysignyof I
hostilities,against,thg -%gli;ffi. At die same, timC he declared,'in a stryldJ
^.peremptory demand, that until, they, were given u p ^ aw o u ld not depart!
from the' Company’s territories,.- in coefanarion of $ak menace, he fortified,
his camp in the Birman manner, with a- stockade,- and: seemed dqtef-
mined to resist any attempt to oblige: him. to r e r i i ^ i T b ^
sp o rted to government, the Governor General was.pleased to order,the
Magistrate of Chittagong to apprehend- the ieffigees^and keep them isj.
safe custody until further directions.
Cm the approach of General Erskine, Seree Ntmda Kiozo sent a flag of
truce, to propose terrts.of accommodation, stipulating femthe surrender of