me for them to collect and
organize the stubborn resistance of which the river and its defences were
capable. They had not even been able to block the river by sinking
steamers, &c., across it, for, on the very day of the receipt of orders to
advance, the armed steamers, the "Irrawaddy" and "Kathleen," engaged the
nearest Burmese batteries, and brought out from under their guns the king's
steamer and some barges which were lying in readiness for this very
purpose. On the 16th the batteries themselves on both banks were taken by a
land attack, the enemy being evidently unprepared and making no resistance.
On the 17th of November, however, at Minhla, on the right bank of the
river, the Burmans in considerable force held successively a barricade, a
pagoda and the redoubt of Minhla. The attack was pressed home by a brigade
of native infantry on shore, covered by a bombardment from the river, and
the enemy were defeated with a loss of 170 killed and 276 prisoners,
besides many more drowned in the attempt to escape by the river. The
advance was continued next day and the following days, the naval brigade
and heavy artillery leading and silencing in succession the enemy's river
defences at Nyaungu, Pakokku and Myingyan. On the 26th of November, when
the flotilla was approaching the ancient capital of Ava, envoys from King
Thibaw met General Prendergast with offers of surrender; and on the 27th,
when the ships [v.04 p.0848] were lying off that city and ready to commence
hostilities, the order of the king to his troops to lay down their arms was
received. There were three strong forts here, full at that moment with
thousands of armed Burmans, and though a large number of these filed past
and laid down their arms by the king's command, still many more were
allowed to disperse with their weapons; and these, in the time that
followed, broke up into dacoit or guerrilla bands, which became the scourge
of the country and prolonged the war for years. Meanwhile, however, the
surrender of the king of Burma was complete; and on the 28th of November,
in less than a fortnight from the declaration of war, Mandalay had fallen,
and the king himself was a prisoner, while every strong fort and town on
the river, and all the king's ordnance (1861 pieces), and thousands of
rifles, muskets and arms had been taken. Much valuable and curious "loot"
and property was found in the palace and city of Mandalay, which, when
sold, realized about 9 lakhs of rup