last villages
through which they had passed, that there had been an attack made
upon the pagoda on the 1st of July. On that day the Burmese, in
great force, had moved down in a line parallel to the road between
the pagoda and the town, along which a considerable number of our
troops were encamped. They had advanced until within half a mile of
Rangoon, then had changed front and attacked the British position
near the town. They occupied a hill near our line, and opened fire
from there with jingals and small cannon; but two British guns
firing grape soon silenced their guns, and a Madras regiment
charged the hill and recaptured it.

This entirely upset the plan of the Wongee in command of the
Burmese. The signal for the whole of the army to attack was to have
been given, as soon as their left had broken through the British
line, and had thus cut off all the troops on the road leading to
the pagoda from the town. Seeing that this movement had failed, the
general did not give the signal for the general attack, but ordered
the troops to fall back. He had been recalled in disgrace to Ava;
and a senior officer, who arrived just after the battle, assumed
the command. He at once set to work to make a very strong stockade
at Kummeroot, five miles from the great pagoda; and also fortified
a point on the river above Kemmendine--the stockade that had been
captured by the British--and intended from this point to send down
fire rafts to destroy the British shipping and, at the same time,
made continuous attacks at night on the British lines.

The rains at this time were falling incessantly, and the Burmese
did not think that the British would be able to move out against
them. The position on the river was connected with that at
Kummeroot by strong stockades; and the Burmese general was
convinced that, if an attack was made, it could be easily defeated.
However, eight days after the repulse of the Burmese first attack,
the vessels came up the river, while a land column moved against
Kummeroot.

The position was a strong one. The river was here divided into two
branches and, on the point of land between these, the principal
stockade was erected and was well provided with artillery; while on
the opposite banks of both rivers other stockades with guns were
erected, so that any attack by water would be met by the direct
fire from the great stockade, and a cross fire from those on the
banks.

Four ships came up, and the Burmese guns