moved forward to attack the centre of the crescent,
disregarding the fire from its wings. When within charging
distance, they went forward with a rush and, cheering lustily, fell
upon the Burmese; and broke their centre, thus isolating the two
wings. The Burmese at once retreated, with the greatest haste, to
the stockaded position in their rear. As usual, the narrow
entrances to the stockades caused great delay; and the British were
upon them before they were, in any way, prepared to resist the
assault.

Heralding their advance by sweeping volleys, they fell upon the
Burmese with the bayonet, and drove them out of their works. The
enemy made an attempt to rally, behind the walls and in the pagodas
of the town, but the effort was vain. They were driven out with
great slaughter, hundreds were drowned in eudeavouring to swim the
river, and the army was finally dispersed in all directions.

The effect of this victory was at once apparent. The country
people--who had, on the advance of the British force from Prome,
been cleared out from the villages along the whole line of
route--being now freed from the restraint of their troops, came
flocking back in great numbers--some by the roads and some in
boats--and it was evident that they regarded the struggle as
definitely terminated. There was, indeed, no possibility of further
resistance; as the armies of Burma, raised with immense difficulty
and by heavy bounties and the promises of great reward, were
hopelessly scattered, and Ava lay open to the British advance.

In other directions their position was equally desperate. Aracan
had been wholly rescued from their grasp. A British force in Pegu
had marched up the river Sitang and, after the repulse of a party
of a hundred and fifty men, imprudently sent to attack Sitang
itself, captured the place after a sharp fight and, receiving
reinforcements from Rangoon, continued their way up the river and
captured Toungoo; while the northern force had driven the Burmese
out of Manipur, and had reached the river Ningti by the 2nd of
February, and were in a position to advance direct upon Ava.

After a halt of two days, General Campbell advanced on the 12th of
February. Mr. Price, the American who had been sent down after the
capture of Melloon, went forward to Ava with the treaty that had
been drawn up before the capture of that place; and the king had no
longer any hesitation in complying with its terms--and was, indeed,
delighted to