On the 1st December, at day-light, numerous and apparently formidable masses of the advancing enemy were discovered issuing from the jungle, and moving at some distance upon both flanks of the British army, for the purpose of surrounding it, which Sir Archibald Campbell allowed them to effect without interruption, leaving his own troops only the narrow channel of the Rangoon river unoccupied in the rear. Observing the right corps of Bandoola’s force cross to the Dalla side, and one division occupy the almost inaccessible ground on the bank of the river, from which a distant fire was soon opened upon the shipping. Captain Ryves (his senior officer not having yet returned from Pegu,) immediately procured from the commander-in-chief a guard of 100 sepoys for the transports; then placed the Arachne in her usual situation, about one mile and a half in advance of the fleet, to enfilade the Madras lines, and ordered Captain Goodridge back to support the post at Kemmendine.
In the afternoon, a detachment under Major Sale, consisting of H.M. 13th regiment, and the 18th Madras native infantry, broke through the entrenchments which the enemy, with their usual dexterity, had already thrown up; and after killing a number of men, and destroying their works, returned loaded with military spoil. In the evening of the same day, two companies of the 38th, under Captain Hugh Piper, drove back a considerable force, which was approaching inconveniently near to the N.E. angle of the Shwe-da-gon pagoda; and, on the following morning, a party was dislodged from a commanding situation in front of the north gate of that stately edifice, by Captain Christopher Wilson, with two companies of the 38th, and a detachment of native infantry. During the night of the 1st December, the Teignmouth was again driven from her station by fire-rafts, and the post at Kemmendine thereby subjected to furious and incessant attacks. In his account of the operations of December 1st, Major Snodgrass at length acknowledges the value of naval co-operation, which his excellent commander-in-chief had long before fully discovered and appreciated. At page 99 of his narrative, the Major says, “the day had scarcely dawned
