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of boats, commanded by Lieutenant Smith, had two men mortally wounded by musketry from a stockade, which our sailors soon burnt to the ground, the enemy flying as they advanced to storm it. During the night of the 18th, some formidable fire-rafts were launched by the enemy; but, owing to the activity of Lieutenant Smith, their effect was totally lost. On the 19th, the extensive stockade of Panlang and its outworks were taken; on which occasion the Brigadier-General, in a letter to Sir Archibald Campbell, commander-in-chief of the army, thus expresses himself:–

“The alacrity, zeal, and courage manifested by the officers and men, collectively and individually, I beg to bring to your notice. I have requested permission of Captain Alexander to express my obligations to Lieutenant Smith, of H.M. ship Alligator, for the gallantry and judgment with which he has conducted the light division of boats; and I beg leave to bring him to your particular notice. He has mentioned to me, that he has derived great assistance from Lieutenants Keele and Kellett, of the royal navy^[1].”

The light division was very actively and usefully employed during the operations against Donoobew, in Mar. 1825. On the 1st April, Lieutenant Smith assumed the direction of a breaching battery mounting four brass 12-pounders. After the capture of that place. Sir Archibald Campbell and Captain Alexander sent despatches to their respective superiors of which the following are extracts:–

“I now beg leave,” says the former, “to acknowledge my obligations to Captain Alexander, C.B., senior naval officer, and commanding the flotilla, for his hearty and cordial co-operation on all occasions since we have served together, and for his very great exertions on the present occasion, in bringing up stores and provisions. Since we have been before Donoobew, eleven of the enemy’s large class war-boats have been captured by our advanced boats, under his own immediate orders; making, with others, evacuated by their crews, thirty-eight first rate war-boats now in our possession; and I have every reason to think that only five of the large squadron the enemy had stationed at this place, have succeeded in escaping. A vast number of other boats, of an excellent description, have also fallen into our hands. By Brigadier-General Cotton, and all

1. See Naval Operations in Ava, p. 71, et seq.