430     THE BURMESE WAR     1824

against Keykloo, after a series of successes against stockades and breastworks, was repulsed in his attack upon the pagoda of Keykloo, with a loss of 21 officers and men killed, and 74 wounded. It appears from the report of Brigadier M'Creagh, that the enemy naturally ferocious, wreaked their vengeance upon the prisoners, and that 28 were found "fastened to the trunks of trees on the road-side, mangled and mutilated in every manner that savage cruelty could devise."

One hundred miles to the eastward of Rangoon, stands the city of Martaban. Lieutenant-colonel Godwin has given a graphic description of the appearance of this city, which we place before our readers. " The city rests at the bottom of a very high hill washed by a beautiful and extensive sheet of water ; on its right, is a rocky mound, on which was placed a two-gun battery with a deep nullah under it. This battery communicates with the usual stockade of timber, and behind this, is a work of masonry, varying from twelve to twenty feet thick, with small embrasures for either cannon or musketry. The stockade runs along the margin of the water for more than three quarters of a mile, where it joins a large pagoda, which projects into the water in the form a bastion. The defences then continue a short distance, and end at a nullah, at the other side of which, all is thick jungle. The town continues to run in an angular way from the pagoda, for at least half a mile, and terminates in the house of the Mayoon, close to a stockade up the hill. The whole defence is the water line, with its flanks protected. The rear of the town and work is composed of thick jungle and large trees, and open to the summit."

Such was the place Sir Archibald Campbell determined to attack ; for which purpose, 450 troops were placed under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Godwin. The naval part of the expedition, consisting of six gun-vessels, seven gun-boats, an armed transport which held the troops, one mortar-boat, and thirty men from the Arachne and Sophie, was intrusted to Lieutenant Charles Keele.

On the 27th of October, on which day the squadron arrived at its destination, Lieutenant Keele destroyed 30 of the enemy's war-boats. On the 29th the first regular fire was opened from the enemy's stockade, which was answered in a very spirited manner from the boats. During the night Captain Thomas Kennan, who had the mortar-vessel under his directions, kept up a destructive fire, and on the 30th Lieutenant-colonel Godwin made a regular attack. Some misunderstanding arose as to the landing-place, which occasioned some delay, but Lieutenant Keele, having discovered in the nullah a boat, over which it was possible to pass to the fort, the boats pulled in, and, under a heavy and well-directed fire of musketry, the fort was stormed and carried, but not without a brave resistance on the part of the

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