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18 desire to aggrandize some of the region lying to the south of the company's territories. About 1798 some 30,000 Mugs, inhabitants of Arracan, in Burmah, fled from the oppression of their Burmese masters and sought refuge in Chittagong, a possession of the British. Several attempts were made by the Burmese to secure the return of these fugitives, but without avail; between 1800 and 1813 five or six embassies were sent by the Burmese government to that of India with this object in view, but all failed of their purpose. Then all was quiet for a time, save that there were occasional raids of very little consequence along the frontier. In 1822 the Burmese adopted bellicose measures; they seized the island of Shahporee, at the entrance of the arm of the sea dividing Chittagong from Arracan, overpowering the British by a night attack and taking possession in the name of the Burmese goverment [sic]. When asked to explain his action, the governor of Arracan announced that his government had annexed the island, and unless the right of the Burmese to its possessions were admitted, the king of Burmah would send an army to invade the British territory. This plan of proceeding was not unlike that of more civilized countries, Great Britain among them, in carrying on the work of annexation, but when tried against the British it was certain to be resented.

The governor-general of India was not ready to assume the offensive at once; the Burmese mistook delay for timidity and proceeded to invade British territory. Large bodies of Burmese troops crossed the frontier from Assam and Munnipore and established themselves in bamboo stockades; they were driven out by the British, but not without considerable loss to the latter. These operations took place in 1823 and '24; while the British were preparing to send a considerable force against the invaders, news came to Calcutta that Maha Bandula, the favorite general of the king of Ava, had penetrated the British territories bordering Arracan with a large army, and was so confident