Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/468

 448 A HISTORY OP PERSIA. twelve pieces of artillery. This division was composed of detachments of her Majesty's 14th Light Dragoons, and of the Sindh Horse ; of the 64th and 78th Regiments, commanded by Brigadier- General Havelock ; of the 23rd and 26th Regiments of the Bombay Native Army, and of a light battalion, composed of companies of different regiments ; and of the Sappers and Miners and the 3rd troop of the Bombay Horse Artillery and the 2nd light field-battery. These troops were supported by four armed steamers and two sloops of war. On the 24th of March the steamers, having the transports in tow, moved up the river Shut-el-Arab to within three miles of the mouth of the Karoon ; but as some of the larger vessels struck on shoals, and did not reach the place of rendezvous until after darkness had set in, the attack, which had been fixed to take place at once, was necessarily deferred until the following day. During the night, a reconnaissance was made in a boat, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of the soil of an island to the west of, and immediately opposite to, the Persian battery on the northern side of the mouth of the Karoon ; where it was wished to erect a mortar battery. The soil of the island was, however, found to consist of thick mud, and in consequence of this discovery, General Outram determined to place the mortars upon a raft. It was necessary to allow some time for the construction of this raft, and the attack on Mohamra was in con- sequence deferred for another day. On the 25th the raft was formed, under the superintendence of Captain Rennie of the Indian Navy, and having been armed with two 8-inch and two 5 J -inch mortars, to be worked by a party of artillerymen under the command of Captain