Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/181

 so great a distance from Rangoon, and taken from his own mess in the Larne. The young gentlemen, Messrs. Winsor, Tomlinson, and Pickey, have also been sufferers with him. I have the honor to be, &c.

(Signed)“.”

“''To Brigadier-General Sir A. Campbell, K.C.B., &c. &c. &c.''”

On the 22d Dec, the Shaw-in-shaw, with a cargo of timber on board, was quite ready for sea; and on the 25th, a petty officer having been ordered to take charge of her, Lieutenant Dobson returned to the Larne. On the 28th, he resumed the command of the Satellite; and on the 30th, was sent back to Pagoda Point, with seven gun-boats under his orders.

In the beginning of 1825, Sir Archibald Campbell prepared to advance upon the Birman capital; and, in order to leave no obstruction in his rear, directed the enemy to be driven from the old Portuguese fort and the pagoda of Syriam, both which posts they had re-occupied and much strengthened since their late unsuccessful attacks upon Kemmendine. During the performance of this service, by the military and naval detachments under Lieut.-Colonel Elrington and Lieutenant Keele, R.N., the Satellite was stationed at the entrance of Syriam river. In the night of Jan. 29th, an auger hole was bored in her bottom, and she had 4½ feet water in the hold before it was discovered. This is supposed to have been done by her carpenter, a Chinese, in order to prevent her from proceeding up the river.

Previous to the advance upon Ava, it was necessary to open a passage up the Lyne river, for which purpose a force was detached from Rangoon, under Lieutenant-Col. Godwin and Captain Chads, who captured a large stockade at Than-ta-bain, with thirty-six guns mounted, and destroyed an immense number of fire-rafts, and canoes filled with combustibles, for the annoyance of the British shipping. On this occasion, the Satellite was allowed to approach within half a mile before the enemy opened their fire, which proved extremely heavy, and raked her “until she brought up by the