“ I beg to bring to your favourable notice the great zeal and energy displayed by Navigating Sub-Lieutenant M. S. Beatty and Mr. Thos. F. Harrison, Assistant-Paymaster of this ship, throughout the operations, and it is due to their exertions that the Naval Brigade earned the reputation of being always ready.
The conduct of the seamen and Marines has also been most praiseworthy during the fortnight they have been landed, though much of the marching was of a most arduous nature, trying even to regular troops, they behaved with the utmost steadiness. ”

“ It was now getting dark, and, after burning the stockade and all the houses in the Maharajah's campong, the troops were embarked, and the whole force descended the river and arrived at the Residency at 8 P.M., having completely effected our object, with but one casualty—that of Inspector Laggis.
It is impossible to estimate the loss sustained by the enemy, as they invariably carry off their dead and wounded, but I have reason to believe it is considerable.
The next morning the seamen and Marines returned to their ships. ”

“ Leaving 50 men of the 10th Regiment to garrison Blanga, and 22 officers and seamen in charge of the boats, we advanced through the jungle, following the track of the ex-Sultan. When about two miles from Blanga we met some opposition, the rear guard of the ex-Sultan having felled trees and interlaced them with bushes at a turning in the jungle path. ”

“ In the former, the labour undertaken by the men, unaccustomed to the work of poling against a strong, current, and under a hot sun, was excessive ; and on the land, from the extreme badness of the jungle road, the heavy weight of ammunition and rockets to be carried, the exposure at night and occasional shortness of provisions, the service was a most trying one. ”

“ I was sitting in an empty boat. I saw a large number of Malays come to where the proclamation was posted and say, "What, more ! let us tear it down, if they try to prevent us we will stab them." They then tore it down, and rushed at Arshad and stabbed him. I saw the crew of Mr. Birch's boat jump into the river. I also jumped into the river. I saw the small sampan panjang coming down the river, and I swam after it and got in. The Malays were firing at us from both banks as we were coming down.
By Mr. Abbott.—Where did you see Mr. Birch last ? ”

“ The services of the various Naval Brigades appear to have been highly appreciated by Major-General Colborne, Brigadier-General Ross, and the Colonels commanding the various corps to which the Brigades were attached. The naval officers and men were fortunate in being employed on expeditions calculated to call fully into play their sailorlike qualities. ”

“ Every endeavour was made to overtake him, but in consequence of the men of the Naval Brigade having to carry the 24-pounder rockets and tubes, and the great difficulty of moving the guns along the jungle path, full of obstacles such as fallen trees, swampy ground, deep mud, &c., our progress was so much impeded that we were unable to come up with him. ”

“ The natives are gradually gaining confidence at the different stations where the troops are quartered, and are returning to their homes, bringing in fresh supplies for the forces.
The Punglemi, or chief of the village, has promised to report himself tOrday at head-quarters, and we hope to gain some valuable information from him.
Ex-Sultan Ismail and Maharajah Lela are in the jungle, but their exact position is not known. The Naval Brigade is distributed as follows :—
At Blanga, sixty men and officers ; at Kinta, forty-eight men and officers ; at Quetta, Kanza, twenty-five officers and men. ”

“ Three guns were taken, and in the Maharajah Lela's house (inside the inner stockade) , the greater part of the late Mr. Birch's property was discovered; his two boats were also found undamaged, moored alongside the bank. It was now four o'clock, and after giving the men their dinner, I crossed over the river to Campong Gaga, at Major Dunlop's request, taking with me Commander Bruce, Sub-Lieutenant Abbott, Mr. Harrison, and a party of seamen, and burnt the Datu Saga's house. Unfortunately, in executing this Inspector Laggis, of the Police, was severely wounded by a spear thrown by a native. ”

“ We advanced rapidly, showing as large a front as possible, but often having to break into single file from the nature of the country.
We had marched about 2 1/2 miles, when suddenly a heavy fire was heard in front, and the leading troops formed in skirmishing order across an Indian-corn field—the corn about eight feet high-moving forward steadily. As soon as I saw the stockade I ordered the seamen to commence rocketting, which they did as fast as possible, under a heavy fire. ”

“ Captain Buller mentions with praise the Commanders, and they have specially named various officers who accompanied them. I alone can speak of Captain Buller. He has been throughout the service of several weeks with Major-General Colborne. They have co-operated in the most cordial manner. Captain Buller, while engaged with the expedition that penetrated furthest into the country, had to make such arrangements regarding the other brigades, the blockade of the coast, &c., as were best calculated to be conducive to the general success of the joint operations. ”

“ Kota-lama is the village that the late Mr. Birch was stopped at by an armed force, and for some time has been harbouring the worst characters in this part of the country, and it was the intention to destroy the houses belonging to these men. ”

“ The Naval Brigade landed here under my command will consist of four officers, and thirty nine men of this ship, three officers and fifty-five men of the "Modeste," and six men of the "Ringdove," making in all one hundred and seven officers and men.
I have been informed by General Ross, that when he has made arrangements for the transport of troops from Qualla Kansa, at which place the seamen will be most useful in constructing rafts ; he will be glad for me to land the Naval Brigade. On the llth instant, I received instructions from the Brigadier-General to land the "Modeste's" men ”

“ Swettenham arrived and took civil charge of the Residency.
That day we planned an attack on the enemy, the idea being to divide the Sepoys, taking them along both banks and putting both the guns (12-pounder howitzer and 9-pounder Vavasour) in boats, to use them to annoy and divert the enemy's attention during an attack from the troops. However, in the evening I heard from Captain Innes, R.E., Acting Assistant-Commissioner, informing me of the arrival of the troops in the Colonial steamer " Pluto," and decided to await their arrival, which we were afterwards glad of. ”

“ On our arrival there we consulted with Major Dunlop, R.A., Her Majesty's Commissioner for Perak, as to the advisability of proceeding up the river to Blauga, and as it was agreed no time should be lost in doing so, Major Dunlop prdceeded in the most energetic manner and with great difficulty succeeded in obtaining a sufficient number of native boats from friendly Chiefs, with Chinese polers, to convey 200 troops and 70 seamen, with two rockets and two guns, up the river. ”

“ It had been' arranged that the boats fitted with the guns and rockets should in ascending the river keep well in advance of the troops, the boats with the reserve ammunition and for wounded keeping well astern. ”

“ The attacking party being nearly double the number, I cannot speak too highly of the conduct displayed on the occasion by both officers and men, each trying to outvie the other in individual acts of gallantry, being at the time unsupported by any of the troops, who had a short time before had skirmishing parties through this part of the bush. ”

“ At seven o'clock the embarkation commenced, but owing to want of transport the whole party was not landed on the western bank, about a mile and a half above the Residency, until 10.30 A.M. We immediately started in the following order of march:—
Twenty Malays, under Mr. Swettenham, as scouts ; 4 men 10th, under Corporal Anderson, advance guard j 21 men, under Lieutenant Bpoth, leading half-company; 4 seamen of " Thistle," with coolies carrying rockets, under me, accompanied by Captain Innes ; 47 Sepoys and 27 police under Superintendent Plunkett ”