Deputy Commissioner, Tenasserim Provinces. SIR.-I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 30th ultimo, and to transmit to vou the enclosed copy of the letter which has this day been addressed to the Commissioner on the subject of it.

I have, &c.

GEORGE SWINTON,

Fort William, 29th September, 1829.

Chief Secretary to Government.

TO A. D. MAINGY, Esq.

Commissioner in the Tenasserim Provinces. SIR, I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of the Deputy Commissioner's despatch, dated 30th August, and to communicate to you as follows:

2. The Governor-General in Council has perused Major Burney's very full and satisfactory report of his proceedings at Tavoy with interest, and desires, that you will convey to him the high approbation and applause of the Government, for the judgment, energy, and decision manifested by him in putting down the insurrection at Tavoy, and in restoring the tranquillity of the place. The execution of the ringleaders and their principal adherents is entirely approved.

3. His Lordship in Council has not overlooked the honorable testimony which the Deputy Commissioner has borne to the exertions of Captain Cuxton, the officer commanding at Tavoy, and of those under his command.

4. The services of Sub-Conductor Croley, Staff Serjeant Richardson, and Sub-Assistant Surgeon Bedford of the Madras establishment, are considered to have been highly meritorious, and will be made the subject of a communication to the Governor in Council of Fort Saint George.

His Lordship in Council desires that you will be pleased to acquaint Mr. Lindguist, the commander of the Diana, steamer, that his gallantry, activity, and zeal are duly appreciated by the Government, and enhance his claim to its favorable consideration. His offer to navigate the Cutter Ruby to the presidency in charge of Major Burney's despatch, and which offer was accepted affords a further proof of his ardour, and alacrity in the public service.

6. You will also be pleased to acknowledge in suitable terms the services rendered to Major Burney by the Reverend Mr. Boardman. Major Burney has likewise noticed with approbation the spirited conduct of Mr. Druemgoole.

7. The Governor-General in Council proposes, in conformity with the suggestion of the Deputy Commissioner, to bestow medals to the four head-men of the Chine-e settlers at Tavoy, as a token of His Lordship in Council's approbation of their good conduct.

The arrangement made by Colonel Vigoreux for re-inforcing the Garrison at Tavoy by an additional company of sepoys and a detail of European artillery men, is approved, and you will be pleased to communicate with that officer on the subject of a permanent increase of force for the garrison of Tavoy, and to report your sentiments and his, whether that detachment can conveniently be spared from the head quarters at Moulmein, should it be considered necessary to maintain it at the former station.*

9. With reference to the severe loss sustained by the Deputy Commissioner in the destruction of his library and other private property at Tavoy, His Lordship in Council desires, that that officer be directed to submit an estimate of the value of the property destroyed, and a statement of the losses sustained by the other officers at that station.

10. Mr. Lindguist has been directed to return to Moulmein without loss of time.

(Sd.)

I have, &c.

GEORGE SWINTON,

Fort William, 29th September, 1829. Chief Secretary to Government. Major Burney afterwards received from Government a sum of Sa. Rs 7,911, as compensa tion for the loss of his property, agreeably to the estimated value submitted by him.

G. O. BY GOVERNMENT.-The Right Honorable the Governor in Council has received with great satisfaction advices from the Supreme Government, enclosing a report from Major Burney, Deputy Commissioner for the affair of the Tenasserim Provinces, in which he ascribes the suppression of the insurrec tion at Tavoy to the prompt and judicious measures adopted by the late Captain Cuxton of the 19th Regiment N. 1., and to the stea iy conduct of the detachment under his command, aided by the gallant services of Sub-Conductor Corley, Staff Sergeant Richardson, and Sub-Assistant Surgeon Bedford, who, in the absence of the artillery, manned and served the guns in the most spirited and effectual manner.

The subsequent death of so valuable an officer, as Captain Cuxton is an event of deep regret, but it is a great satisfaction to the Right Honorable the Governor in Council to express his high approbation of the services of the whole detachment, and, at the recommendation of His Excellency the Commanderin-Chief to promote the following individuals, who particularly distinguish ed themselves on that occasion.

Sub-Conductor T. T. Corley of the Ordnance Department, to be a

Conductor,

Staff Serjeant Richardson of the Commissariat Department, to be Sub-Overseer.

Acting Apothecary Bedford, to be an Apothecary.

Mooniapay Naik, Light Company, 19th Regiment, to be a Jemadar, and privates Madar Saib, Chinnoo, Rungiah, Allaudy, and Shaik Tippoo, who were on the magazine-guard to be Havildars; the whole to be borne on the rolls as supernumeraries until vacancies occur to bring them upon the strength of their respective corps and departments.

(Copy of a letter addressed to Brigadier Vigoureux, C. B., commanding the troops on the Tenasserim Coast, by Major H. Burney, Resident at Ava.)

SIR,-Having just learned from a general order issued by the Government of Fort St. George, dated 20th February last, that the Right Hon'ble the Governor in Council has been pleased to notice and reward certain individuals, who were reported by me to have been of great service last year, in suppressing the insurrection at Tavoy, I hope you will permit me to submit through you to the consideration of the same high authority, the conduct on that occasion also of Abdullah Khan, Havildar of the light company of the 19th Regt. now at Tavoy. It was not until after I had made my report to the Supreme Government, that the exemplary behaviour of this individul was made known to me. He was in command of the treasury-guard at my office on the morning of the 9th August, and when the insurgents commenced their attack by attempting to take possession of the magazine, which was but a short distance from my office, he not only took upon himself the responsibility of immediately detaching three of his guard to re-inforce and support the magazine-guard, and I understand that these three men falling upon the rear of the assailants were of the greatest service; but his whole conduct and arrangements were calculated, in no ordinary degree, to give confidence to my family and servants, and to prevent any of the insurgents from approaching the public treasure. The steadiness and presense of mind which he displayed at a time when all my servants and others near him were in a state of wonder and dismay, prove him to be a soldier in whom the fullest reliance may be confidently placed on any occasion of danger and difficulty, and I should be wanting in my public duty if I hesitated, from any apprehension of being considered intrusive, to bring such a man to the notice of his superiors.

I have, &c.

H. BURNEY, Major.
Resident at Ava.

NOTE.-Abdullah Khan was promoted by the Right Hon'ble the Governor in Council of Fort

St. George to the rank of Subadar.

ACCOUNT OF THE INSURRECTION AT MERGUI,

IN 1829.

To GEORGE SWINTON, Esq.

Tavoy 11th of September, 1829.

Chief Secretary to Government.

SIR, I had the honour to report to you on the 30th ultimo, the particulars of an insurrection that had taken place at this station, which I left on the 20th ultimo, in order to communicate with Brigadier Vigeuroux at Moulmein, whence I addressed you.

Before leaving this station for Moulmein, I had despatched an express-boatmanned by Malays, to Mergui for the purpose of apprizing the officer in civil charge there, of what had occurred here, and pursuant to the intention communicated to you in my report of the 30th ultimo, I left Moulmein on the same day with a view of returning here. But, upon my arrival at Amherst, the weather was considered far too boisterous for such a vessel as the Hon. Company's steamer Diana, built for river navigation only, to put to sea in, and I was detained there. On the evening of the 1st I succeeded in getting the cutter Ruby, which I had taken up for the conveyance of my despatches to you, to put to sea. About noon of the 3d, just as I was about to try to quit Amherst harbour, a small vessel came in from Tavoy with the distressing intelligence, that before my express-boat could reach Mergui, some of the inhabitants of that place had conspired to follow the example of those at Tavoy, and had induced Captainsuddenly to quit his charge. This intelligence was received at Tavoy from a native, and its details, of which I enclose a copy as received by me, appeared rather incredible.

I returned, however, on the same night to Moulmein, and having been furnished by Brigadier Vigoureux with a party of thirty Europeans from H.M. 45th regiment, and two howitzers, to be used in case the insurgents at Mergui should have established themselves upon one of the many commanding spots there, I made all haste back to Amherst, and succeeded in getting the Diana out to sea on the evening of the 4th. Notwithstanding we had to encounter weather which broke five or six of the paddle-arms of the Diana, we reached Tavoy town on the afternoon of the 6th.

Upon my arrival, I discovered, as I had previously hoped, that the change of affairs here and the example which I had made of the ring-leaders, had, when heard at Mergui, excited great alarm among the conspirators there, who were using means for discovering the place to which Captain had retired, apparently with a view of re-calling him to Mergui, I found also, that one of the principal conspirators, Moung Showe Ya, a son of the former Burmese Governor of Mergui, had delivered himself up to Colonel Kelly, I beg to enclose a copy of the account which Moung Showe Ya gave of himself, and of the events which marked the sudden departure from Mergui, of not only Captain, but of the whole of the officers and troops serving there. I ascertained, that Moung Showe Ya's account of himself was not altogether correct. He had left Mergui with the intention of receiving further instructions regarding that place, from the principal traitor at Tavoy, Moungda, and in his boat were found the regimental jackets and a sword belonging to one of our officers. It was upon his arrival at a village (Kunethari) near the mouth of Tavoy river, that he first learnt the change of affairs here, and the execution of Moungda and his adherents. Hearing this, he saw the total destruction of all their treasonable plans, and conceived that his best course, under such a change of circumstances, was to come on to Tavoy, and deliver himself up to us.

A few days after the arrival of Moung Showe Ya, a Malay boat had come to Tavoy from Mergui with some additional intelligence. The Nakhoda of the boat declared that he had been despatched by a Burmese named

to trace the place to which Captain and the troops had gone, in order to convey to them provisions, and to persuade them to return to Mergui.

Upon the arrival of this Malay, Colonel Kelly had despatched a small schooner, the Susan, with a supply of provisions, for the relief of Captain and his party; and, as soon as the Lady Munro had come in with the reinforcement of another company of the 19th regiment which Brigadier Vigoureux had sent to relieve the 100 Europeans from H. M 45th regiment, Colonel Kelly made arrangements for proceeding to reoccupy Mergui.

My arrival with the Diana steam vessel was just in time to save Government a good deal of expense; for, at my suggestion, Colonel Kelly embarked on board of her, a party of fifty men of H. M. 45th regiment and a few artillery men, and put on board a small vessel, which was fastened to the stern of the Diana, the company of sepoys that had just arrived from Moulmein in the Lady Munro. We left Tavoy town in the afternoon of the 7th instant, and succeeded in towing with safety the small vessel fastened to the Diana into Mergui harbour on the morning of the 9th. We were prepared to meet with resistance from the conspirators, as I was doubtful how far we might credit the intelligence which the Malay Nakhoda had brought to Tavoy; but a few minutes before we reached the anchorage, a boat pushed off from the shore and met us, having on board Mr. Hutton, (Captain's clerk) Mr. Aide, George DeCastro, and Moung Showe Gyal himself, the person who had assumed the title of Myowoon of Mergui. Upon the departure of Captain, these persons brought to us the pleasing intelligence that all was quiet at Mergui, and that the conspiracy against our Government had been abandoned from the moment accounts were received of the fate of Moungda and his friends. I had taken Moung-Showe Ya with me from Tavoy, and I immediately held a Special Deputy Commissioner's Court and tried him and seven other principal men for treason and conspiracy against the British Government. I beg to enclose a copy of my proceedings at these trials.

The depositions at these trials will inform Government of one of the most extraordinary and incomprehensible occurrences which I have ever heard or read of, until Captain--and the officers of the 19th M. regiment with him have an opportunity of explaining, it is of course due to justice as well as to them for me to refrain from giving any opinion. I can only relate, that it appears a very exaggerated account of the insurrection at Tavoy having been conveyed to Mergui, with the addition that not only Tavoy but Monimein had been destroyed by the Burmese, and that an army of 5,000 men under Moungda was coming overland, and had reached within a few hours' march of Mergui, where it was to be joined by the principal inhabitants of the place, Captam--and the officers of the 19th regiment suddenly and secretly embarked themselves and the whole of the troops on board a small cutter and the Government accommation boat, and left Mergui in the dead of the night, having on board nothing but a little rice. It is unquestionable, that the intelligence of Woungda's success at Tavoy had induced several of the inhabitants of Mergui to conspire to attempt a similar revolt there, but they had not the means or spirit to make any attack, or even to gather in a body, and if they had, a great proportion of the population of Mergui consists of Chinese, native Christians and Mussulmans (Moormen and Malays), and the place is by nature remarkably tenable in a military point of view, whilst the tale of an army of 5,000 men marching overland from Tavoy at this season of the year, might have been incredible to any one who had seen any part of the intermediate country during even the dry weather. It appears, that the Government jailor, Bawa Saib, who is one of the individuals whom I tried, and who was mach in Captain -- --ʼs confidence, acted a most treacherous part, exaggerating the reports which were brought from Tavoy, and leasing on Captain and the other officers to adopt the measure of retiring from Mergui without firing a shot. But Captain

--and the other officers, could not expect to go very far in the crowded and unprovided state in which they left Mergui: it will be seen from the enclosed trials, that after seven days of labour and privations, they had not got more than thirty-five miles from Mergui, to a small spot on Tavoy island, where the Chinese farmers of the birds nests occasionally reside during the dry season, and that here, those in the cutter are said to have let loose the boat asteru,

filled with sepoys, and left it. The conspirators had, in the first instance, despatched some armed boats to overtake and apprehend the party from Mergui, but upon hearing of the change at Tavoy they sent some others with provisions to afford them assistance, and these boats fortunately found the sepoys whose boat had been wrecked shortly after the cutter left them, and brought them back to Mergui in a most deplorable condition.

The evidence of the subadar in charge of this party of sepoys appears in the enclosed proceedings of my trials. He states, that he understood the cutter to have directed its course for Penang. The schooner Susan, which Colonel Kelly had despatched from Tavoy, has returned, and so have several Burmese boats, without being able to meet with the cutter or any of those embarked in her. From her crowded state and deficiency of provisions, I have much reason to fear that she will not reach Penang at that season of the year. I have directed some more boats to be despatched from Mergui to the southward in quest of this party.

I proceed to state the measures which I have adopted at Mergui. Colonel Kelly has placed the following detail as the garrison until further orders:

Thirty men of H.M. 45th regt. under Lieut. Potts; one corporal and six gunners of the Madras European Artillery, one Company of the 19th M. regt. under Lieutenant Kennedy.

I have put in civil charge of the place, until the pleasure of the Civil Commissioner, his assistant, Lieutenant Leslie, who accompanied me from Moulmein, and whose knowledge, of the Burmese language intimate acquaintance with the place and people from former residence there, and, particularly, whose mild and prepossessing manners, render him well qualified to restore every thing to its former footing at Mergui, with the inhabitants of which place he is a great favourite. I have been obliged to attach to him some person as a Master Attendant, and I have selected for this office, pending the pleasure of the Civil Commissioner, Mr. Dromgoole, who lately afforded me to much aid at Tavoy, and who would be satisfied with a reduced salary of 150 rupees per month, I have been obliged to avail myself of the services also of the former Master Attendant of Tavoy, Mr. Emmott, who volunteerd to take charge of the small vessel in which the sepoys were towed down to Mergui, and whom I have authorized, pending the pleasure of the Civil Commissioner, to act in his former situation of Master Attendant of Tavoy, upon a moiety of his former salary, 150 rupees per month.

I have endeavoured in the late measures which it has fallen to my lot to adopt, in order to suppress the insurrection at Tavoy and re-occupy Mergui, to study economy as much as possible; and I hope when Government will examine the account of my extraordinary disbursements, which I propose to prepare and forward immediately, I shall be acquitted of having incurred any unnecessary charge. Colonel Kelly, at my suggestions proposes to fix at the garrison of Tavoy, until further orders, the following detail:

Thirty men of H. M. 45th regt. under Lieut. Taylor; one corporal and eight gunners of the Madras European artillery, under Lieut. Rolland, and two companies of the 19th M. regt. under Captain Cuxton and Ensign Young.

The party of sepoys belonging to the late garrison of Mergui, Colonel Kelly proposes to remand to the Head-quarters of the regiment at Moulmein on board the Lady Munro, which will at the same time take back seventy men of H. M. 45th regt. under Captain Moore.

It was not my original intention to propose that any portion of H. M. 45th Regiment should be left at Tavoy and Mergui, and Brigadier Vigoureux wished that the whole should be remanded to their head quarters. But the loss of a great por

tion of the sepoys who for.ned the garrison of Mergui, and a desire not to interfere in any manner with the arrangements which the Government of Fort Saint George has made for the Lady Munro, to take over to Madras the party of the 36th Regiment now at Moulmein, have induced me to change my intention. By keeping a party of H.M. 45th regiment at Mergui and Tavoy, Brigadier Vigoreux will, I hope, no longer consider it necessary to detain the detail of the 36th regiment from returning to Madras in the Lady Munro.

I beg here respectfully to solicit the Right Hon'ble the Governor-General in