1 8 THE TENTH WAR: IN BURMAH. 



So far, so good. The new Governor arrived at Rangoon ; and on 

 his arrival the British Commodore sent an officer, who, finding he 

 was asleep, got angry, and demanded that the Governor should be 

 awoke, or worse consequences would ensue. As they could not, or 

 (Jare not awake the Governor, the English officer left in a great rage, 

 and reported to the British Commodore the great outrage to the 

 Flag of England; and thereupon, the Commodore summoned all 

 British subjects to leave Rangoon, seized the Burmese vessels of war, 

 proclaimed the Irrawaddy in a state of blockade, and broke off all 

 further communications; in a word — war. 



This was the whole offence against Burmah, which led to a long and 

 sanguinary war, arrested commerce, destroyed property, besieged 

 towns, thousands slaughtered, millions spent ; and what for ? 



To avenge an imaginary affront to the dignity of a sixth-rate 

 British officer by keeping him standing in the sun a quarter of an hour. 



War ! ruin ! and blood ! was nothing compared with the inexpiable 

 atrocity of keeping a British officer standing in the sun a quarter" of 

 an hour ! 



To propitiate the British Commodore the King and Government 

 of Burmah tried pacific and conciliatory messages, and offered that a 

 British Resident should be appointed to Rangoon, and he offered also 

 to pay a sum of 7,000 rupees as compensation. 



And they went further, for finding all these efforts in vain to avert a 

 war, they opened direct communication with Lord Dalhousie, 

 Governor-General of India ; but, unhappily, Lord Dalhousie sup- 

 ported the Commodore, and sent an ultimatum to the King at Ava 

 that he should make an abject apology to everybody, pay an indem- 

 nity of ten lacs of rupees, and a further sum in compensation for the 

 preparations of war, and that the Governor of Rangoon should a 

 second time be removed. 



These modest proposals Burmah could not accept, and finding all 

 attempts at conciliation were in vain, she resolved to prepare for the 

 conflict which was inevitable. 



Then followed hostilities, and the usual glorification of the " spirit," 

 " coolness," " intrepidity," " admirable behaviour " of " our gallant 

 troops." 



- Rangoon, Dallah, Mortaban, Kassamendive, were taken by the 

 Fleet; and we are treated to the usual description — that the fire 

 was most effective, that the practice of the gunboats against the 

 Burmese caused many casualties, that every shot told, that the enemy 

 suffered great loss by our cannonade — one shell alone causing a 



