185 



the woods distinctly mng with a light infantry 

 call, and, as the bugle notes swelled upon the 

 breeze^ the little handful at Soongei P^ittye felt 

 assured that the light company of the corps had 

 arrived from Singapore- 



As the head of the column emerged into the 

 paddy field on which the rear of the stockade rest- 

 ed, conjecture was converted into certainty, 

 flhd the company filed into tfie stockade, bearing 

 the body of Lieutenant White who was numbered 

 amonopst the casualiiei*, bet ng^ mortally wounded 

 though the lungs. The remaining officers con- 

 sisted of Captain Hibgame, Lieutenant Brodie, 

 and EiiJ^ign FothergilL 



Although this detachment had heard the firing 

 at Soongei Paltye, it had conceived tiiat it was 

 entirely a ruse de guerre of the enemy in or- 

 der to induce it to advance incautiously. From 

 the absence of all inteliigcnce since the morning 

 of the 16th, an idea was prevalent in Malacca that 

 the defenders of Soongei Patty e had been cut off 

 to a man, aud that the place was in the possession 

 of the enemy ; the appearance of the party un- 

 der the havildar, as it fell iiuddenly upon the rear 

 of the enemy who were intent upon obstructing 

 the advance of the light company, was the first 

 intimation given that Soongei Pattye was still in 

 the hands of friends. 



At a quarter before three in the afternoon 

 Lieutenant White expired, and was buried the 

 same evening inside tiie stockade. Captain Hib- 

 g^e having remained the whole of the 21st at 

 Soongei Pattye, departed for Malacca at 4 a. m. 

 of the 22d, taking with him Lieutenant Brodie, 



