252 



The sappers were employed ia cutting ano- 

 ther road down Bukit Pur-Liug, the old one 

 beiog so steep as to injure the cattle, aud by the 

 )3th a very easy desceut and excellent road was 

 completed. On this dny. Captain JuMice and 

 lieutenant Minio, with their respective compa- 

 nies, jained from Bukit Seboosa. of which post 

 Captain Wallace was left in command, 



14th. Lieutenant Begbte with tlie 12 pr, how- 

 itzer, and a company of the aih L under 

 Lieutenant Poole, formed the covering party to 

 the sappers under Lieutenant Delt. The in- 

 structions to the senior officer were, that infor* 

 mation had been received of three stockades cluse 

 upon the verge of the cut tin j?; these he was to 

 reconnoitre, and occupy, if empty. Lieutenant 

 Beghie accordingly despatched some of the Ma- 

 lay Conting^ent to reconnoitre, These, hrivi»g 

 gone to the edge of a paddy field, obrerved the 

 stockades at a div^tance, which they conceived to 

 be enijMy, but would not cro^ss the field in order 

 to satisfy thrmselvc:*. Lieut. Poole subyequent- 

 ly reconnoitred them, and, in the afternoon, the 

 three officers proceeded along theioad until they 

 arrived at an eminence which overloc»ked thei^e 

 works. No doubt remained that tliey were emp- 

 ty, but the senior officer, lakiuif into cou^^iderati- 

 on that these stockades, which rested on the 

 jungle in their rear, were so prominently exposed 

 as to render it probable that they formed merelv 

 a lure, whilst sironger works were concealed in 

 the vicinity^ihat they were commanded by 

 ri^sing grounds— that the inlantry consisted only 

 of 38 rank and file, and that the paddy field pre- 



