Massachusetts Spy And Worcester Advertiser

BOSTON, NOV. 27.
NEW WAR IN INDIA.
We have had numerous accounts of
the existence of war between the En-
glish East India Company and the Bir-
man Empire; but the most interesting
of them have been received from Mem-
bers of the American Missionary station,
which was established in that empire
some twelve years since. It appears by
these letters, that the origin of the war
was a dispute respecting the jurisdiction
of an island in the river Naif, which
both parties claimed, and who chose to
decide the claim by "the last reasoning
of Kings." Until very recently, little
was known in Europe or America of the
existence of the Birman Empire, as they
had no intercourse with Europeans, and,
like the Chinese, lived within them-
themselves. The people are said to be har-
dy, stout, and sanguinary––and the pop-
ulation of the empire is estimated to ex-
ceed fourteen millions of souls. The
particulars of the first skirmish in the
war, near Chittagong, has been publish-
ed. The loss was considerable on both
sides. To carry the war into the heart
of the empire, all the disposable force of
the Company was assembling at Ran-
goon, which had been captured by the
British. The following letter from the
Rev. Mr. Hough to his friends in New
Hampshire, gives some details of the pro-
gress of the war, and of the perils expe-
rienced by the American Missionaries :––
"RANGOON, MAY 13, 1824.
"My DEAR AND HONORED FATHER––It
is with great pleasure, and with grati-
tude to the Divine Disposer of all events,
that I live to tell you we are safe a-
midst the noise and bustle of war. The
British troops took possession of this
place on the 11th. In the engagement,
they met with a very slight resistance.
Of the British, not an individual was
killed, or even wounded. Several Bir-
mans were killed and wounded.
"On the 10th, about 7 o'clock in the
evening, brother Wade and myself were
taken by ten or twelve Birmans, by or-
der of the government, and conducted to
prison, where we found six Englishmen,
(merchants and traders in this place) al-
ready confined. About 9 o'clock they
were put in irons––and at day-light,
brother Wade and myself were also fet-
tered in the same manner. with this dif-
ference, that we were chained together.
"On the 11th, at about 1 o'clock, the
fleet came up to town, and the engage-
ment commenced: the Birman guns
were soon silenced––and the inhabitants
of the town and suburbs, probably a-
mounting to 25,000, fled to the jungles.
[ morasses and bushes] with what they
could carry on their shoulders and heads.
The government on their retreat order-
ed us out for execution. The execu-
tioners accordingly rushed into the
prison, seized and stripped us to the
shirt and pantaloons, bound our arms
with cords behind us, and dragged
us out into one of the streets of the
town, where our necks were bared, and
we were ordered to the position for be-
heading. I was the only person among
us who could speak the Birman lan-
guage, and proposed that we should not
be at that instant executed, telling them
I would go to the fleet and propose an
accommodation. This was assented to––
but not until they had dragged us, in the
most barbarous manner, about a mile
from town. Then I was released––and
taking a Birman with me, made my way
to the river and fleet : but on the way,
I met the first party of the British troops
who had landed. I informed them
where the Birmans and prisoners were,
and then proceeded on board the frigate
Liffey, Com. Grant, who gave me, as a
preliminary to any negociation, an order
to the Birman Governor, that every
prisoner should be immediately sent on
board the Liffey. On this I returned,
without any expectation that the Bir-
mans would comply. On my proceed-
ing to the place where I was released, I
could find no one but a detachment of
British soldiers, and they had not met
with the Birmans or prisoners. It ap-
pears they had fled from thence, taking
their prisoners with them. I proceed-
ed in search of them––and although I
met with several straggling Birmans, I
could obtain no information concerning
the Governor or the prisoners. Having
searched in the jungles till dark, I re-
turned to the Mission-house, where I
found every thing untouched, and learnt
that Mrs. Wade and my wife, with our
son George, had, during the consterna-
tion excited by the attack, fled to the
Portuguese church, and where a party
of the British marched round, had
sought their protection, and were con-
voyed into the town where, about eight
o'clock in the evening, I found them
safe and in health.
"The next morning, (the 12th) the oth-
er prisoners being left in confinement by
the Birmans on the way when they re-
treated, were found by different detach-
ments, and released. They had been
ordered to be put to death ; but the per-
son who had the charge of them forbore
to execute the orders, and left them.––
Now we are all safe.
"I cannot but fear for Messrs. Judson
and Price, and two Englishmen, at Ava.
"The British are coming on the Bir-
mans in great force, with a determination
to reduce them to a proper state of feel-
ing. They must, however, meet with
considerable resistance at Ava, where
the last blow will probably be struck.
"We knew nothing of the intentions of
the British, until about twenty hours be-
fore the town of Rangoon was evacuat-
ed by its inhabitants.––We had therefore
no time for reflection: the Birmans
were too panic struck to think of plun-
dering our house, or seizing upon our
families.––You will rejoice at the great
change about to take place.
"I have not time to write more, as
the hour has approached for the des-
patches to be made up.
"With our united respects and affec-
tionate regard, I am, &c..
GEORGE H. HOUGH.
A letter from Mrs. Hough (Wife of the a-
bove) which has been published at Calcutta,
gives a very affecting account of the distresses
she and several of her female friends of the
Mission experienced from the Birmese at the
time of the capture, and of the providential
manner in which they escaped with their
lives.