BURMAH.

West Coast Times, Issue 337, 22 October 1866, Page 2 (Supplement)

BURMAH.

THE REBELLION IN MANDALAY. (rUOJI THE CALCUTTA EXGLISITtfAN, SEPT. 3)! A band of rebels attacked the palace, and after murdering tbc war prince and. two of the Kind's sons, and many others, and remaining ij. possession of the place for some hours, were at last ejected and put to flight by a body of the King's partisans. N The King, who was 'at first taken prisoner by the rebels, was set free again on their iiight. The rebel priuces appear to have seized the King's steamer, and made off with it, together with their followers. None of the European residents were injured by the rebels during the short time they had the upper ha-nd ; and Captain Sladen and another, who were at the palace at the time of the attack, were merely detained, and threatened if they interfered. After the King's party regained the as--cendant, nothing appears to have occurred to warrant the retreat from Mandalay, which Captain Sladen, the »«agent to the chief commissioner, appears to have ordered on most' insufficient grounds — indeed, as far as we can see, on no grounds at all, but the possibility of something untoward occuring which was not even threatened. The course so ignominiously adopted by Captain Sladen was strongly> protested against *by some of the residents, and one American, a Mr Grattan, is said to have remained behind in Mandalay, declaring that, though, he was an American now, he had been a Briton once, and still retaiued some regard for the old flag, beneath which he now lives in the Residency, the -sole representative of European interests. From other sources also we have reliable information, which compels us to conclude that CapSladen not only in the end behaved pusillanimously, but throughout the business from the very first was guilty of groat indiscretion and vacillation. When the news of the seizure .of a British steamer by the King; and its recapture by < 'aptain Sladen and the residents, arrived here, it was little thought that, in making the seizure, the King had acted under the advice of Captain Sladen : yet we are credibly informed that not only was such the case, but he actually assisted to a certain extent in the seizure,- after the owners of the steamer had declined to give her up to the King without a fall and efficient guarantee of compensation, and notwithstanding the protest of Dr. Williams, their agent at Mandalay, that lie would hold the British Government responsible. Subsequently, against the protests of i men of experience, in the country, and, we believe, ag.iinst the general sense of the community, Captain Sladen determined that it was advisable to retake the steamer, and ." bolt in her, with the rest of the Europeans, to Rangoon. No resistance was offered to this by the Burmese, and she was quietly taken possession of. It appears that Captain Sladen thus abandoned his post and the protection of British interests without even communicating with the King on the subject. He has placed the Government in a most awkward position, with reference as well to future procedings in Burmah as to the claims for compensation which will be preferred by traders under British protection. The rebellion and anarchy which accompanies it have been followed, we hear, by a large influx of Burmese men, women, and children, into British territories ; and the population of Burmah generally would eagerly acquiesce in the annexation of their country by the British Government.

(fhom a cokbesponpent or the ItA.:NGOOX T151E3, ATJG' 22) Mandalay, Aug. 5, 1866.. As the first excitement has worn off, the people now enquire the origin of all this sudden rebellifcn. The following account is given me by an old native acquaintance of mine. About six months ago there was a register taken of the followers of each of the princes. This caused some discontent, and roused feelings of suspicion among them, and especially since then some of the more active have secretly extended their influence and procured adherents. The Minggoon Mingtha made great efforts, and succeeded in attaching a large number of men to his interest. The Loungshee Men Gyee found this out, and spoke to the Crown Prince. He 1 at first treated the information as non-

h>ense, said til. 1 boy ay;; . not likely to think mn thing .seriouslj' evil, and dis-misr-od the matter, mentioning nothing of it to his brother, the King. The Minggoon continued his preparations. One night there .was a grand " Puay " at one of the princes, the Crown Priuce was expcc'to'l, and the tragedy was to begin witlua slaughter in tho midst of the theatrical performance. The Crown Prince, however did not attend, aud tho rising was posfpoucl. The Loungshpc Meug Gyee, however, got tidings of this scheme, 1 aud on his tolling the Priuce, the latter attended to the information, and finally reported all to tho king. The too, at first refused to believe it, but the prince spoke of it attain, aud the Kiug consented to take measures of precaution. AU the young princes were ordered to "have but six followers each, and to have no arms, and to refrain from all communications with the people not belonging to the King. This brought the thing to a crisis, and the Mingoon princes — there are two brothers — decided to wait no longer. The Singwoon, their maternal uncle, was to set fire to a house belonging- to their party close to the palace, aud under cover of running to help to put it out, the rush was made by the Minggoon and his brothers 1 and followers with naked swords to" the south gate of the palace, and through the outer court to the Tey Gyee where tho Crown Prince was sitting talking with the Woongyees. The Crown Prince saw the rush, and tried to get away. A civt on his legv threw him ; he was then cut down by the young Minggoon Deing Prince, and cried out to his assassins, " I am in your hands, it is over with me, but do not hurt my brother." The Loungshec Mengyce was cut down, and left for dead. The Pakan v^oongyec escaped over the fence into the inner court. A few others were killed and wounded. This first act wa.T over in .three minutes. The rebels then rushed through the second gate, and after some resistance got through the third, then rushed up to them " yenan" drove out and disarmed the guards. The young princes then rushed into the inner apartments, and found the King. The younger went in first, made obeipauce, and cried, „" Lord father, come out this way, an enemy is come." Tho Toung Duey Bo cried, " You are the enemy," and rushed to cut him down. The Kiug cried, " Don't wound j

him," The Minggoon himself and men then rushed in, the Duey Bo was then cut down, the King Woon caught hold of the Minggoon, who had raised his hand to his father, and was immediately killed by the rebels. In the confusion the King escaped. The princes came down hy the northern side and cut through the gates into the large court. The men there on guard had been ordered to load by the Yeynang young Minister, but the Minggoon, v singlehanded, rushed up, and ordered them to lay down their arms. They did so. The "princes then went out the same way as they came in, and rushed with a portion of their men to the city just in time to be shut out, at the East North gate, after the King had got in. The King had been carried out from the Sannandau on the shoulders of the Minggoon' s secret adherents, whose ?oh it was to stick to the King under all circumstances, and not permit his escape with life. An official saw a dagger hidden in his Avaistcloth, and begged the King to come clown. * A pony was caught, and on this the "King was got into 'the city and main" palace. 'The Minggoon and his men soon followed, and got into the outer court, but failed to penetrate the second gate. They cannonaded it, and broke the plaukiug, and would perhaps have got through, but the men of the Crown Prince were now on them, and drove the-wholc party out of the palace. That night- was a terrible one outside the city Those" who were not fighting on either side broke \fy into roving bands of .ruffians, and every quarter and street had to improvise a yuard of the inhabitants, wli<rttefended themselves' and property as best they could. • The'Minggoon got awiiy about two o'clock, .but^concealed the fact from his men till the morning His uncle the Singwoon was left to gather and command a body of men as near the capital as possible, while the prince proceeded in the steamer he had talcen lo ra^se an army in hi c distiict of Minggoon and the neighborhood.