Burma : A Handbook of Practical Information - Khamkoo

THIRD AVAR WITH BRITAIN 205
troops to lay down their arras was received. There were
thi'ce strong forts, constructed by Italian engineers, full
at that moment with thousands of armed Burmans, ahd
though a large number of these filed past, and laid down
their arms, by the King's command, there were many
more who were allowed to disperse with their weapons.
These, in the time that followed, broke up into guerilla
bands, which became the scourge of the country, and prolonged
the war for four years. Meanwhile, however, the
surrender of King TJiibaw was complete. On the 28th
November Mandalay had fallen, and the King himself was
a prisoner. All the King's ordnance, to the number of
I861, and thousands of rifles, muskets, and other arms,
were taken, and the whole Irrawaddy River was in British
hands. King Thibaw, his two queens, and the queenmother,
with their retinue, were sent to Rangoon immedi-
ately, and left there on the 10th December, at first for
Madras, and later for Ratnagiri, an old Portuguese fort
on the west coast of India. There he has since remained.
A land column of all arms marched from Toungoo, the
British frontier post in the east of the country, under
Colonel Dicken, in November. The first objective was
Ningyan, now called Pyinmana. There was a certain
amount of scattered resistance, and Ningvan was occupied,
without opposition, on the 3rd December. Later, the
force marched up the line of the present railway to Yamethin
and Hlaingdet.
From Mandalay, General Prendergast sent the flotilla
up-river, and by the occupation of Bbamo, on the 28th
December, the whole navigable course of the Irrawaddy
was in the hands of the British.
But, unfortunately, though the King was dethroned and
deported, and the capital and the river were held, the
bands of armed soldier}', accustomed to no conditions but
those of anarchy, rapine, and murder, carried on a desultory
armed resistance.
Upper Burma was formally annexed by proclamation
on the 1st January 1886, and it was only then that the
work of restoring the country to order and introducing
settled government commenced. 'I'his was a much more
serious task than the overthrow of the Burmese Govern-