All five companies in our battalion had made it ashore relatively intact along a half mile stretch at the eastern end of the wharf. The marines had secured the eastern end all to way to the affluent of the Pazundaung Creek. On the 7^th’s left the 23rd Royal Irish Guards had secured the rest of the port. Casualties, on the side of Her Majesty’s forces were heavy, as can be expected when storming a well defended position over open ground, but the Burmese defenders had been ravaged…

Rangoon 1852

The thunderous tumult of the cannonade shook the air as three ships of the line hurled volley after volley of 50 pound exploding shells at the stout hearted Burmese regiments defending the port of Rangoon. Blockhouse after blockhouse, formidable but ill equipped to stand up to such a furious barrage, fell. The second line ships and the sloops were already off loading scores of transports full of fiery Royal Marines.

Aboard the corvette…

Dearest Elvira,

My rendezous in Erythrai with Hafez, the Mohammedian arcanist I've told you about, and Herr Schimmelmann the archaelogist was a smashing success. 

Hafez is quite the genial host; I always look forward to the preliminaries at his grand Aegean villa, though my equilibrium and fortitude is always tested by his taste for inebriating consumables. The Bacchanalian nature of the festivities included innumerable decanters of rakai, a liquor with both heady and…

Dearest Elvira,

My rendezous in Erythrai with Hafez, the Mohammedian arcanist I've told you about, and Herr Schimmelmann the archaelogist was a smashing success. 

Hafez is quite the genial host; I always look forward to the preliminaries at his grand Aegean villa, though my equilibrium and fortitude is always tested by his taste for inebriating consumables. The Bacchanalian nature of the festivities included innumerable decanters of rakai, a liquor with both heady and…