The British in India had largely ignored the island of
Little Andaman before 1867. On 21 March 1867 the captain and seven crew of the
Assam Valley went ashore for wood and were seen to get over the reef at the southern tip of the island by the
Assam Valley. They brought their boat ashore and went into the jungle. After not being seen for two days, the
Assam Valley sailed to
Rangoon to report the event. This occurrence is termed the
Assam Valley Incident and became the precursor event to the skirmishes that are sometimes referred to as the Onge Wars, in which dozens of Onge were killed. A ship was sent to Little Andaman but it returned without any success other than to report a piece of clothing, possibly a sailors cap, on the beach. A few days later, the
Kwang Tung, the station ship of
Port Blair, was sent. It carried the British Officer in Charge of the Andamanese, Mr. Homfray, along with some local people to show the friendly intentions of the crew. Upon arrival, the party was attacked by native
Onge people and retreated to their boats under covering fire, and then fled back to their waiting ship. The missing men were not located and this expedition was deemed a failure, so a larger expedition with a small military contingent was sent. This party, again on the
Kwang Tung, arrived on 6 May 1867, seven weeks after the initial disappearance. The
Assam Valley was on the scene as well. Three boats were sent ashore, all coming under fire from the Onge. A skull, believed to be from the initial party, was found in the jungle, while four bodies were found decomposed on the beach. Although the Onge attempted to lure the landing party into the jungle, the soldiers stayed on the beach returning fire. When ammunition became low, the rescue boat was signalled, but it capsized on its way in, drowning a lieutenant. == Rescue ==