The head-quarters of the battalion were transferred, in December 1817, from Colombo to Trincomalee, and a detachment from the second battalion, which had been disbanded on the 4th of May, of this year, having arrived from England at the latter port, it was immediately ordered into the interior, where the rebellion had become general in the beginning of 1818. On this service the battalion lost ten officers, and three hundred and sixty-six men, of whom only one officer (Lieutenant John Maclaine) and about twenty men were killed, or died of wounds inflicted by the enemy, the remainder having fallen victims to the unhealthiness of the climate, which even after the rebellion was subdued, continued to prove fatal to the officers and men who remained on service in the interior. The frequent exposure to the sun, and the heavy dews at night (when detachments were constantly on the march, particularly in the mountainous districts, where the enemy could not be surprised by day) together with a scarcity of provisions, brought on the jungle fever to an alarming extent, and had not an auxiliary force been sent from Madras, the interior of the island must of necessity have been evacuated. In this harassing campaign, the superiority of the British over the native troops acting with them, was very evident; small parties only could be employed with effect, and therefore, more individual courage and exertion were required than with large bodies, where the excitement is much greater. The want of surgical aid was severely felt, and the officers at last, with the assistance of manuscript instructions, administered medicine, dressed wounds, and, on some occasions, performed trifling operations. Besides fever and dysentery, leech-bites were the occasion of many casualties. The peculiar kind of warfare carried on during this campaign, afforded many opportunities for the officers and men to distinguish themselves. The following, among many instances, is deserving of record. A very small party of the SEVENTY-THIRD, in charge of Lance-Corporal Richard McLoughlin, was furiously attacked on its march to Badulah, by a numerous force; two men were killed, and the rest, instead of leaving their deceased comrades to the Candians, who generally mutilated the remains of British soldiers, divided; part remained in charge of the bodies, and the other portion, at an equal risk, proceeded to Badulah, a few miles distant, and returned with a reinforcement, that enabled them to carry off their deceased comrades, in spite of the exertions of the enemy to the contrary. For this gallant conduct, medals were struck by the Ceylon Government for the following men, who, however, died of fever before they could be issued, namely, Lance-Corporal Richard McLoughlin, Privates John Wilson, Christopher Sheppard, and William Connor.