The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

returned the compliment by setting their villages on fire, and at Taroo, as 1 sat smoking in the evening, I counted no less than five huge bonfires whose light stretched alm ist round the horizon. At Taroo, among the ruins of what was a substantial stone-built town, only seven months ago; and which we were ordered to clear, we found and shot thirty fair-skinned Delhi fellows. One day was spent between Taroo and Sonah ,five miles) in hunting the hills for Mewattees—we were fired upon by one village, less, I believe, because those gentlemen like fighting than because they were anxious to cover the removal of their cattle. Here is the only point at which they are vulner able ; catch them you cannot, burn their villages you may, and in a week they are re-thatched. All this is idle; seize their cows aul goats, if yon want to bring them to their senses. The Guiles—such active fellows !—heat for Mewattees up and down the sugar-cane fields and over the most dan gerous ground, in a way which Europeans could not have done. About sixty of our friends were killed. A hand-to hand fight took place, which excited a goof deal of amuse ment. A Mewattee, huge fellow, armed with shield and sword, was put up in a cane-field. Twenty shots were fired, but the bold fellow held steadily on, springing from rock to rock, descending to the bottom of the dell, and then mounting the oppotite face. He was so close that we could distinguish the rope fastened round his body which these people use in climbing about the ravines in which they live. Just es he was reaching the crest of the hill, a man of the Guides suddenly came round an elbow of the ravine, and five words explained to him the proximity of the Mewattee. There were not four yards between them when they met. The Guide fired; down ducked his friend. The shot missed, and then followed the sweep of the Mewattee's sword upon the Guile's head, at the same moment the snide giving him the bayonet. A second flash of the sword, and down went the Guide, as we thought. A howl of rage rose from the lookers-on. In another minute the Gulue was seen standing over his foe. His head had been saved by a thick turban, and the second cut was, thanks to his lunge of the tiayonet, of no great strength. When lie stooped, it was to pick up his turban. From Sonah we had another day's hunt; such hard work I never bad in the lulls. Falls I bad at least a dozen. At Sonah we left the Glioorkas to keep the district quiet, and then came on to Bullubghur, the Rajah of which place had been sent a prisoner into Delhi. A fresh column of 1,500 men, under the command of Colonel Gerrard, was ultimately sent to Rewarre in pursuit of the Joudpore Legion. On the 14th November, the rebels, 5,000 strong, attacked our troops about four miles from NarnGl. The actbm, atter " several hours hard fighting," resulted in the total defeat of the rebels, with the loss of all their guns. Our loss was 15 killed and 45 wounded. Among the former, we are sorry to say, was Colonel Gerrard, the only officer who fell. On the 21st ult. the Mundesore rebels, who had besieged Neemuch for a fortnight, attempted to take the place by escalade. They were repulsed with heavy loss, and immediately raised the siege. The attempt of the rebels at Neemuch, by esca lade, was probably urged by the knowledge that the dhow column, now known as the Nerbudda Field Force, under Brigadier Stuart, was approaching their own head-quartees. On the same day, the 21st ult., it encamped near Mundesore, and was attacked by the insurgents there, whom it defeated and drove off. On the 22nd and 23vd there was fighting in various positions taken up by our troops about Mundesore, and the end was that the enemy evacuated the place and retreated to Naghur, in the Chumbul. With respect to Central India, the country is iu utter confusion, and the disaffection " very general ": The jungles swarm with insurgents, who have broken down bridges and erected barricades on the Mirzapore road. They lie in ambuscade, and pick off officers going with detachments, as in the case of the unfirtimate Major Jenkins, who commanded a party of .4th Light Cavalry and 33rd Madras Native Infs. - Ail., sent out with two guns from Jubbulpore to Kuttingee. He was shot from a tree by a man who was afterw,ula hung, with five others, for his misdeed. . . . The hills are interspersed here end there with forts held by insurgent chielii. One of the largest of these is Gurhskota, near Saugor, the stronghold of the Sliagor Rajah's people. None but a numerous force will suffice to destroy these, to open up the country, and r.storo our broken communications. —D. News cur. " The campaign in Central India is yet to begin," writes the Friend of India : Certain towns and districts are garrisoned, and that is all. The liatuptec column tlo not consider n advisable to leave Jtibbal;sme ; the Dhow column attempts to pacify Malwa by undertaking a trifliag expedition against I thar ; the Edlabal firce, after long inaction, are encamped somewhere in the I)eocan, ni one knows precisely when... In fact, the tally boast that the commanders of these troops seem likely to make is that of Admiral Sir Charle3 Napier,—they will hive brought them back safe. "In the Bombay Presidency," writes the correspon dent of the Daily News," matters have changed but little '— The Nassick llbeels have lei: their old haunts, and gone dawn towards Anrungabad, and Stuart's field force (le t:wiled two companies frost them some time ago to hunt them up in the vicinity of Kunhnr. As regards the South Mahratta country, this only Call be said, that, though it is Titet, dissffection is still very dangerous there. Mr. Seton Carr hes found it necessary to order the whole of the 15th 1S mbuv Native Infantry and 100 of the .2nd Europeans into the districts. The head-quarters of the 2nd Euro- THE PRESS, JANUARY 2,1858. peans have been sent down from Karrachee to Belot= quite r. , c,!ntly. All appearances in fact prove that this portion of Bombay Presidency is very ill affected at the present moment. A hill-folk, called Beruds, are up near the towns of Moodhul and Ili ilgullee,in the Southern Mahratta country, writes the Times correspondent : It was at first thought by the collector of the district that these credulous savages had been frightened into in surrection by a belief that the late Arms Act compelled, not the registration, but the surrender of the rude weapons by which they gain their livelihood. But it is now be lieved that, as in the case of the Bheels at Guzerat, and the fat 'Lillian now in custody at Baroda, some deeper influence has been at work, and certain parties in those localities are closely watched. At any rate, however caused, there is the fact of insurrection calling for force to repress it, and showing that, chivalrous as the Bombay Govern ment has exerted itself to help others, it will not do so to drain its resources as to prevent it from helping itself. Passing, over to the Madras Presidency, we find the Rohillas up in force. On the 7th November they attacked and plundered the wealthy town of Juggle pett, carrying off the whole of the Government treasure, some four lees of rupees, and an immense quantity of spoil. Affairs about Delhi and the Punjaub are not so satisfactory as we could wish. At Delhi the King appeared to exercise no little influence over the minds of natives : it would appear that the instructions issued by Mr. Colvin, 'hough long sines cancelled, are still obeyed at Delhi. The life of the King, therefore, was guaranteed, and he has been permitted to keep a retinue, and to insult English officers by ordering them to take their ha's cff in his presence. Of course, every native believes that the English dare not punish even the man who deliberately gave up their wives and daughters to eiishonour. The youngest son of the King, moreover, a man of eighteen— equivalent to thirty in Europe—has been declared inno cent, and rides about Delhi on an elephant, attended by two British officers. Can you wonder that the European soldiery are half frenzied ? I send you what appears to ha proof positive of the accuracy of these statements. The Friend of India says : " Naweb Ahmed Kooli Khan, the father-in-law of the King, who went out to meet the Bareilly Brigade, and escorted them into the city. The Nawab of Jhujjur, Nawab Ameen Oodeen Kban, accused of assisting in the murder of Mr. Fraser. " Nothing has been done to any of these men. " Furthermore, in the middle of October there were the follcwing leaders in custody unharmed:— " Hukeem Abdool Huq, a rebel chief of the Goorgaon district, who joined the mutineers. " Houssein Khan, a Persian], who commanded a regi ment at Delhi." The Supreme Government is guiltless in this matter, having despatched orders of a very different tendency.— Times South of Delhi the country so lately erossel by our victorious column has again fallen into the hands of armed natives. Walleeda 1 Khan, whose fort at Malayghur was blown up, has returned to Boolundshuhur. Futteh pore Sikree, taken by Colonel Cotton on the 29th of Sep tember, is again in the hands of the enemy. The Mynpoorie Rajah Tej Singh, who fled at our approach, and who was replaced by his brother, came back and forced our new authorities to fly. Major Eld, with the garrison of Allyghur, and Colonel Riddell, with 250 of the 3rd Europeans, Sikhs, end Militia Cavalry, have been sent to hunt out Walleedad Khan a second time. Up in the Punjaub the hill robber tribes, so far from being suppressed, are giving our troops great trouble. To return to Calcutta . An event of some impor tance has occurred at Chittagong, where the 34th have risen in revolt, plundered the treasury, and let loose the gaol prisoners. No murders were committed by the sepoys, but it is feared the released prisoners may be less scrupulous. The Government cannot plead paucity of European troops, but they still manage to du things just too late : Lord Canning has been most nnjnstly assailed touching many matters; bat as respects this outbreak at Chi ttsgoug I confess I do not see /that excuse can be made. To have relied on the fidelity of any otie native regiment in the service, or of any portion of any regiment, was a strange infatuation after the lessons of the last six months. Troops have been arriving daily in large numbers, and only two or three days ago about 4,00() men were inspected on the Milan. We have a large number of steamers here ; Chittagong conld have been reached in a few hours, and one company of British bayonets would have preserved the peace, saved 30,00 W., and prevented the junction of these latest rebels with the disaffected of the adjacent districts. The fact is that when the Government Isaw the Bengal army was thoroughly disorganised it should have disarmed, if not disbanded, the whole. Supposing even half a dozen regiments had remained tree (for want of opportunity, proba`dy, to throw off their allegiance), the inconvenience would not have been small when the time came fin the re formation of the army. At this moment there is a native regiment of Infantry, and two of Irregular Cavalry—some 3,0 K) men—at 13erliampoo, with arms in their hands, which we have a right to fear would he turned ngainst us if the utmost vigilance were not observed. When everything has to be done by British soldiers, and when the few we have hitherto had have had to watch their native allies, would it not have been better to get rid of the fellows altogether? The Chittagong affair is damsel outcry will be loud if things go wrong at Dacca. The Grand Trunk Road does not appear in so safe a state as was generally supposed. The mutinous companies of the 32nd, which so narrowly captured the commander-in•chief, on his way up country, had been met on the banks of the Sone by Captain Rate. tray, with about 200 Sikhs. The enemy were strongly posted in a village when the Sikhs advanced against them. The mutineers defended themselves bravely, and actually succeeded in repulsing our troops, notwithstanding all the efforts of their officers, whose gallantry was conspicuous. One of them, Lieutenant Boyd, was killed whilst leading on his men. Withie 300 miles of Calcutta a native magnate, the Rajah of Patchete, has been found amassing stores and ammunition, collecting troops, and fortifying his house. When called upon to answer for his conduct and afford explanation, he gave insolent or evasive answers. The consequence was, that a detachment of the Shekawatee Brigade was sent against him. Surprised before his preparations bad been com pleted, he made no defence, and surrendered. A very trifling quantity of stores and weapons of war were found on his premises ; but it cannot be doubted that the Rajah was biding his time and waiting an opportunity to take part with the rebels. As an instance of how little the fall of Delhi has really affected the trimmers to incline in our favour, the arrest of this Rajah is remarkable. The question of compensation is settled. "In one respect it is singularly :liberal," writes a corre spisadent:— The pensions are all to he paid by the State instead of by the funds, and the widows of Europeans not in the service of the State are pensioned like uncovenanted ser vants—that is, rather better than the widows of officers. The highest pension for the widow of an uncovenanted servant is 1501. a year, with 201. more for each child. On the other hand, the grants of money are very small, and the compensation for loss of property is very small. The device for avoiding native claims is exceedingly ingenious, and in practice thoroughly just. Every native who assisted Government is compensated. Every one who aided the mutineers by remaining passive must take the consequences of his apathy. I doubt it the order will satisfy men who, like Mr. Schom, lost three bum at Cawn pore, or like some of the house proprietors who have been reduced from wealth to beggary. An expedition was about to be despatched to select a suitable locality for a penal establishment on the And,unan Islands. When fixed upon it is believed the King of Delhi with the mutineers will be trans ported to the spot. LANDING OF THE FILIBUSTERS IN NICARAGUA. We learn by the arrival at New York of the mail steamer Star of the West, that on the 25th of Nevem • ber " General" Walker landed with nearly 200 men on the coast of Nicaragua, in defiance of the United States' sloop of war Saratoga, which was at hand, but the commander of which, Captain Chatard, did not think proper to interfere. The filibusters were conveyed from Mobile in the small steamer Fashion, which Walker had hired for the purpose. On nearing Greytown a thick mist hid the land for some time, upon which the Fashion slowed a little, when Walker wished the captain to quicken his speed, but suddenly the fog lifted, and the place was in full view, the Saratoga lying at anchor in the harbour. Walker exhibited considerable nervousness at the sight, and requested Captain Chatard to run in to wards the mouth of the Colorado river, about twelve miles to the eastward of Punta Arenas, in order to land a portion of the men. The boats which were brought out for the purpose were launched, and some forty-five men getting into them under the command of Colonel Frank Anderson, one of the original fifty.six of the first Nicaragua invasion, they shoved off and made their way up the river, into the San Juan. The Fashion then ran up, and landed the main part of the force, about 140 men, on Punta Arenas. They took possession of some halt dozen fishing buts, as also the houses of Mr. Craig and Mr. Burden, a pilot, in which they were quartered. The stores were landed and put under cover on Cer tain Scott's premises. There were four small boats about Scott's shipyard, which Walker had taken possession of. The day the Fashion left for Aspin wall, Walker had sent one of these boats up the river San Juan, to endeavour to intercept the Costa Rican mailboat, said to have on board 5,000 dots. in money. Walker planted two of his " lone star " flags over the buildings he occupied in Punta Arenas on land ing. lie landed six field pieces, and the men were laity drilling, each one v.ith his rifle. When Lock ridge abandoned the river last March, he delivered over to the commander of the British frigate Cossack about three hundred stand of arms, which were deposited with Captain Scutt, on Punta Arenas, for safe keeping. These arms wore still there when Walker landed, so that if he wanted them he un doubtedly appropriated them.