The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-24 00:00:00

lon grain and bullocks. Their provisions are now sufficient to last them several weeks longer, and unless General Ontram be the most incompetent official in India, their relief is certain. The number of ablehodied Europeans in Lucknow, including officers, is about 550; of these more than one-fourth are on the sick list. There are besides upwarde of two hundred women and children. Were it not for these latter the garrison would have been able, on the occasion of Havelock's previous advance, to sally out and join him; but, of course, in their circumstances, the idea was never entertained by them. I may here commu nicate a fact which has not appeared in any of the Indian papers, but of which I have the most certain information. The besieging force attempted to treat with the garrison. It was first proposed that the latter should be allowed to proceed, with their women end children, and retaining their arms, unmolested to Cawnpore. To test the faith of thin proposition, the garrison inquired whether the in surgents would first take the women and children ; and having brought back a rt ceipt for them, signed by General Havelock, would then offer the same terms to the male portion of the garrison. To this the insurgents would not assent ; but they transmitted to Calcutta a counter proposal to the effect that if the King of Oude were released, the Lucknow garrison should be allowed to go scot-free. What reply the Government gave to this pro posal lam unable to state. It ought to have been rejected, as experience has proved that natives are deaf alike to all ties, whether of gratitude or obligation. A letter dated Allahabad, September (3, gives us some authentic details of the force with which Gene. ral Outram is advancing on Cawnpore :—" General Outram's forces marched in two columns. The first, of 683 men, left this yesterday (sth) at one o'clock. The second, of 68(1 men, marched with the general at ten o'clock last night. The advance column it is intended should reach Cawnpore on the 10th moat, and the general on the 11th of September, and if General Havelock has by that time managed the crossing the whole force will at once move on to Lucknow, and the place has every chance of being relieved by the 15th or 16th, and, even allowing for delay in the crossing, by the 20th. The rivers have all fallen wonderfully, the Janina having gone down thirty let t in a week ; this will help the crossing greatly, and enable us to act on the enemy's flanks advantageously on the march to Lucknow, which could not be done at the time of the previous .advance, owing to the whole country being under water. We have information that the Lucknow garri son have provisions to last them until the 20th inst. General Outram has taken some heavy guns drawn by elephants." In another letter it is mentioned that Mr. Colvin is prepared to aid a column advancing on Delhi with camels and other carriage as they approach Agra. At Meerut they have also collected carriage to some extent. The sth and 00th are armed with Enfield rifles. In another letter, dated the 29th of August, writes from Allahabad : "We have sent on 400 men this week to Cawnpore by train (forty miles), and the sick and wounded men of General Havelock's force are now on their way here, and will come in the last forty miles by railway." It appears from the above extracts that in addition to the two columns of Outram's force of (183 added to 080, equal to 1,363, a detachment of 400 men had preceded him, which would give a total reinforcement of 1,703. The following are extracts of letters from the Rev. James Kennedy, dated Benares, Anguit. 22, and Sept. 3, 1857 In the immediate neighbourhood of Benares there ia no rising at present, though in a distant part of the district a number of rebels are collected, whose tniachief-doing however cannot extend far. The city itself continues perfectly, astonishingly quiet, I was this morning delivering the Saturday lecture to the Central School, and everything was very peaceful. It is not to be denied that there are many set on mischief, especially of the Muasulman portion of the community. Indeed, the more we know of this rising, the more we find it to lie a desperate effort of the Mussulmans to drive us from the country, and reinstate their old Government, though they have very ski:fully got. the military Ilindoos into the plot. It is said that our magistrate has, within a fortnight, discovered as much treasonable correspondence as would fill a carpet-bag. Several of the writers have been seized and executed. It is said, I fear too truly, that a large party of rebels are marching from Oudo on Jaunpore, the district adjoin ing this. But the roads are so bud that they cannot have heavy guns. They cannot possibly conic to Ilenares with• out their movements being known beforehand, and we have now an intrenchment, rather a fortress, which no native army could take, and which is provisioned for six months. It is also reported that the rebels from Oude are constantly passing in and out of Benares and Allah. abad. This does not look well. A letter from Buxar, dated August 25, says ; I write this in hopes I may have some opportunity of sending it from some station. A fleet of four steamers, with their fiats, lelt Dinapore yesterday, destinatim un• known. They consist of the iifirzapore and Nemesis, and the C'aloutia and Krishna, with hot Majesty's ttOth, the Keiadine, with Outram anti stag, and the fumes hems and flat, which is to embark the cletaohment of the sth lasi. iers at Buser. There are also two guns and artillerymen, pip of the Diaspora battery—rattiee 1.11 imprudent move, THE PRESS, OCTOBER 24, 1857. I should say, taking guns from Dinapore knit now. Nine officers of the mutinied regiments at Dinapore accompany Outram, to act, I believe, as mounted staff. When the fleet was opposite Chupra, the collector and magistrate came off in a boat, with the intelligence that the Ghootkas at Goruckpore were surrounded by Nana Singh with a large army and guns, and the Uhoorkas showed a dis. position to bolt. This intelligence was, I believe, con. veyed in a native letter ; for my part I can hardly believe that 5,000 Ghoorkas would allow themselves to be quietly surrounded. However, General Outram fired a gun to bring all steamers to, and after a good deal of backing and filling the James Hume was ordered to pro. teed as rapidly as possible to Buser, take on board Eyre's battery and the detachment of Fusiliers (that will arrive from Arrah), get seven days' provisions for the fleet, and return to the mouth of the tiogra, and follow the fleet up that river, which it was to go up as far as it could ; but though this has not been countermanded, the whole fleet are still going on, and the Gogra is left far astern. So I suppose the idea has been abandoned. It seems to me it would have been great folly to have ca►ried out these intentions, as the Gogra channel is not known. There are no pilots nor coal, and many strong forts, with heavy guns mounted on the banks. The Madras brought down intelligence from Allahabad that people from Oude are crossing over to that place in hundreds. This looks fishy. The way the 9th Regiment have been knocked about, is the most extraordinary of all. They were first ordered to go to Allahabad. When they had got some way they were told to stop at Iluxar ; they were then ordered back to Dina. pore, and when they had nearly reached that place they were told to go back again. Who issued these orders I don't know, but they seem to me most malapropos. When a few days may be of such importance to Havelock, twelve days and an immense amount of coal have been thus wasted. Lucknow is, I believe, still unrelieved. Koer Singh, I fancy, has been too severely handled ever to return ; but to the admirers of the now disarmed Dinapore regiments Government may look as the men who have lost them Behar (for lost it is at preaentl, the most fertile province of India too, which is said to pay a seventh of the revenue of Bengal. How much for the opium sales next year and the year after time will show. It is quite certain there is no use in sending small armies to Lucknow. Witness Havelock's force—a braver, better, or better handled army never marched. but impossibilities cannot be accomplished. A large army should be assembled at Allahabad, say 5,000 men, with three complete batteries—cavalry, alas ! is not to be had—this would relieve Dicknow. rhe force could be augmented by the Lucknow troops, and could then be marched to the relief of the Delhi force.—Hurkara. PUONAH. Treasonable placards in the Mahratta language have been discovered in the city of Poonah, one posted on the entrance to the Government Vernacular School in the Boodhwur Palace, and the other on the entrance to the Poonah College in the Visram Bagh. The placards purport to he proclamations from the Nana Sahib of Bhitoor, who styles himself "Punt Prudhan Nana Sahib Peshwah," offering rewards to those who will murder all the Europeans in Poonah, as well as the Governor and the Com mander-in-Chief. The rewards are on a sliding scale, commencing with the Governor, for whose head the ridiculously small sum of only 5,000 rupees is offered, and gradually descending to judges and magistrates, for whose heads 500 rs. are considered ample. The lowest (observes the Poonah Observer) sum offered for any European is 100 rs., but the Nana Sahib, it seems, values the brains of an editor more highly than those of our civilian friends, and has generously promised 2 . 01 0 rs. to whoever will bring the editor of the Poonah Observer, dead or alive, into the "presence." This is a tribute to our worth that has quite oppressed us, and we hope some of these days to be enabled to repay the Nana, as he deserves, for his friendly regard for us. The Nana goes on to say—or somebody here says so for him— that he is advancing towards Poonah with a mighty and victorious army to assert his rights to the throne of the Peshwahs, and that he hopes, when he reaches Allundee (sixteen miles off) to find that his capital of Poonah will then be "cleared of all Feringhees." The promised rewards, on proof of the violent death of the parties, are to be paid to those who have obeyed the orders he has issued for the massacre of all Europeans in the Deccan—an order which is to be obeyed under pain of a horrible curse, which is unfit for publication. Our old friends the civil authorities of Poonah, we understand, look upon the whole affair from a jaunty and jocular point of view. We admit that it will be a joke, and a very good one too for the Nana, if he can get British officers, sup posed to be burdened with ever so little common sense, to treat these placards in that light. TIIE ACTION AT NUZUFFGHUR. A corresrontlent of the Lahore Chronicle sends the following description of that most brilliant action in the present campaign, which took place on the instant, at Nuattighur, about twenty miles from the camp at Delhi :--" Information was received In camp that a force of the enemy, to the number of 7,000 of all arms, with eighteen guns, bad marched from Delhi, with a view of crossing the Nuzuffghur Jheel Drain ; in order to operate in our rear, and cut off our supplies. A moveable column, in all 1,000 Europeans and 2,000 native troops, under the com mand of Brigadier-General Nicholson, was ordered to march on the 25th inst., at four a.m., to Nuzuff ghur, to check such a movement. Atter a harassing march through a heavy country the brigade reached a village some nine or ten miles from camp; a halt was made, for the purpose of reconnoitring the road, and gaining information of the enemy's movements and position. A cavalry picket was discovered some distance ahead which tried to intercept our recon noitring party, but did not succeed. From the re ports of the villagers, we heard that the enemy had crossed the bridge, and were encamped or were preparing to encamp at Nuzuffghur. The march was immediately resumed, and after a further ten-mile march (in the course of which we had to cross an extensive sheet of water about three feet deep), arrived at Nuzuffghur at half-past five p.m. Here we found a sharp fire of musketry and light guns directed on the advanced column, which was halted there. Brigadier-General Nicholson then gave the order to the Ist Europeans and 01st Foot to fornt line, and addressed a short speech to them, pointing out how, in the Crimea, the gallant 93rd and other regiments achieved suoh brilliant successes by the careful reserve of their fire, until close to the enemy, and exhorting the men in the present instance to emulate that example. A troop of horse artillery formed on either flank of this line and galloped for ward and opened fire on a serai, which the enemy had occupied in force, with four guns in position. At the same time, the word was given " line will advance," and with fixed bayonets the whole stepped off as steadily as if on parade, straight on to the serai. When within a short distance, the charge was made, and with a British cheer they rushed forward and captured the building with its four guns, doing great execution among the defenders. The enemy beaten from here retreated towards the bridge, several other guns being taken en route. They again attempted to make a stand at the bridge, but were speedily broken by a well-directed fire of artillery, and four more guns were taken here. We marched homeward{; next morning at half-past four, reaching the "half. way house" at about twelve, where we halted for two hours, and then to camp, where we arrived very tired, but in high spirits at our success, at six o'clock. Our loss was estimated altogether at about 120 killed and wounded. Thirteen guns were cap tured, and great loss inflicted on the enemy." SUFFERINGS OF A LADY. We take the following from the Punjaubee Extra, dated August 27, 1857 :—" Mrs. Leeson, the wife of Mr. Leeson, deputy collector, made her escape from Delhi on the morning of the 19th. Poor creature, she was almost reduced to a skeleton, as she was kept iu a sort of dungeon while in Delhi. 143 Chupprassees, who, it appears, have all along been faithful to her, aided her in making her attempt to escape. They passed through the Ajrnere gate, but not wholly unobserved by the mutineers' sentries, as one of the Chupprassees was shot by them. It being dark at the time, she lay hidden among the long web-grass until the dawn of day, when she sent the ChupprassPe to reconnoitre, and as luck would have it he tame across the European picket stationed at Subzee Mundee. So soon as he could discover who they were he went and brought the lady into the picket-house amongst the soldiers, who did all they could to procure her safety. As soon as she arrived inside the square she fell down upon her knees and offered up a prayer to heaven for her safe deliver ance. All she bad round her body was a dirty piece of cloth, and another piece folded round her head. She was in a terrible condition, but I feel assured that there was not a single European but what felt greatly concerned in her behalf, and some even shed tears of pity when they heard the tale of woe that she related. After being interrogated by the officers for a short time, Captain Bailey provided a dhoolie for her, and sent her under escort safe to camp, where she has teen provided with a staff•tent and every thing that she requires." MOVEABLE COLUMNS. We have been given to understand, writes the Poonah Observer, that three Moveable Columns are to be formed in this Presidency—one in thrzerat, another in Scinde, and the third in the Deccan, the head-quarters of which will be at Poonah. The Dec can Column will consist of two siege trains, one troop of Horse Artillery, two field batteries with Europeans attached, one regiment of Dragoons, one regiment Native Light Cavalry, one regiment Scinde Horse, three European Infantry regiments, three companies of Sappers, one Native Infantry regiment, and a Belooch battalion, It is expected that the column at Poonah will be formed here in November, and all three will move towards the north west, itajpootana and the Niaatn'i country. A land transport corps will be attached to each column, and the whole will form the "avenging bray of Ole pot bay P 001411719