The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-30 00:00:00

Malte., March 23.

BLOWN AWAY.—About half-past four o'clook the
military began to arrive. Gun after gun made its ap-
pearance and took up the position assigned to it. Out
of every gateway from the fort Europeans and natives
were pouring on to the esplanade in hundreds, and from
the native town every alley, street, and line were dis-
gorging their thousands. All seemed anxious to behold
two traitor &pop blown into dark eternity. Their
crime was known, and the stern and compressed lips of
every European present told how well they deserved
their doom. The manner in whioh they had been de-
tected in their nefarious designs was subtle and com-
plete, and reflected much credit upon the deputy COM-
nainsioner of police and his assistants. Three times had
• merciful Providenoe defeated the plots of the muti-
neers by the timely arrival of European troops from re-
mote colonies; and while the fourth plot was being
brought to maturity the two criminals were seised. The
times demanded that • terrible example should he made,

and the doom of the men was speedy. . . . As the I
hour of 5 struck the stillness became awful; every feel-
ing and faculty was strung to its utmost tention, and
the beating of hearts became audible. The spectacle
was one of quiet horror; there being none of that
excitement which is to be met with at a public execution
in any other part of the warld. The natives of India are
not a demonstrative race, and they looked on with an
appearance of stolid indifference, The handful of stern
and determined Europeans had, moreover, overawed I
them, and there woo but one feeling predominant—fear. '
Among all the assembled thousande a murmur oould not
even be heard—a whisper would almost have broken the
etillneas. The officers rode along the lines resolved and
silent. So noiseless was their motion that even the
champ of their homes' bits and the clank of their sabres
jarred upon the ear. While the dock was yet striking,
the brigadier commanding the garrison rode in front of
the two executive guns, and it seemed for • moment as
if all sound had died away. The sentence of the court-
martial was then read to the prisoners in the Hindostanl
language, after which they were ordered to prepare for
death. They were stripped of their regimental jackets,
and marched between Ales of their European guard to
the muzzles of the two guns. The drill havildar, one of
the two, was a noble-looking man in the noon of man-
hood, tall and stately. His mien was erect and dignified,
until the men of the Royal Artillery laid hand, on him.
Then he seemed to feel that his hour had come. A
shudder shook his frame, his jaw fell, and his Ivory.
white teeth were disclosed. While the two men were
being bound not • syllable wee uttered by the assembled
crowd, but • rattling of steel along the line gave notice
that the Enfield rifle was being prepared for action. As
the word "Prime "—and when the ominous click of the
look fell upon the ear' the 10th Native Infantry visibly
shook. It was evident that they did not know but that
the next moment the rifles might be brought to shoulder
and levelled against their front. Simultaneously with
the loading of the infantry the guns to the right and left
of the criminals were turned straight upon the native
regiment. They were loaded to the muzzle with canister
and grape, and the gunners stood by the touch-holes
with their matches lighted. On the ramparts of the
fort four 68-pounders were also laid and ready. By this
time the prisoners were secured to the two guns. There
was a moment's pause, which was broken by Captain
Bolton, of the Royal Artillery, calling out, with a loud
voles, " Let all retire from the two guns except the
two men with the port-fires, at the word "Fire,' apply
the match." There was probably a pause of two seoonds
duration' then the word "Ready " was given by Capt.
Bolton. The gunners took but a moment to blow up
their matches, but it seemed a long, long time. The
two prisoners and the two artillerymen stood out in bold
relief, immoveable as statues. The awful stillness was
at length broken. The word "Fire " rang out clear
sea alarionmote from the lips of Captain Bolton. Next
moment the earth shook as if a volcano had opened at
our feet. The porn were enveloped in thick clouds of
smoke, through the white wreathe of which little parti-
cles of • crimson colour wore falling, thick as snow-
flakes. The particles were the prisoners blown into
atoms.

GENiIiAL OUTRAY AND TH2 78TH RIGININT.—The
following copy of a letter, addreemed by Major-General
Bit James Outram, GOB., commanding the First
Division of the Army, to Brigadier Hamilton, com-
manding 2nd Brigade, First Division, is extracted from
the Bombay Standard :—" Camp, Alumbagh, near
LtlOllllOW, January 26. My dear Brigadier,—l should
be very sorry that the 78th should attribute anything
said to-day to the excitement of the moment, and there-
fore somewhat more perhaps than what I would
deliberately record. What I did say is what I really
feel, and what I am sure must be the sentiment of
I every Englishman who knows what the 78th has done
during the past year, and I had fully weighed what I
should say before I went on parade. While fresh in
my mind I will here record what I did say, in case you
may think my deliberately and conscientiously expressed
testimony to the merita of your noblo regiment of any
use. The following is the spirit, and I think almost ex-
actly the wording, of what I said :—' 78th Highlanders,
I gladly seise the opportunity of the Brigade being
paraded to witness the presentation of good conduct
medals to some of your deserving comrades to say a few
words to you to tell you of my high estimation of the
very admirable conduct of the whole regiment during the
year, completed to morrow, that I have been associated
with you in the field, commencing in Persia. Your
exemplary conduct, 78th, in every respect, throughout
the past year, I can truly Bay, and I do most emphati-
cally declare, has never been surpassed by any troops,
of any nation, in any age, whether for indomitable
velour jin the field or steady discipline, under an
amount of fighting, hardship, and privation such as
seldom, if ever, British troops have heretofore been ex-
posed to. The cheerfulness with which you have gone
through all this has excited my admiration as much as
the undaunted pluck with which you always close with
the enemy whenever you can get at him, no matter
what his odds against you, or what the advantages of
his position. And my feelings are but those of your
countrymen all over the world, who are now watching
your career with intense interest. I trust that it will
not be long before the campaign will be brought to •
glorious conclusion, by the utter destruction of the hosts
of rebels in our front, or the capture of this doomed city,
their last refuge. And lam sure that you, 78th, who
will have borne the brunt of the war so gloriously from
first to last, when you return to old England will be
hailed and rewarded by your grateful and admiring
countrymen, as the band of heroes which you so well
deserve to be regarded. Good and glorious as your
conduct has been, 78th, your goodness and your glmy
has been nobly emulated by all the troops of this
division which have shared your dangers and your
triumphs. To them, also, my acknowledgments are
due and they will be gratefully tendered when oppor-
tunity offers, especially to the gallant 90th now at your
side, as they have ever stood by you, fought with you
and suffered with you since we crossed the Ganges
together. The great and brilliant services performed by
the 90th in the Crimea, even they have been eclipsed
by what it has already done in India. Nor must we
forget, 78th, your pliant comrades of the 64th, though
no longer with us, who served with you in Persia,
served with you here, and suffered as you have done.
No, I shall not forget the 64th in a hurry, nor shall I
forget you.' Very sincerely yours, J. OUTRAIL To
Brigadier Hamilton, /sc."

THE INDIAN REINFORCENENTIL—The arrangements
for the conveyance of troops from Europe are, it is
said, to be systematised. Already the military have
discovered that a thousand men per month can be sent
overland without inconvenience or delay. A formal
request also was made to Mr. Brunel to tender the
Leviathan for the conveyance of troops to India. The
company which owns the great ship were favourable,
but Bombay is the only harbour in India the Leviathan
oan enter. Another company therefore started up who
proposed to construct eight vessels of 6,000 tons, and
establish a monthly line on the Cape route. They
pledged themselves to effect the journey in 40 days, on
*condition of receiving a contract to convey 10,000 men
a year to India, and all the reliefs to England, The
matter is said to be still under consideration, but some
such arrangement has become indispensable. Wo can
no longer trust our reinforoemento to the slow and
Irregular oommunioation by sailing vessels, and their
transmission by the overland route, though quite posit-
ble, involves the exposure of English soldiers, packed
like herrinp, to the heat of the Red Sea in August and
Boptembor. We have ourselves seen 10 per oent, of a
number of English gentleman, not so pecked and far
more temperate in their habits, utterly prostrated.
Finally, the river flotilla so long required has at length
sotually been ordered. 25 gun oteatu-boats are now
building, and two of them are reedy for shipment.
They are propelled by • screw, draw barely two feet of
water, and attain in slack water • speed of nine milos
an hour. With their high-pressure engines they may
be made to wend the Hoogly at an average of at least
seven miles an hour, a rate amply sufficient for our
immediate end. With that draught they can asoend to
Agra, as the salt boats which come down in the hot
weather draw 2ft. Sin. They can Garry troops or eons
fairly into Lucknow, while there is scarcely • corner of
Bengal Proper which they cannot reach at all Katona.
Each boat is armed with one heavy moveable gun, and
three of them would form • battery sufficient to over-
awe any one of our river cities. Each can carry from
250 to MO men, and the entire flotilla therefore could
convey an army of 5,000 Europeans to Allahahad in 16
days. The value of this addition to our strength needs
no demonstration. The railway to the north-west may
render the resource nodose as • means of communication
with Hindosten, but we shall have no railway to Assam
or through the greater portion of Bengal. A railway,
too, may be interrupted at least for • few days. The
water route alone is partially beyond the reach even of
• popular revolt. It is impossible while recording such
facto not to feel an emotion of anger at the delay which
has been permitted to occur.