The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

NYNEE TAL.

The following is from a gentleman wbo escaped
from Bareilly, dated Nynee Tal, July 7, and is re-
markable as showing the value of the fidelity
of the Sikbs at this moment, as well as expressing
the opinion of the English in India as to the degree
of trust we may place in that fidelity. "No confi-
dence," writes an artillery officer from Ferozepore,
" can be placed in any native regiment :"
Our state here is very precarious. The whole of Rohl].
cund is in a state of anarchy and bloodshed. The foot of
the hills bounded by the deadly forest called the Terai has
been at present one cause of our safety. The aepoys, as
a body, dread the Terai, and, moreover, at present they
have all resorted to Delhi as their head-quarters. But the
forest is filled with thunsands of cut-throats, who only don't
come up here because the Ghoorka regiment still con-
tiours faithful to us ; but how long it will be so God only
knows. If we gain a very decisive battle before Delhi it
will, in all human probability, stand firm ; if we do not, I
don't believe it will dare to stand. If the Sikhs were now
guilty of the same treachery of which the armies of the
line have been they might turn the scale instantly against
us, and our army must be destroyed to a man. We are all
as well as our extreme anxiety will allow us to be. In
two months and a half the small treasury here must be
emptied, and there will be no pay for the Ghtiorkas or for
any of the people here. If relief of some kind come not
before that happens that cause alone will be productive of
terrible consequences. God in His mercy help us, and
help all in this ill-fated country.
Another letter dated Nynee Tal, July 8, says :

Nearly the whole of the Bengal army have now mutinied.
There is no doubt that had the cavalry at Meerut not
broke out as they did, and the plot had been allowed to
ripen as was intended by the rebels, not a European would
have been left alive in the north-western provinces. Provi-
dentially, the cavalry put us on our guard by their prema-
ture proceedings and murders at Meerut. We have, how.
ever, a tough job to hold our own even now against such
overwhelming numbers. Delhi up to this date has not
fallen. On this depends the lives of us who are in out-
ofthe way stations, where aid cannot be sent in time.
The liareilly force who so long threatened this little
station at last made up their minds and went towards
Delhi. They are, after all, a sad set of cowards. Here
we are a small force, yet they dared not attack us, though
they numbered thousands, with many cannon. They
knew we were prepared and would give them a warm
reception Should Delhi not soon fall
our position here will not be safe, and we shall have to
make the best retreat we can across the hills to Mus-
soorie, where we shall be nearer the European troops
at Meerut ; but should all go well at Delhi it is supposed
a small force will be sent to our assistance as soon as
possible ; but, as we are new well into the rains, I fear
we shall not see relief till the beginning of October.
Our great anxiety is as to the lathes and children, who
are five times as numerous as the men. Many have fled
here from the different stations for safety. We have bad
to disarm all the Mussulman artillery that were with the
guns here, for fear of their doing any mischief. We
also dread our own Mussulman servants. Captain C.
Troup is here ; he managed to escape from Bareilly with
the loss of all he had. Every house in Rohilcund has
been burnt down and plundered.

THE MAGAZINE AT DELHI.
A most interesting narrative, officially communi-
cated to Government by Lieutenact Forrest, gives
an accurate detail at last with respect to the blowing
up of the magazine at Delhi on the outbreak of the
mutiny. Lieutenant Forrest shares with Lieutenant
Willoughby the honour of this brave action. On the
morning of the rebellion these two officers and Sir
C. Metcalfe were in the arsenal when they heard of
the treachery of the native sepoys, and they took
instant measures to check their advance upon the
arsenal. Sir C. Metcalfe, wbo had gone out to see
the extent of We movement, did not return. Lieu-

tenant Forrest closed and blocked up the gates,
placing two 6 pounder guns, doubly loaded with
grape, under Sub-conductor Crow and 'Sergeant
Stewart, so as to command the entrance. Twc more
6-pounders were placed in a similar position in front
of the inside of the magazine gate, protected by a
row of chevaux-de (rise. For further defence two 6-
pounders were trained to command either the gas
or the small bastion in its vicinity, other guns being
so arranged as to increase the strength of the posi-
tion generally. These preparations bad hardly been
concluded when a body of mutineers appeared, and
called on the defenders to open the gates. On their
refusal, scaling ladders furnished by the King of
Delhi were brought up, and the rebels got on the
walls and poured on to the arsenal. The guns now
opened and took effect with immense precision on
the ranks of the enemy. Four rounds were fired
from each of the guns, Conductors Buckley and
Scully distinguishing themselves in serving the
pieces rapidly, the mutineers being by this time
some hundreds in number, increasing in force, and
keeping up a quick discharge of musketry. A train
bad been laid by Lieutenant Willoughby to the
magazine ; and the decisive moment soon ap-
proached, Lieutenant Forrest being wounded in the
hand and one of the conductors shot through the
arm. The signal was given to fire the train, which
was done coolly by Conductor Scully. The effect
was terrific; the magazine blew up with a tremen-
dous crash, the wall being blown out flat to the
ground. The explosion killed upwards of a thousand
of the mutineers, and enabled Lieutenants Willoughby,
Forrest, and more than half the European defenders
of the place, to fly together, blackened and singed,
to the Lahore gate, from whence Lieutenant Forrest
escaped in safety to Meerut. Lieutenant Willoughby
was less fortunate, and is now said to have been
killed on his way to Uniballah.

VISCOUNT MELVILLE ON THE INDIAN
MUTINY.
AT a dinner given at Dalkeith on Friday week to Mr.
Dundas, of Arniston, on the occasion of the birth of
a son and heir, the health of Lord Melville was pro-
posed in connection with the army. In reply his
lordship said :
I mil} wish I could say I entertain the hope that we
have seen the worst in India. I am afraid that before
the services of our army are brought to a close there, we
must prepare ourselves for still worss calamities than we
have already suffered, and, I fear, for losses of a severe
character. It is not only that we have to provide an army
for putting down the rebellion, but we have to occupy the
country as well as have • force engaged in moveable
columns for the suppression of the rebellion in different
districts of India. This will require a large force, and I
am afraid such force as we have yet sent out is not adequate
to the service that has to be performed. As almost every
available soldier that England can now produce is on his
way to that country, or is engaged in our other possessions,
I feel that if England means t) retain all her foreign pos.
sessions, she must maintain a much larger army than she
has yet done. You cannot maintain these distant colonies
without an adequate force, not only to occupy them but to
defend them if necessary. Ships and soldiers you at this
moment reqaire with the most urgent necessity; and I hope
now, seeing what the emergency is, the loyalty and
patriotism of the country will stir up young men to come
forth and rally round the standard of Great Britain, to
recover that country to England which this rebellion has
plactil in peril—l will not say taken from us, for I cannot
but believe that the supremacy of England will be re-estab•
lished and her dominion restored, and that country become
once more the bright gain in the British crown which it
has hitherto been.

In reply to the subsequent toast of his own health,
proposed by Mr. Ramsay, of Whitehill, his lordship
said :

My friend Mr. Ramsay has alluded to my services in
terms beyond any deserts of mine, and particularly to the
occasion when I commanded the Bombay column in the
Puojanb. I most certainly congratulate myself on the
excellent discipline manifested by that column ; and what-
ever credit may be due to me in that matter, I can consci-
entiously say was by my being most ably and zealously
snpported by the officers of that army. I do believe that
if the same discipline had been in existence, and the same
attention to their duties had been paid by the European
officers of the Bengal army, this unfortunate mutiny would
not have occurred. We cannot retain our dominion in
India without a native army. Europeans cannot do the
duty which the natives are called on to perform ; the
climate will not admit of it. But how we can recognise
that army so as to trust the natives after what has occurred
is more than at this moment I can possibly venture to
suggest. Meanwhile a very large European force will
necessarily have to be maintained, and many duties
hithetto performed by natives must be performed by
them, though, I am afraid, at a great sacrifice of life; but
that is unavoidable if we mean to maintain our supremacy
in India.

A letter of apology was read from the Marquis of
Dalhousie, whose estate is contiguous to Arniston,
expressing regret at his absence. He said :
I heartily wish I could be present to offer my congratu•
lations to you in person, and to evince my respect and
regard as well for yourself u for your family, of whieh
this is the fourth generation in my time ; but I have
neither a leg to stand upon nor a voice to cheer withal,
and,that being s-.), I feel that the good wishes I heartily