The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-31 00:00:00

camp, and several of the insurgents were floored, together
with one elephant, the whole of its posterior being carried
clean off with a round shot. This proved sufficient for
the enemy, and they were seen scampering off in searelt
of the road home. Last evening they again assembled
close to the river side in thousands, and fired oil a few
of their 9-pounders. We again returned the compliment
by our monsters, and a few shots sufficed to scatter them.
Boats were sent for the unsuccessful reconnoitring party,
and the steamer soon afterwards floated, and is now safe
at the bank side, having received no damage. The bank
on this side of the river is much higher than that on the
other, and we therefore command a better view and
range than they do. Their shot drop far short of the
land on this side ; ours, though of the same calibre, carry
well across. It is contemplated to leave the whole of the
sick, with four hundred effective men, in the intrench-
rnent, the main body of the army going on to the relief of
the garrison at Lucknow.

Of the actual position of the besieged garrison at
Lucknow, the little that is known is highly satisfac-
tory. A letter from General Outram, dated liumern,
11th Sept., states :

I have just received a note from Cawnpore of this
date, from which I extract the following :—'• We had very
good news from Lucknow yesterday. A fierce cannonade
at gunfire, and towards noon the enemy exploded a mine
but by some mischance it went off just under the feet of
those advancing to attack, killing, it is said, nearly 100.
The garrison then made a sortie, which utterly completed
their discomfiture."

The following extract of a letter written by a
cavalry officer at Cawnpore, dated Sept. 3, is also
cheering :
The news we have from Lucknow is very good. We
have often communication with them. A man came in
yesterday. They are all as jolly as they can be under the
circumstances. They appear to have plenty to eat, though
no luxuries. Fighting goes on daily, of course, but there
is no chance of a further assault, as the niggers got such
a lesson last time. I hope we shall relieve them before
the 25th, certainly. We have now, I should think, 1,500
Europeans. The cavalry only numbers gO, but is to be
made up to 100. We have a battery of horse and one of
foot artillery, and six 24. pounders drawn by elephants,
besides some mortars; and when the 90th and sth join
us, as the) will about the 12th or 15th, we shall be able
to give the blackguards something they do not expect. 1
feel, and indeed we all feel, very hopeful of Lucknow.

Whether or no the expedition this time will
succeed in effecting the relief of the heroic garrison
remains to be proved. The Calcutta officials ridicule
any notion of failure. The Hurkaru of September
24 says:--
As to the success of the expedition, few in Calcutta, none
of those who ought to be best informed, entertain the
smallest doubt, and if the heroic garrison possess the
means of prolonging their resistance but a few days
longer, their safety will, in all human probability, be
secured. It is not anticipated that the opposition to our
advance will be of the same determined nature as on
the former occasion ; in fact, two regiments have already
made overtures to our authorities to return to their
allegiance, and although the offer of course was scouted,
still the fact of its having been made at all proves the
disunion prevalent amongst the insurgents.

But against this the (=respondent of the Daily
News remarks :—" Fifty two miles intervene between
Cawnpore and Lucknow ; the left (Oude) bank of
the river which runs just under Cawnpore is strongly
fortified, and there are twelve or fourteen large
villages on the road ; each of these has been made
a small fortification, and all will require to be
stomed." And adds There are several stories
abroad as to the disunion prevailing amongst the
enemy, but I can state most positively that these
stories are greatly exaggerated. No cordiality of
feeling can ever exist between Mahomedan and
Hindoo, but it is equally certain that they have for
the moment dropped their mutual dislike, in order
to combine against us, and that however great may
be their hatred to one another, it falls short of that
felt towards the Feringhees."

A letter from Havelock's camp states that two of
the mutineer regiments have sent in to the general,
offering to lay down their arms if their lives were
spared. The reply was that no overtures from any
rebels could be entertained, but that if they gave
ocular demonstration of their sincerity, that is by
fighting their brother mutineers, their case would
be taken into consideration. One of these repentant,
regiments is supposed to be the 22nd N. 1., who
generously offered to assist their officers from the
Government treasury at 1F zabad , and who, it will be
remembered, spared their lives. The Ghoorkas
being on one side and the Europeans on the other,
with the King and Ally Nucky Khan not coming up
as promised and fully expected long ere this, they
appear to have taken a sudden fit of loyalty again,
as they now find that their visions of double pay and
two hunched bighas of land in Oude promised to
each sepoy have been merely figurative ; attempting
to grasp these, they have lost Lie Company's regular
pay and batta. The following was an intercepted
letter to the Barrackpore Brigade, and more par•
titularly addressed to one regiment there:—

Oh, ye warriors greeting ! We expected great things
from you; you have, however, deceived us. We consi•