The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MAY 8, 1858.

in the Royal Court. From every ceiling hung glass
chandeliers of every age, form, colour, and design. As to
the furniture, in many instances it looked like collections
from the lumber.rooms of all the old Palaces in Eutope—
Louis Quatorze clocks and cabinets, Renaissance mirrors
and chairs, buhl-worked ebony chests, marqueterie tables,
solid lumpy old German state chairs, gilt all over; but
these were relieved by the richest csrpets, by sumptuous
divans, by cushions covered with golden embroidery, by
rich screens of Cashmere shawls, and by tableeovers pon-
derous with pearls and gold. In some of the rooms there
were a few good pictures, said to be by Sir Joshua
Reynolds, Lawrence, Zoffany, and Beechey, but I did not
see any traces of Sir Joshua on the walls when 1 entered,
and there wan only one picture which looked at all like a
Lawrence. There iv,re numerous portraits of the present
'and former Kings of Oude, and oil copies of the portraits
of Governors-General, of Wellington, Nelson, George IV.,
and Bonaparte, many Chinese drawings, French crayons,
and English engravings of all sorts, even those from
Williamson's " Wild Sports of the East," an old and
almost forgotten book on tiger hunting, in gorgeous
frames, but the hand of the spoiler was heavy among them
all. Those hung out of the reach of the musket swck and
bayonet were scarcely safe from a bullet or the leg of a
table. Down came chandeliers in a tinkling, clattering
rain of glass—crash! crash! crash! door and window, and
mirror and pendule ! Sikh and soldier were revelling in
destruction, and delirious with plunder and mischief.
Those who could not get in at once to carry on the work
searched the corridors, battered off the noses, legs, and
arms of the statues in the gardens, or, diving into cellars,
either made their fortunes by the discovery of unsuspected
treasure, or lost their lives at the hands of concealed
fanatics.

Two men of the 90th were in before us, and, assisted
later by some of the 38th, we saw them appropriate money's
worth enough to make them independent for life. The
rooms off this nook had been used as stores by the King
or some wealthy member of bis household, and each
moment these men went in only to emerge with a richer
trophy. In one box they found diamond bracelets,
emeralds, rubies, pearls, and opals, all so large and bright
and badly set, that we believed at the time they were glass.
In another was a pair of gold mounted and jewelled duel-
ling pistols, of English make, and the hill, stating that
his Majesty the King of Oude owed the maker 21301.;
then out they came with bundles of swords, gold•mounted
and jewelled, which they at once knocked to pieces for the
sake of the mountings, leaving the blades behind them.
Next came out a huge chymical laboratory, then a gold
saddlecloth, studded with pearls ; then gold•handled titling
canes; then cups of agate and jade, grld•moounted and
jewelled ; then—but I must really stop this broker's inven-
tory. The happy possessors of these riches were quite
mad with excitement. "Is this gold, sir?" "Is that a
diamond ?" "Is your honour Shure that's raal goold ?"
" la this string of little white stones (pearls) worth any-
thing, gintlemen ?" It was a great drawback to have a
conscience under such cir'umstances—a greater not to
have a penny in one's pocket, for in this country no one
except an old stager on the look-out for loot carries a
f trthing about him, and, as one of the soldiers observed,
"These here concerns only carries on ready-money trans.
actions!" He was an experienced operator, that gentle-
man. If a native soldier came in and walked off with
anything which he found in a dark corner out pounced
our friend upon him, rifle in hand, " Leave that there, I
tell you. I put that there myself!" and there was some•
thing in his eye which explained his meaning so clearly
that the article was at once abandoned, and if found to be
valuable was retained; if not, was " made a present of."
Close to us were large boxes of japanned work containing
literally thousands of cups and vessels of jade, cf crystal,
and of chins, which the soldiers were listlessly throwing
on the ground and breaking into atoms. Had the enemy
made a strong attack on us at that moment not one-half
of our troops could have been collected to repel it.

RESCUE CF MRS. ORR AND MISS JACKSON.
It was subsequent to this soteoess that Captain M'Neil,
of the Bengal Artillery, attached to the Ghourkes, and
Lieutenant Bogle, of the same force, succeeded in saving
Mrs Orr and Miss Jackson, who have been so long in
captivity. As these officers were exploring the deserted
streets in front of the Ghootica advanced posts they en-
countered a native, who said he was one of Sir J. Outram's
employes, and implored their protection for his house and
property. In the course of his appeal he mentioned inci-
dentally that he knew where the English ladies were
confined, and offered to point out the place. Almost im•
mediately afterwards another native appeared and presented
two note=—one from Mrs. Orr, the other from Miss
Jackson, imploring immediate succour, as their enemies
were making search for them. The officers returned to
the nearest Ghoorka post, and called for volunteers ; forty
or fifty of these hardy, dirty, and loot-loving Calmneks
stepped forth, and, with the native at their head as a guide,
the party at a rapid rate started off on their errand of
deliverance. They proceeded for more than half a mile
through the silent, tortuous streets, expecting to receive a
volley at every turn. when they came to a house apparently
shut up and abandoned. " This is the house," said the guide.
At the noise of their footsteps the owuer—Meer Wajeell
Ali, Darog t of the Court—made his appearance, and began
to stipulate for his property. but Captain M'Neil demanded
the immediate production of the ladies, and, finding that
he was resolute, the Damp led him to an obscure apart-
ment, where were two ladies in Oriental costume in a dark
corner. At the sound of the voice,—" Are, you the
English ladies, and do you wish to leave this place ? "
those whom he addressed were not able to reply to the
officer from excessive joy, and for a moment or two they
were overwhelmed with thankfulness and emotion. But
there was no time to he lost. The Moulvie and his
followers were known to be searching for them. The
ladies, clad as they were, descended to the street, and were
about to be placed on the officers' horses, when a palan-

quin caught the eye of Captain M`Neil in the ccurt of
the house. Just as the ladies were getting into it a few
budmashes, with drawn swords, sallied out from an
adjoining house to attack them, but a shot from a revolver
and the bayonets of the Ghot,rkas soon d.sposed of their
resistance, and six o. the Duruga's retainers being lm.pressed as palanquin bearers, the party and a portion of
the escort moved back as rapidly as possible to the
Ghoorka post, and the poor ladies were placed io safety.
At the same time some other Christians, Eurasians and
descendants of Europeans, were saved by the guarct of
Lieutenant Bogle, and were delivered out of the hands of
their enemies. It is but just to say, however, that,
although the native Christian community was so large as
to form a gunj or quarter of its own, containing perhaps
300 persons, there is no reason to believe that the sepoys
persecuted or murdered them. Most of them fearing ill-
treatment, concealed themselves.

THE BEGUMS.
it may be imagined what a state of terror the Begun
and their attendants were in when our men entered. They
expected death every instant, and their agonies of fear
were increased by the knowledge of the fact that some
armed sepoys were shut up in a room close at band, and
one shot might seal their fate. Huddled together amid
the sinolc!., they could scarcely be calmed by the assurances
of the officers, who at once took measures to remove them
to a place of safety. As they were going out one of the
ladies pointed out to Captain Hope Johnstone a box which
he had just taken from the floor and laid upon the table.
She told him it contained jewels to the value of ten Lica of
rupees, or 100,0001. He at once placed sentries at the
doors, end gave orders that no one should enter. Having,
with the aid of his brother officers, taken the 'Ales out of
danger, he retired to the Zenana. It was blazing from end
to end. The sentries only escaped by clambering up to
the roof, from which they were with difficulty saved. The
jewels were gone. Had Captain Johnstone taken them
they would have been his, for the Kaiserbagh on this day
was given up to plunder, and what each wan could get
became his property.

I visited two little parties of prisoners to-day, and the
effect produced on me was very different indeed. First, in
company with Captain Hertert Bruce, the chief of the
Secret intelligence Department at head-quarters, I went to
the Martiniere to see the Begums and their ladies and
slaves, who are placed there, for their own sake, under a
guard of native soldiers. In one of the ground Moors, in a
large but dirty apartment, without door or window as far
as I could see, were lodged the late inmates of the lign-
rious Zenana of the Kaiserbagh. There were three groups
of women sitting on the floor, wrapped in white cotton
robes not over clean. Those near the door were servants
or waiting women, all of remarkable ugliness, and among
them was running about a little bit of bronze—a prince
of Oude, in perfect indifference to what passed around
him, and to the absence of clothing. Near the wall on oar
left were slave girls of the elder of the Bigums, who had
just learnt that there was no recognition of slavery by British
law, martial or civil, and who were anxious to go away us
soon as they could. They were for the most part young
and lean, and two had such pretensions to beauty as fine
eyes and hair and beautiful teeth can give. The Beguins,
two in number, sat at the end of the room—one with ber
head veiled, who never stirred or spoke while we were in
the room, the other old and slightly crusted with dirt, who
got on her legs and spoke incessantly. These poor ladies
—bythe-by, they had no very aristocratic air or bearing,
except perfect composure—ire not prisoners. They may
go away when and where they please, but they do not ult•
derstand this perfect liberty; they rely, however, on gaol
Sir James Outran), and all the Begums' fear is that their
slaves will go away. They have been informed that Go-
vernment can do nothing fur them, end if they had shown
pity for our women and children we might feel pity for
their miserable condition. They do nut appear to com-
plain, however, but accept their sitattion with true Oriental
fatalism. The guards are placed over them merely to
secure them from impertinent curiosity. They are free,
but they do not comprehend what freedom means ; to them
it is misery. Captain Bruce will, no doubt, do all lie can
to carry out Sir James °again's views, and the duet
Commissioner is one of the moat charitable of wen, even
to his enemies. Later in the day I was introduced to Mr:.
Orr and Miss Jackson, of whose preservation I wrote )nu
an an account in a former letter. They are euiliforteely
lodged in a house near Banks's bungalow, but they evince
in countenance and a painful tar of suffering the effects of
their long captivity. Their lives were spared, indeed, bat
they were watched night and ;lay by armed guards, who
did not hesitate to use gross and insulting language towards
them, and whose constant delight it was to tell them of the
outrages and mast-acres which were taking place all over
India during the time of our troubles Their lives were pre•
served by the fidelity of the Daroga, or by his desire to
secure his personal safety in case the lirit:sli became ma=-
tern of the city. Dv otter day, before they were comeale
in his house, they lived in expectation of death.