The Press.
London, England, 1858-12-25 00:00:00

THE PURSUIT OF TANTIA TOPEE.

We extract from the Bombay Standard the
following interesting account of the pursuit of this
rebel, whose course it would appear is nearly run :
In our last summary Tantia Topee, Rao Saheb—the
arcalled Peisbwa—and the Nawab of Banda, were
described 83 being still ►t large and on their road to the
lierbuuda, our columns being completely distanced in the
pursuit. Since then Central India has ceased to be the
sceus of rebel exploits, it having been transferred to the
country lying between the Taptee and Nerbudda. One
chief of the three, the Nawab of Banda, has already sur-
rendered, and we expect soon to hear that Tantia Topee
and the Rao have followed his example, or have been
captured by the detachments in pursuit of them. After
the final engagement between the rearguard of the rebels
at Ilagrode, in Central India, the rebels turned their faces
directly towards the Nerbudde, and, reduced in numbers
to about 4,000 men, but still bearing the grandiloquent
name of "the army of the Peishwa.' they reacheu the
Seria Ghent of the Nerbudda on the :loth of October, at a
point fifty miles east of Hosangabad—Kerr, with the
Southern Mshratta Horse, at that moment at no great
distance from Hosungabad. After a march from Kul-

ladghee of 6-50 miles, 'dining which be crossed five large
rivers, hundreds of brimful nullahs, toiled painfully
throu.;h black soil converted into slime by heavy raine, and
only over thirty miles of made road, in thirty-eight days,
he crossed the Nerbudda with his force with orders to
push on to Bhilsa. and there act as circumstances required.
The road from Hosungabad to Bhilsa was a mere footpath
on the hill sides, offering considerable difficulty to the
advance of cayslry. Kerr's force had hardly concluded
the second day's march on the Ist of November when
intelligence was received that Tantia Topee had crossed
the river. Orders were accordingly issued to turn back ;
and at four p.m. on the same day the Southern Mahratta
Horse fonnd itself again in the town of Hosungabad.
The greatest excitement was visible in the camp awl,
city. The troops were retiring into the iutrenciiment ;
the citizens shutting up their shops—the whole population
in fact, seemed in considerable trepidation at the idea of
Tantia 'l'opee being in the vicinity. Kerr resolved to
impose upon Tantia by vignious measures, and, starting
the same night, rode forty miles to Sehagpore, which by
the rapidity of his march was fortunately saved from
plunder. Tantia Topee was then only eighteen miles
distant to the eastvard. The country into which he h4d

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NMI THE PRESS, DECEMBER 25, 1858.

now entered was one of the wildest in Central India—a
hilly tract throughout, eomrrising within its limits the
eastern portion of the Vindbya and Mahatleo mountains,
and inhabited by that primitive race the Goonds, who are
supposed to be the aborigines of Hindostan, whose lan-
guage is unlike that c•f any other in Hindostan, and whose
habits are so far removed from civilization that they
live in a state of complete natlity. It was at Sohagpore
that the first intimation was received that one of the rebel
chiefs, at least, desired to surrender. That chief, however,
was not Tenths Topee, but the Nawab of Banda. A servant
of his was arrested at the Post•otfioe in the act of despatch-
ing two letters from his master,—one addressed to Sir
Robert Hamilton, another to Captain Kerr. In the
latter the Nawab declared that he had all along been a
prisoner, which was not true, for it was very well known
that he commanded Linda's horse—and that he desired to
surrender if be were sure of protection. The servant
seemed to have had instructions, if caught, to corroborate
this tale ; for he stated on examination that the .Naweb
was watched night and day, was mich broken in health
and spirits, and had been a prisoner to the Rao ever
since Sir Hugh Rose's advance on Calpee. I t was ascer-
tained from the same source that the force under the three
cniefa still amounted to 2200 infantry, all mounted on
tattoos, and 1,800 cavalry—the Oth, Bth Bengal and Gwalior
Irregular Cavalry. That the Rao, who usually rides on an
elephant preceded by a band of country music, nominally
held supreme command, 'rantia 'rupee being only coin•
manderin•chief. That the Banda Nawab had left all his
jewels behind him, but that his wives and family were with
the reaels. That these, however, carried all their wealth
with them, and were covered with jewels. As to the
condition of the force it was described as very low, the
horses and elephant,: being much beaten, the men wearied
and dispirited, and Tantia comparatively without authority.
It was further stated that the sepoys, in their disheartened
state, regretted what they called the good old times—laid
the mutiny on their officers' shoulders, and cursed them as
the cause of their present altered circumstances.
Tantia, it seems, reached the Nerbudda on the 30th of
October, crossed it on the 31st, halted the next day, and
having won ihe Rajsh of Futtehpore to his side, occupied
that place On the night of the 2nd. The news of Kerr's
advance on Bhilsa was the sole cause of his retreat from
that place, which, bat for this, would infallibly have been
plundered. Sohagpore was saved in a similar manner by
the advance from Hosuugabad. On the 2nd November
Kerr advanced from Sohagpore, ten miles to Hutwas,
having a slight skirmish as he did so with a small body of
irregular horse in red coats. The rebels it ere still at
Futtehpore, a large town situated at the foot of a low
range of hills, backed by the Putchmnrree mountains,
which are some forty miles deep and quite unsuited for
cavalry. In front of the town stretched a thick rocky
jungle, about two and a half miles in depth, the town
itself being intersected with numerous deep ravines.
Against such a position it was vain to hope that 3)0 horse
could do anything, and far the wisest course was to wait
for the arrival of Michel, who was advancing from Bhopal,
having left that place ou the Ist, and expecting to be at
the Nerbudda on the tlth. Kerr's impatience under these
circumstances may be easily conceived.

was deceived, for he was met at Sindwarra and turned from
thence by a detachment from Nagpore. He, therefore, had
no other course open to him than to take a sonth•westerly
direction, and proceed by way of Mooltai to Baitool. In
order to prevent him from making any further way in that
direction towards the rich cotton districts westward,
General Michel, who reached Hosungabad on Bth
November, with Lockhart's, De Saba's, and the Rajpootana
brigades, at once despatched Brigadier Parkes, with a force
of cavalry and artillery, to Baitool. General Michel
himself, with the 17th Lancers, a squadron of the Bth
Hussars, all available artillery, and Kerr, with the Mahratta
Horse, proceeded, though somewhat later (9th November),
to Baitool, leaving some Bombay Artillery and the 72nd
Highlanders at Hosungabad, and posting a squadron of the
Bth Hussars, 13th Native Infantry, and Bombay Horse
Battery, at Hurtle, and a wing of the 2n: Bombay Light
Cavalry at Sohagpore to watch the fords of the Nerbudda.
Tantia Topee had no intention, however, as it afterwards
appeared, of retracing his steps to the Saris Ghent. lie
wont to Mooltai and plundered it, crossed General Michel's
line of march between Baitool and Hosungabad, and
making a ten days' march through the mountains in five
days, along the northern face of the Satpoora Hills, reached
Peepleeode, within forty miles of Asst ghur, on the 18th
of November. Colonel Becher and Captain Buckle followed
on his track as rapidly as they could. Having burnt and
plundered Peepleeode, he took a northerly direction on the
17th to Kundwa, and on the 18th to Churam, evidently in•
tendingto attempt once more the passage of the Nerbudda,
at some of the fords in the neighbourhood of Mundlaiair.
Had not most energetic measures been taken to line the
frontiers of Ksndeish with considerable reinforcements
Tantia Topee might have found no obstacle to a passage of
the Taptee and an irruption into the Bheel districts. He
was deterred, however, from this, possibly in part by the
precipitous nature of the defiles leading front the Satpooras
to the banks of the Taptee, and in a greater measure,
perhaps, by the knowledge of the preparations made to
receive him. The concentration of troops at Kamptee and
Ootnrawuttee had driven him south-west from Sindwarra ;
a similar concentration atfAhmednuggrir and Ajunta pre-
vented him from crossing the Taptee. Sir Hugh Rose
left Mahabuleshwur for Ahmednuggnr, where he was joined
by additional artillery, part of the 18th Royal Irish, and the
whole of the 3rd Dragoons, from Poona, whilst a strong
field force, under Colonel Tapp, C. 8., consisting of a
squadron of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, the head quarters
and 300 men of the Poona Irregular Horse, the 4th Troop
Horse Artillery, and two companies of the 18th Royal Irish
Regiment, together with the 23rd Regiment of Native
Light Infantry, proceeded at once towards Ajunts. From
Menlo= at the same time the 23rd Native Infantry and
18th Royal Irish were sent on to Burhampore, and her
Majesty's •57th were ordered from Bombay to Malligaum.
Colonell Tapp's column reached Ajunts on the 22nd, and
Sir Hugh Rose arrived at Malligaum on the same day.
Measures have thus been taken to stop the mouths of all
the passes leading through the Satpooras southwards.
General Michel has fallen back on Nlhow, and hating
recruited his strength there, will be able to keep the course
of the Nerbadds. At all events, if be cannot prevent Tantia
Topee from again crossing to the northern back of that
stream, he ought successfully to close against him the
passes of the Vindhya range. Although our movements
have not the celerity which characterizes those of the rebels,
and we are always beaten in a stern-chase, the forces at our
disposal cannot but finally overcome all the difficulties in
their way. The present opportunity, at all events, is the
best we have yet had for inclosing Tantia Topee in a net
without issue ; and if we do not make good use of it we
shall not have so favourable an occasion again. As it is
the Nawab of Banda has already seen the uselessness of
further resistance, and has given himself op to our officers.

Gladstone would communicate to her Majesty ute
Queen the wishes of the lonians.

It was believed, however, that once in the Putchmurrees,
the rebels must be lost if the Nagpore, Jubbulpore, Nur-
singpore, and Baitool forces were moved to a common
centre; provisions would utterly fail and the rebels must
be captured. Without such a combination difficulties of
nu ordinary kind might be anticipated, for the rajahs
having joined 'ramie might afford him all that he required,
whilst our force would have to push its way into &country
the peasantry of which were disinclined to give informa-
tion and were completely unfriendly. Hopes were, how-
ever, entertained that the Goond population might be
raised against them by prospects of plunder, especially as
a party of ten determined shikarrees declared themselves
confident of successfully assailing Tautia Topee in sotue
narrow defiles through which troops could only pass in
single file. They were accordingly sent out to do what
they could in those passes. Ou the ;30 of November the
Southern Mabratta Horse advanced to Futtehpore, which
Tantia Topee had abandoned, and encamped under the
very trees whose foliage had shaded Tantia Topee and his
confederates but ihe lay before. The rajahs came in and
tried to explain their conduct, and several sepoys who were
captured were taken and executed. From Futtehpore
Kerr had no hope of being able to advance alone, except
as far as Kopourkaria, a villaga on the plain, distant about
four miles from a stream which rises in the hills and flows
to the Nerbudds. This Kerr did on the morning of the
4th. Meauwhile preparations were made for a combined
movement from Nagpore, Ellichpore, and °tilt r places
between those two points. A brigade of Madras infantry,
artillery, and cavalry was at Katnptee on the 6th of No-
vember, whilst Brigadier Hill's force, ordered from An-
rungsbad to concentrate at Oomrawuttee, and rally the
detachments from Mominahatl, Hingolee, and Elliclipore,
began to move on the ith of November.

AUSTRALIA.
The Australian mails arrived by the Niagara at
Southampton on Sunday. Tho passengers by the
Niagara were the first persons who travelled all the
way by rail between Suez and Alexandria, the Egyp.
tian railroad having been finished just before they
arrived at Suez. On some parts of the journey by
rail the passengers travelled at the rate of forty miles
an hour. One of the most difficult and important
railways in the world, and which has been some
years forming, is now completed, and the short
route to India, China, Japan, and Australia can
now be traversed by railway and steam packet
throughout. Accounts brought by the Niagara from
New Zealand are encouraging. The colony is
prosperous. The gold fields there are steadily in.
creasing in value. The comet first became generally
visible at Melbourne on October 11.

The hope entertained by Kerr, that the Goonds would
rise, and that Tenths Topee would fail to penetrate the
defiles of the Putchmurree Hills, was not realized. Tantia
Topee suoceeded in surmounting all ditticithies, and in
advancing in a direction south•west from Kopoorkaria to
Sindworra, a city situated on an elevated tableland, for a
bug t me celebrated as enjoying the most salubrious and
iuvig rating climate in India, and for that reason pro-
bably not tinknown to some of our readers. There is every
reason to believe that the Rajah of Sindwarra was induced
to give assistance to Tantia Topee, and that he thus
secured all supplies of provisions he required. Kerr, who
reached Kopoorkaria on the 4th November, was, as we
anticipated, unable to follow the rebels through the Patch-
muerte Hills, on imprint of the danger to be anticipated
fro•n a march throngh paths covered with jungle, and
'o g i pAssee practicable only to single SI, s of horsemen.
Bat it Tantia Topee on his part conceived it possible to
penetrate into the Nsgpore territories by Sindwarra, he also