The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

INDIA.

DELHI AND CAWNPORE.

TUE narrative of events before Delhi is brought
down to the 14th July. The position of affairs at
Delhi may be summed up in very few words. The
city remained in the hands of the rebels, who had
been strengthened by powerful reinforcements, and
appear to be animated with a belief in their success.
In the British camp our army, though reinforced by
a few native regiments, is as yet barely capable of
doing more than hold its own against the frequent
and deperate assaults of the rebels, and every inci-
dent and fact connected with the siege tells us that
the old story of Sebastopol is being repeated outside
Delhi, we are besieged as well as besieging, and the
fall of the city must not be looked for for months :
Here we are still before Delhi ( writes a staff officer),
and not likely to get in till reinforcements arrive from
England, for our force is about one-third the enemy's in
numbers, and they outnumber us altogether in guns and
ammunition, Delhi being one of the largast arsenals in
India. We are therefore quite unable to besiege the place
regularly, and our nearest batteries are 1;200 yards off.
The engineers urged an assault, and everything was
arranged for it, but at the last moment the general hung
back, and since then we have lust so many men that I
don't think the idea will be ever entertained again.
The native reinforcements our camp had received
were rather a disadvantage. They were not all to
be relied upon :
The cavalry regiments of the Punjanb force ( writes the
Tigers correspondent) contain many Mussulmans and
high-caste llindoos, from Hindustan Proper and Rohil-
mind, while the Bengal irregular cavalry regiments are
mainly composed of such elements. These men are as a
class utterly disloyal, and their presence with the force in
any numbers must be embarrassing. And so it has proved.
In the 2nd Punjaub Cavalry it has been found necessary
to disarm some seventy Hindustan men and to hang three,
one a superior native officer. The 17th Irregulars have
not, so far as we have heard, behaved amiss yet, but of the
oth Irregulars, which have been some time with the force,
severat troopers have deserted, and the 4th Irregulars have,
I believe, murdered their adjutant, while on detachment
duty.
It will be seen at a glance that in so small a camp
the presence of disaffected troops, whose sympathies
are with the rebels in the city, may lead to grave
disasters, for it is more than probable they will
intrigue with the rebels, and may at a critical
moment, when our soldiers are engaged repelling a
serious assault, turn the fortunes of the day by their
defection. Besides the sentiments towards us of
the Sikhs are not without grave suspicion. But to
pass on to the events before Delhi. "We are still
sitting' before this city (writes Major Cobbe on
the 13th July), and I do not know what the plans of
the campaign ere—whether we are to wait for rein-
forcements expected up from the south, or to attack
the place and take it by assaults "
The latter ought to have been adopted some days ago,
but 1 think the former plan is the one that will be pur-
sued ; and if the European troops who are said to be
marching up are near undoubtedly it will be the wiser plan.
Not one Hindostsnee sepoy can be trusted. The Sikhs
and Glioorkas (hill men, chiefly from Nepaul), as well as
the l'imjaubee irregular troops, are the only natives we
can trust, and they are fighting right manfully by our side ;
but they are not numerous, and our European soldiers are
not many, as our force is the " Reserve Army of India."
We are, however, well off in field artillery, about thirty four
or thirty-six field-guns, manned by Europeans, also a good
number of foot artillerymen, consisting of both Europeans
and Sikhs. Our infantry consists of about 3,400 men,
2,400 of whom are Europeans, the rest natives of the class
above mentioned. There have been a great many skir-
mishes since I last wrote—indeed, the average is about
two or three a week. The sepoys are great hands at
concealing themselves well under cover, but if you catch
them on the open ground they are great cowards.
And then, referring to the general prospect of affairs,
he writes :
Long before this I hoped to have told yon of the fall of
Delhi. We must have patience, however. I mail be
wrong, but I fancy the present campaign will not be con-
cluded till March or April. If we get over the hot
weather all right it will be pleasant enough moving about
after these sepoys, but at present the climate is trying, and
after a day spent on duty one feels quite knocked up, but,
as I said before, I never felt better. I hope the Govern-
ment will not delay in sending us out troops ; 30,000
ought to be sent out, and as many as possible through
Egypt by the overland route. The whole of India is in a
ern teal state. Troops from Malta and Gibraltar might be
1 ushed un.
Our position is not at all favourable. "Our bat-
teries," writes an officer in the camp, " are 1,300
yards from the walls ; and at that distance our shot