The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

000. 0-,

au practicable despatch. Observing in your letter to the
Govsrnor of the Cape of Good Hope that the want of
artillery is specially noticed, it has been determined that
one of the only two coanies of this arm in garrison
here, together with another company of the 3:lrd, shall
follow in the sailing-vessel Canning, which has been char-
tered for the service.
On the Pith of August, Sir George Grey, at the
Cape, received Lord Elphmstone's application for
assistance, couched in terms which exhibit io a re-
markable and authentic manner the deplorable ina-
dequacy of the European forces in India at the time
of the outhreak :
TO His EXCELLENCY KR GEORGE GREY, K.0.D., GOVERNOR
AND COUMANDEII•IN-CIIIEF, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
Honourable Sir,—We have the honour to submit for
your Excellency's consideration the following circum-
stances :
tin the 10th of May a mutiny broke out among the
native troops of the Bengal army at Meerut, an important
station tinder the government of the north-western pro-
\ inces of India. Several Europeans were murdered. The
mutiny immediately extende-1 to Delhi, where the lladies,
ives of
many officers, civil and military, and of several
were sacrificed. The mutineers, on gaining possession of
the city of Delhi, proclaimed a member of the old imperial
Emily as king, and called on their countrymen to co-
operate in the annihilation of British power in India.
The evil example exhibited at Meerut and Delhi has
been followed throughout the whole of Northern India.
From Calcutta to the Punjaub there is hardly a station in
which mutiny has not broken out, or in which it has not
been found necessary to disarm the native troops. At
several stations many officers and other European inhabi-
tants have been murdered by the mutineers.
The armies of Madras and Bombay have, up to the
present time, remained firm in their allegiance.
The accompanying copies of summaries of Indian news
prepared for circulation in England will place your Excel-
lency in possession of the principal events in this extraor-
dinary movement, the most momentous in the annals of
our Indian empire. The ostensible cause of the mutiny,
your Excellency will observe, was the introduction of the
new cartridges for the Enfield rifles, which, as being pre-
pared in some degree with tallow, were regarded as offen-
sive to the religious feelings of the native troops. A senti-
ment through the exertions of evil agents appears to have
been engendered that the introduction of these cartridges
was designed as an insult to the Hindoo and Mahomedan
religions, and as the first indication of a policy having for
its object the destruction of these religions. It would be
out of place now to speculate how far other motives have
conduced to the mutinous spirit so widely and so violently
exhibited. It will be sufficient to regard the actual facts
alone, and to state that British ascendancy in India has
never received so serious a menace.
Your Excellency will immediately understand, with
nearly the whole of the Bengal army either in open mutiny
or disarmed in order to prevent them from mutinying, the
presence of strong reinforcements of European troops is
an absolute necessity. The Government of Bombay has
reason to feel a just confidence in the fidelity of its native
army ; it has stood firm, and we believe it will continue
to stand firm, but it is recruited in a great part from the
same provinces as the Bengal army, and with the evil
example of that army before them it would be of very
doubtful policy to trust implicitly to troops surrounded by
such temptations to revolt as they are unquestionably
exposed to. This Government, out of the eight European
regiments which garrison its stations, inclusive of those in
Scinde and of Aden, has in the present emergency de-
spatched four regiments to Bengal and the Punjaub, and
the greater part of onother to places subordinate to the
Government of the north-western provinces. It has still
received urgent calls for further aid, and it has to watch
events in the adjoining territory of his Highness the
Nizam, among whose troops a mutinous spirit has already
displayed itself. If this spirit should become general in
the Nizam's territory, the whole eastern frontier of this
Presidency would require to be protected against any sud-
den inroad.
In these conjunctures it has occurred to us that your Ex-
cellency might be able, consistently with proper regard to
the interests committed to your charge, to spare at least
one of her Majesty's regiments now stationed at the Cape
for duty in this Presidency. This would be an important
accession of strength, while, if a larger reinforcement can
be afforded us, it might enable this Government to render
further assistance to the Government of the north-western
provinces, and a feeling of confidence would be inspired
that the British Government was bringing all its resources
to hear on the present crisis. In the earnest hope that
your Excellency may be able to comply with this request
to the extent at the very least of one regiment of infantry,
the steamer Pottinger has been despatched, and the steamer
Civilian will follow for its conveyance to Bombay.
We, however, hope that your Excellency may have it in
your power to despatch at this crisis a much larger force
(comprising artillery, which is much needed) for the relief
of India, and that you will be able to find tonnage, and
possib'y steam tonnage, at the Cape. We have already had
the honour of pointing out to your Excellency that the
proportion of European troops in this Presidency is less by
one-half than its usual amount in times of perfect tray-
qnillity. Were four regiments of infantry and three com-
panies of artillery sent to Bombay, our ordinary peace
establishment would only be completed.
Sir George Grey was inspired, but in a weaker
degree, by the same British spirit as his brother
governors. Sir George said a great deal, but did
very little. He was told to send 5,000 men to India,
and he contented himself with sending '2,550.
Another 250 were afterwards added, and a few horses
for the cavalry.

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THE PRESS, JANUARY 16, ISSB.