The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

1201

our troops to great straits and hazards when recrossing
the Ganges, the passage of which, when wholly unopposed,
the brigadier-general describes as having been a very
difficult and tedious operation Now, if
the passage of the Gauges was so difficult and tedious
when no opposition was offered, there can be no question
that the operation would be exceedingly hazardous, if not
impracticable, with an enemy, numerically vastly superior,
in hot pursuit; but, it' it was perfectly successful, I con•
eider that withdrawing from Oude would be a false move,
and in every way injurious to our interests and reputation.
No longer overawed by our troops and entirely freed from
their presence, and the province of Oude completely in
their hands, the rebels, in all probability, would pour into
our territory, and there is nothing to prevent them from
overrunning the whole country between the Ganges and
the Gunduck, from Jounpore, Azimghur, and Goruckpore
on the Oude frontier, to Sarun, Tirhoot, Chnprah, and
Purnesb. Surely nothing short of the most imperative
necessity would justify our running such risks as I have
described, and I maintain that nu such necessity exists.

But the mo,t important item in these papers is
that showing the confidence felt and the arrange-
ments made at Calcutta for the transport of troops
from England overland. Lord Canning and his
Council felt so confident that troops would be for-
warded immediately via Suez, that they actually made
arrangements with the Peninsular and Oriental
Company to have them brought on to Calcutta from
that port. In a despatch of the Governor-General
in Council to the Directors, dated the 7th of August,
the following passage occurs :

We are in communication with the Peninsular snd
Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the conveyance
from Suez of the troops that may possibly have been de-
spatched to India by that route soon after the intelligence
of the mutinies reached England. It is understood that
the ordi.►ary mail steamers of this company can bring
400 men from Suez each trip, and more if there ere few
passengers. Instructions have accordingly been given for
preparing the Bentinck, the steamer which conveys the
present mail, for the reception on board of that vessel of
as many men as she can convey, in addition to the ordi•
nary passengers. The only preparations necessary on
board are the preparation of additional cabooses and cook-
ing vessels for the men, and the adoption of arrangements
for their cleanliness. The Commissariat Department has
been ordered to provision the vessel. Similar prepara-
tions for the conveyance of troops will, for the present, be
made in every succeeding mail steamer.
What has been done with the Calcutta boats of the
company, could have been done with all the regular
steamers from Suez to Bombay, China, and Aus-
tralia. But Lord Palmerston and his colleagues
thought the scheme attended with too much " incon-
venience."

Some excellent suggestions for the management of
troops hi India daring a campaign have been pub-
lished to the army by order of Sir Colin Campbell.
They refer to marching, bathing, food, and the use
of stimulants ; and under each head are the most
valuable instructions laid down in plain terms for the
preservation of health. The instructions conclude as
follows .

Recourse is bad in too many cases to stimulants ;
brandy is taken in large quantities to prevent the approach
of sickness ; exercise and the ordinary methods adopted
in other countries to keep the frame sound and vigorous
are neglected. Many become the victims of their own
imprudence and rashness, and their premature death is
erroneously ascribed to the effect of the Indian climate.
With ordinary precaution and attention to the common
laws of hygiene Europeans may live as long and preserve
their health as well in India as in Britain. The neglect
of these precautions rapidly produces fatal results. The
mortality from disease far exceeds that caused by the
enemy; and it behoves every officer to study carefully the
means of preventing sickness.

The Gazette of last Friday publishes a number of
documents, extracts from most of which have already
appeared in our columns. They consist of de-
spatches from the general officers in commantl in
India, giving official details of actions with the
enemy, some as far back as July last. As a record
this number of the Gazette is most interesting. It
gives Brigadier General Nicholson's report of the
Sealkoto mutiny, Major Eyre's report from Jugdis-
po:e, with Captain L'Estrange's communications, and
an official hat from General Wilson of the killed and
wounded before Delhi during the siege.
The following despatch trom Colonel Greathed
will be read with interest, as it has not yet appeared
in extenso

(No. 41.)
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL E. GIIZATIIED TO Til& DEPUTY
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, DELHI.
Comp, Agra, Oct. 11.

- .
Sir,--I have the honour to acquaint vou, fn. the infor-
mation of the Major-General Commanding, that, in conse-
quence of urgent letters from Agra, I marched from Hat-
rasa at six p.m. on the 9th, carrying the European infantry
on elephants and carte, and encamped on the Brigade
Parade-ground at this place about eight a.m. Yesterday
at half past ten o'clock my camp was suddenly attacked in
the front and right flank. I galloped to the front and found
the artillery getting iuto action, and her Majesty's 9th
Lancers in the saddle. I proceeded myself with her
Majesty'e Bth Regiment and the 4th Punjaub Infantry to
the right flank, for the purpose of dislodging the enemy
and talOuo tbeir ((qui, which were raking our mop. Q