The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

INDIA.

THE CALCUTTA MAIL.

(From our own Correspondent.)
POONAII, Dec. 1, 1857.

THE rebellion, broken like an ulcer at Delhi, still
spreads and lives, like the infla.nmation surrounding
one, in the districts affected—principally, of course,
in Oude. Our force, gloriously successful in the
storm of the rebel stronghold, was too weak to reap
the fruits of its valour, and the result is that Oude
is deluged with the disatfoctel. It has been com-
puted that over 100,000 men are there in arms
against us, and it is there the war will have to be
waged against enemies that have been dislodged,
rather than disheartened.

After the fall of Delhi, events will lack interest,
and the public mind suffer, I fear, a reaction ; but
very much indeed is before us all to do, and perhaps
to suffer. In this Presidency I think all goes
fairly at present. Lord Elphinstone is warmly
praised, by men of all opinions, for much personal
courage and political promptness. It is, however,
hinted that he leans too much to the dangerous
virtue of clemency, and the recent commutation of
sentence in the case of the mutinous sepoys gives
colour to the report. During the Mohurrum, how-
ever, he drove without escort through the native
bazaars, and his own guard is and has been a native
one ; nor is it easy to overrate the effect of this
confidence on the native mind. Impressionable
themselves to a degree, they read no fear in the face
of the Anglo-Indian, and infer his danger and
anxiety ended. I question, in point of fact, whether
the tragical course of the mutiny is canvassed with
such excitement here as in England, or its ultimate
issue so eagerly debated. This is partly because
the distinction between the Presidencies is stronger
and more definite than is imagined—partly, perhaps,
from the diminished terrors of a peril that is present
and face to face.

The English succours are very tardy in their
arrival at Bombay. All's well that ends well ; but
immense responsibility attaches to the Minister who
sent his rescues by so long a road. No o►►e has the
right, at such a game at hazard, to stand to throw
the "double nix," and it should form grave matter for
question in Parliament. A company of Sappers,
proceeded I think by two others, came with us, the
overland passengers, without visible difficulty, across
Egypt and the desert. They turn out on arrival to be
precisely the troops that are least needed; but that
is " selon regle."
You will hear that the 10th Native Infantry
is sent to Guzerat. This regiment furnished
the havildar who was lately executed at Bombay,
and is, I fear, infected. Major-General Wadding-
ton, an officer of unquestioned name, takes command
of the Scinde division of the army, and, though
in weakly health, embarked for Kurrachee at
twelve hours' notice. The same promptitude is
almost everywhere the rule. Sir Hugh Rose, for
instance, commanding the " Nerbudda Field Force,"
goes up to take command, as a simple traveller,
without a guard, and through a most disturbed
country, to save the inestimable space of a few days.
Altogether, the success of our arms has checked the
barely rising flame of revolt o►► this side. A sign,
however, of the times is to be found in the increase
of local depredations, some authors of which, to the
number of forty, have been lately captured by our
energetic superintendent of police, Captain Arthur.
It is at Lucknow that the game is playing now.
We have ascertained the junction of the Com-
mander-in-Chief with the gallant Havelock and
Outram. Successive messages have communicated
the capture of Jellalabad, of the Dilkhoosha, and the
Martiniere ; Outram and the relieving force thus
cannonading the town from opposite points. With
5,0(X) men between the capital of Oude and Cawn-
pore, 2,000 of which are cavalry, with Captain Peel's
heavy guns and bluejackets, and reinforcements vii
Allahabad and Alumbagh arriving, as is said, 10() a
day, a mistake or misfortune could hardly occur ;
yet the rebels fight desperately, and swarm like
locusts. All the women and children have been
sent along the road to Cawnpore, and nothing pro-
mises to prevent a severe chastisement of the rebels
in the nest of their treachery except that one but
fatal cause, insufficiency of force. Here we hope fer
the best; but we know that, though Calcutta is
crowded with troops, Calcutta has very indifferent

THE VIE S S, JANUARY 2, 1858.

means at her disposal for their transport up the
country.
Nana Sahib (not Nina, gentlemen of England !)
is out of money as well as luck ; he trusted his
wealth, jewels, and loot, " on dit," with old Jaswnnt
Singh, whose son and successor now denies the
deposit. The consequence is a dissension, and great
difficulty on Nana's part to keep the Mouldys,
Feebles, Warts, and Bull-calfs of his followers in
any decent order. Fresh confirmation of the
devilish cruelty of the revolters come con-
stantly in ; among other horrors for the gobe-
mouches," is the description of a crushing
machine, employed by the King of Delhi for the
annihilation of the captured English, who were
placed, it is said, upon a table of iron, while a pon-
derous frame of timber work, faced also with sheet
iron, and loaded with granite-blocks, was let fall
upon them. The flattened and bloodless mass is
then related to have hung suspended from the
palace walls in Delhi, till it wore the appearance of
a dry and blackened cake. Far worse than this is
true, so its veracity is a matter of huh moment—
still the tale is currently believed.

b Central India, believe me we have much to do
—nay, it. is possible that the real battle for supre-
macy may be ultimately fought out there—a country
admirably adapted for the native jungle fighting,
and proportionately disadvantageous to the solid
consistency of European troops. At present,
Neemucb, which was invested, is relieved, and a
signal punishment inflicted at Mundesore : of this
achievement Brigadier Stewart and the Malwa Field
Force are the heroes. lam glad to say that the 12th
Native Infantry behaved admirably in this affair.
Lieutenant Redmayne, of the 14th Light Dragoons,
was unfortunately killed; 7 officers and 76 rank and
file killed and wounded in it. The whole district is
of course disturbed, and it will be strange if the 31st
Bengal Native Infantry at Sangor (with the 66th at
Nynee Tal, and the 73rd at Jalpigoree, the only re-
maining faithful regiments of the Bengal army)
resists the malaria of revolt. Of the regiments men-
tioned in my parenthesis, one, the 66th, is a Gboorka
force, Do that two Abdiels only remain of the seventy.
four. Queueque tandem!
The blue-jacket. could not wait for the regular
fighting, but went out of their way, as you will hear,
for a little " divarshion " of that nature, on their
passage up. Sir Colin has "repressed their noble
rage," not very profitably yielded to, I fear, on this
occasion. The action took place at or near Futtelipore,
the 53rd, 93rd, with Sappers and Miners and some
of Captain Peel's tars, having attacked and routed
the Banda rebels, numbering 3,00(). Three guns
were captured; but among the first killed fell Colonel
Powell, commanding the 53rd.
From Madras there is little news, except what tells
us of an attack made upon a town near Hyderabad
(in the Nizam's dominions) by S(H) Rohillas—
principally notable for the gallant defence of Govern-
ment treasure by two naicks, a havildur, and e;gh-
teen sepoys. _ _

The discursiveness of my letter fitly represents
that stage of the suppression at which we ar6
arrived. The war is becoming a raid—the guerra
is getting to be a guerilla. Let no ono think the
work done, or half done. If England will yet hold
her magnificent appanage, let her strenuously sup-
port her gallant sons in India, and jealously demand
of her Ministers in England a patriotism above
party, and a policy large, energetic, and immediate.