The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-10 00:00:00

present day, and they have mail after mail, It is now dis-
covered, been wilfully misleading the Queen's Ministers as
to the real state of affairs in this country ; in fact, they do
not appear able to realise it to this present day, and, like
the ostriches biding their heads, fancy there is no danger
because they see it not. Before Delhi, our little force is
the besieged, not the besiegers, and the utter absurdity of
the mail boats having been detained time after tilne that
intelligence of the fall of Delhi might be conveyed home
by that opportunity was auparent to all but the Government.
I fancy we have seen the last of the East India Company,
and it is time. Excess and abuse of patronage, nearly
every member of the Company's service being nearly related
to the directors, who promote according to stupidity, in-
c ,pacity, and nearness of relationship, whenever the latter
is combined with the former—maladministration of India
and misgovernment will about sound their dying knell, and
time it should. Last March several Fakeers (or religious
mendicants), tattooed and besmeared, were observed to be
travelling all over Bengal and the north-west on elephants,
which excited general remark from everyone but the
Government officials. They allowed these men to pass
unquestioned, and it now turns out they were the King of
Delln's sons and nephews calling for the chupattie cakes
and settling arrangements for the mutiny. . . . . .
There have been queer doings at Deese, in Guzerat, with
the 12th Native Infantry and 3rd Cavalry, but then the 200
Europeans were handled with energy, and the whole regi-
ment disarmed and dismounted in twelve minutes, forty-
five being killed in trying to bolt after being made prisoners,
and fur the tresent things seem quiet there. The Nth
Madras Cavalry refused to embark at Madras for Calcutta,
and they were disarmed and dismounted, and the Govern-
ment General Body Guard, the Prtetorian guards of India,
have had to be treated in the same way. They would not,
they said, go to tight against their countrymen. Our
Bombay officers say they could not depend upon their men
to draw trigger upon the mutineers, so if once they were
brought in contact with them there would 'se a grand ex-
plosion, with murder and revolting cruelties as usual. Here
we are going through an anxious period, the festival of the
Mohurrum, which ends to-morrow. Luckily we have hail
several bodies of troops from the Mauritius in lately, and
have about 1,000 men, infantry and artillery, to awe the
population if riotous, and every proper precaution has been
taken. They are not such fools, however, as to take us
when prepared for them, but will doubtless try to catch the
" weasel asleep," if they intend trying it on at all. The
Poona!' ant Sattara moulvies and Sattara Rajah, who were
found plotting and conspiring, were quietly captured, and
are now awaiting their fate on board a man•of•war in this
port. Rumours are abroad that the 10th Native Infantry
here w re disarmed yesterday, being in an excited state,
but this is untrue ; their pouches and ammunition only
were collected by a European force sent into their lines for
the purpose ; but this is kept dark, and stoutly denied by
the officers and authorities, under pain of a severe punish.
ment if found divulging it, though how they can keep it
quiet Ido not see. All of us are armed, and I and my
friends near about are ready to mount, fully equipped with
sabres and revolvers, at any time at night, to assist in the
orgies. The formation of a volunteer corps is strongly
wished fur by all, but pig headed red•tepists oppose it, and
ask, with a sneer, " Where is the danger ?" Colonel
used this very expression a few days since at a meeting
called to propose a volunteer corps being formed. Of such
are the kings of' India !
Another correspondent writes to a friend in Edin-
burgh :

Calcutta, Aug. 21.
We have so few men that are worth twopence out here,
that the doings of those two men, Generals Neill and
Havelock, With their handful of British soldiers, cause
their names to be the pride of every British heart in this
country. Every one considers such a man as Sir Colin
Campbell a perfect godsend. Troops are looked for
with the greatest anxiety. Poor fugitives arrive in Cal-
cutta daily, some having scarcely clothes to cover them.
The scenes which have taken place up country cannot be
conceived, far less described. Calcutta is considered very
safe. We have for our protection a large body of volunteer
foot, another of horse, and a third of artillery, with four
guns, besides those of her Majesty's troops who are still
here. There are also several men of-war steamers in the
river ready to shell the native town should any attempt at
a rise be made. The volunteer horse patrol the streets at
night, and the foot are stationed at different parts of the
city in the public buildings. During the Mohurrum all
the volunteers are to be out, instead of only a part. The
artillery are also to be out with their guns. The Free
Church is in the centre of the Mussulman huts, but I sup-
pose during the Mohurrum we shall have two guns for our
protection, as we had during the 13uckreed. All those who
have friends in Calcutta may keep their minds easy, and
be thankful they arc not up country. I forgot to tell you
that Lord Elgin is now here, and that the troops that were
sent to China are all •_o be brought here ; some have
already arrived. Some of the budzats (worthless folk) of
sepoys are to be sent to fight the Chinese, which is the best
thing that can be done with the wretches, I think.
A lady at Calcutta writes on the Bth August :
We are encompassed by dangers open and hidden, and
the latter p:edominate; such awful tragedies have taken
place all over the country that one's nerves get quite
shaken, and every mail has taken home worse and worse
news. It is again worse this mail, and there is a talk of
sending the ladies horn. How ignorant were we of the
volcano upon which our Government here was standing,
and which they have wilfully ignored and neglected, both
here and in England. Sir Charles Napier spoke out and
got into disgrace—every word he wrote and uttered
has come true ; but lie gave offence, and therefore his
superior sagacity was of no avail. Hundreds of English
have been brutally tortured, ill-used, and then murdered,
ladies especially; the papers dare not tell half they know,
in respect to the feelings of the friends of the murdered,