The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-23 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

The overland dispatches from India have arrived,
with dates from Calcutta of May 2, Bombay May 12,
Madras May 9, and China April 24.
Toe fAlowing is the summary of the Bombay
Times of May 12, commencing, as will be Ken, by a
fact which has already appeased
•• The Maharanee Chunda Koonwor, the mother of
Dholleep Siogh, late Maharajah of the Punjaub,
basing been removed from Benue' to Cholla for
safe custody, on the night of the 18th of April con-
trived to make her escape from prison, to elude her
guards, and to leave no trace behind her. After 10 days
of wondering where she could have gone, s'ae has just
been heard of in Neesul,—this celebrated beauty
having travelled three hundred miles in the dis-
guise of a holy man or pilgrim through the most po-
pulous part of Bengal. On intimating her arrival,
all she asked for from the court was leave to
live at liberty—a request not likely to be con-
ceded to her. Arrangements for the settlement of
the peejsub are in progress: there does not
appear to be any intention on the part of govern-
ment at prese.nt rf increasing the strength of the
regular army. The hnt season is running on apace,
The rains on the Malabar cost threaten to appear
early. Some disturbances have broken out in the
Nizam's dominions. Appa Sahib, a pretender to
the throne of Nagpore, having taken the field
with a party of some 600 Heidi's., apparently
for the purpose of plundering Ellichpore,
Brigadier Onslow, commanding the division,
marched against them on the 23rd April. The
force under him consisted of one 12-pounder
howitvr, two 6-pounder guns, 150 horsemen of tne
Tad Nizasn's cavalry, and four companies of the 4th
and five of the 7th Nissan's infantry. The troops
arrived within 12 milts of the enemy before any alarm
was given. On the 29th the insurgents first became
aware that the troops were approaching by roared
marshes, and made immediate preparations to escape.
Rearing of this, Brigadier Onslow immediately started
in ht•pes 01 overtaking them, and reached the village
of Kellum about daybreak on the 30th. Tao
hneorge: ta had now taken up a position amorg the
bills about a:x miles off, and, though the men were
fagged with long forced marches, they begged so
earnestly to be led against the enemy that the
troops proceeded without halting. Tae insurgents
now opened fire from the various ridges and rename
which had hithert a concealed them. Our artillery
also opened ; a standard was knocked over, and the
bearer kiiled, seuut the first shot, ; and the eeemy, on
this retired deeper into their fastnesses. The infantry
now pushed on in skirmishing order ; they were fired
on as they advanced—on their close approach the
enemy wi.hdrew. They were thus driven from
range to range till our troops, overcome with an
eghteen hours' march without food or rest, were
literally unable to pursue them. Numberless hat.d-
to-hand encounters cc:aura-ad, and the conduct of the

men appears to have been beyond all praise. Just
cs the contest closed, Brigadier Oas!ow's hone
slipped and threw him over a precipice : he was killed
en the spot. The pretender and his men escaped
they were said to have retired in the direction of
Marrow, and were expected to be fallen in with by
the Hingolee fora). The anhexation of Sattara has
not yet been proclaimed, though understood to be
on the eve of completion. Mr. Frere, late
resident—one of the mist talented and benevolent
men of his sanding in the rervica—becomes
commissioner, with the el:Amery allowance of
assistants. The governor, commsi.der-in-chief, and
Bishop of Bombay, are at the Mahibuleshwar
}line, which they :civet for Poona at the end of the
miinth. The governor-general aLd Lord Gough
are at Simla; Sir C. Napier was at Madras on the
2nd of May; he eccliucd lending. He will Le at
Calcutta by Co sth or oth. The Commander-in-
Ch.ef of Madras is at the Neilghcrrire. The Rev.
11r. Pigott has ken appointed AnheFac-nn of
11.mbay daring the absence of Mr. J.ffreys.
Captain H. M. Durand, Beegal Eneireere, cif Muni-
main ceebrity, has b.en appointed to offic'ate sa
assis sot to the agent for the affirm of S indiah'a
dominions. The cervices of Lieutenant-C.llml
L R. Oaseley, 66th Bengal N. 1., ageht to the
Governor-Gomm!, and Commissioner of the South
Western frontier, have b en ple.ied at the dipssal of
the commander-in-chief, they being no longer re-
quired by the
_penman et in the offices dame named.
Captain J. C. Haonyoglon has been temporarily ap-
pointed to the office, which the Eastern Star inf .rms
us is to be permanently conferred on Mr. J. 11. Craw-
ford, C. S., who has recently officiated as commis-
sioner in Amman."

At S mlah, on the let of May, the ceremeny of the
presentation of two Sikh trophy guns to the Glow rnor-
GL neral, by the Comarander-in-Caier, tick place, et
lteatinek Cattle, in the presence of the eocietv of
Simlah, who had received invitations to meet Earl
and C iontem Dalhcnsie.

At abiut half-past ten in the evening Lcrd and
Lady Delhounie arrived, and without turiher delay
Lord Gough l,d the way to the Pavilion, anti, the
curtains being drawn aside, the Governor-General
was conducted to a seat on a raised platform, and the
company having di-pose I themselves around, the
commander-in-chief commenced reading no addrese,
in the course of which I e congratulated Lord Dal-
housie on the cessation of the war, and the acquisition
of the I'unjaub. In alluding to the late cain-
peign the chief paid the most finttericg compli-
ments to the army of the Punjuib, expressing
the full confidcnco he felt throu.thout the cam-
paign in their ability and will to completely defeat
the enemy opin dto them, and the pride he f-It at
seeing his anticipatiors realized; in conclusion he
feasted the two guns for the acceptance of the
Governer-General, Loping that when he should here-
after revisit the castles of his ancestors, the sound
which they might occasionally send forth would serve
to remind him of the army of British India and the
glorious victories ael.ieved by it.
This Governor-General returned thanks at con-
siderable length for the honour which h td been done
him by the presentation of the trophy gull, and in
the highest terms acknowledgei the value of the ser-
vices rendered to the wove rnment of 11 dia by the chic'
awl the distirguislied army under his command. lie
said, that it had been Lord Goneh's good fortune to con-
duct to a euccessful terminat ion two o the most arduous
campaigns recorded in the annals of Bri i•h Ind:n. and
that agaiust an enemy than whom one more skilful,
more en mg, or more endued wilh soldierly
qualities had never oppwe l us in the field ; that Lord
Gough had, with an energy, determination, honesty,
and einglene.s of purpose, brought the war to a glo-
clout termication, rend-ring the condition of the Sikhs
so utterly humiliating, that he might almost literally
apply to them the words of a classic author, when
speaking in reference to a conquered foe, " that be had
vanquished, compelledt them, and caused them to pass
under tte yoke. That in thus publicly snd in person
civirq expression to his most cordial thanks to the
Commas d,r-in-Chief as he had before done officially,
he was nut making use of mero conreotienal terms
and empty compliments in return for the honour
done Lim, hat that be was giving utterance to the
sincere and true feelirgs of his heart, which were
dictated by sentiments which he was not prone to ex-
aggregate. In conclusion he would express a wish, in
'ankh he was sure not only those there present, but
every person in India, whether holdinvthe office of
soldier or statesmen, world heartily loin; and this
was that Lord Gough might long live to enjoy the
well-earned and deservedly acquired honours which,
forough a long period of dicinguished service ren-
dered to his sovereign and his country, had fallen to
his lot. _ _

-- ---
After the ceremony was concluded, dancing cons.
silenced, and was kept up as usual to a late hour; the
rooms were crowded, and the season promises to be a
gay our.
The Earl of G:fford was about to leave Simlab, to
pay a bait to Goolab Singh at Cashmere.
Respecting the escape of the ex-ltance of Lahore
from (-lunar, the Benarea Recorder gives the fol-
lowing :
Our enders will naturally look to us for authentic infor-
mation as to the escape of the Matta Ranee Maned. Konwur
of Lahore. We have consequently endeavoured to obtain
such, and here offer the result of our inquiries.
In our last issue we echoed the opiti n of others, though
upon no better grounds, is appears, than wre marmite, that
h. r slippery hiShOtlll OtTtlr was Icaged in Choose at all. We
beg then to my that it has b-en clearly proved that she was
there, and escaped in the disguise of a p neon called the See.
nawall-e, the sere afternoon after her arrival—viz of the
6th. It sprain that this B.enawallee, as she ie called. is the
wife of awed the mat. attendaats, and lived out of the prism.
and had ingresa and egress, and on the afternoon of the 6th
hitt , when the prison gases were opened to admit the
Altietee and sweeper, a slave girl, usintel Mojee, painting
to the Ranee in disguise, told the Havildar on duty to let
her mit, as she was the &entwines who lived in the baler,
and was always allowed to pass in and out of the Renee's
apertnlents, both at Benue@ and Mere. The Havildsr at
first refused to do so, but was talked over by the ails, and
he let her out; she had go' as far as the gate of the nelson
encloser., where she was stopped by the sentry posted there;
the Havildar ordered him to let her out as she was only the
SCIISSIVIIIeP, and out she went ; this being aceinatii.hed,
she had nothing more to do, but to walk out of the fort
without further interruption ; the woman trine at that
time in Bewares, though she must have niched Chianti
tte neat day in company with the Ranee's beg.
gage, and, in order not to awaken any suspicion in the
Ilavildar's mind, the venerable Seesaw:dies made her sp-
at the prison gate, and was passed in and out by
17:nrartil the morning of the 19th instant, when doubtless
the slavelcirls, thinking that their mien!' had a
good start, considered it time to declare her departure.
The Court of Inquiry is still sitting, but it is very doubtful
whether any more satisfactory information will be gained.
No suspicion seems to be entertained as to the Havildar
having mod inept through sheer stupidity. Various re-
ports have been current as to now the Ranee acted after
once getting clear of the fort, but nothing can be depended
upon.
The English mail of 24th of March had not
arrived at Calcutta, bat was expected hourly.