The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-01 00:00:00

THE AFFAIR AT AGRA.

The following letter is from an officer of rank who
took part in the action:
"The mutinies, of which you doubtless heard
full descriptions, have become general throughout
this Presidency ; the one feeling that seems to exist
amongst the native army is ' Death to the white
faces, and sad has been the loss, I fear, to many an
anxious family in England. In Agra itself we
managed to keep things as straight se possible until
about a fortnight ago, when we heard-of the arrival
of the Neemneh mutineers within thirty miles of
this; and on Saturday, the 4th, the Kotith Contin•
gent, mustering sonic 700 strong, of all three arms,
who were brought into Cantonment' with the idea
they could be trusted, mutinied and shot their ser-
pent-major, the officers having till escaped back to
Cantonments, from the place about 3 miles off, where
they were ordered to form an advance post. fleeing
things getting so serious, the Lieutenant-Governor
was induced to remove, although lying sick in bed,
into the fort, where quarters were allotted to him.
The next morning intelligence was received that the
enemy (Neemuch mutineers, joined by the Hsieh
Contingent, and some other Irregular rabble) were
about three miles off, and. the force ' •
of the Jed Etemean regiment (Bengal), a Wiry
Itereptem arßlllery honed, and mme volunteer
mounted horse, mustering some 70 or 80—went out
to give them battle. The action lasted about two
hours and a half ; but owing to one of our tumbrils
blowing up from a shot from the enemy we found
ourselves short of ammunition before the evening set
in, and were compelled to retreat into the fort,
which was effected in the most orderly manner.
Considering the abort time the affair lasted our loss
was heavy, some 30 men of my (3rd European i
Regiment Bengal) regiment alone being killed and
some 60 wounded ; many other officers were wounded,
and one, a great friend of mine, poor D'Oyly, who
commanded the artillery, died of his wounds two
days after the action. With the small force we took
out it was certainly a moat plucky venture, for the
enemy had at least 8,000 against us, our force alto-
gether not making up 1,000 of all arms. I think if
we had had more ammunition they would have been
totally routed, for their cavalry were worth nothing.
The loss of the enemy was very great, and supposed
to be between 400 and 600 killed.

"No sooner had our force arrived in the fort that
evening than every bad character in the city rose
unanimously, and commenced such a scene of burning
and plundering as has not yet been seen in any town
in the north-west. The whole sky was bright and
lurid from the flames from the bungalows that were
set on Ilre. This continued for that night, the next
day, and next night, by which time almost every
house war burnt and plundered of everything.
Government House did not escape the general spolia-
tion, and I em sorry to say the lieutehant•governor
has lost all his nice furniture, most of his horses,
and many other things that were full of valuable
and tender associations. I managed to save all his
plate and books, together with some few trilling
articles of furniture. Also all him will*, beer, &e.,
and all his clothes. His and one pair of
horses are all safe under the w of the fort. My
own personal loss has not been very great. Two
buggy horses and a pony, together with all my pic-
tures and available dogcart, comprise the whole.
Altogether, it is a matter of congratulation to have
saved as much aa we did ; but the scene around us in
this large cantonment and civil lines iemelancholy in
the extreme, nothing but the bare walla of houses
left standing, and the roads about strewed with fur-
niture and things of all kinds.
" Every Christian, European and native, ham been
in the fort since the 3th and hare, I am afraid,
we are Intel, to remain foe some little time,
until some sort of reinforcements can reach as. These

are, however, coming up country fast now, some three
European regimen's havingreached Caviiipore on the
12th, but too late, I fear, to save the last little
band there from destruction. Reports are reached
as on the best authority of Sir Hugh Wheeler
having consented to a treaty with the ruffians of
mutineers outside; and no sooner had they got into
their boats to drop down the river to Allahabad
than they were tired into and, it is believed, all de-
stroyed. I trust some of the above force will reach
Lueknow in time to assist Sir Henry Lawrence, for
he is also getting hard pressed. Everyone is
anxiously looking to Delhi being taken, when the
effect will doubtless be great all over the country.
I think they have found it a much stronger fort than
they expected, or government even knew ; and sur-
rounded ea they were by shoals and shoals of the
mutineers, they deserve great credit for the devotion
and a orgy they have displayed in the lengthened
time ValyLave stood before its walls. The enemy
mks frequent attacks, but are always repulsed with
heavy loss. They are now very hard pressed for
ammunition, more particularly percussion caps,
which they find it impossible to make. They are
now trying to turn their percussion muskets into
those with flint locks, but this they will not be able
to arrange.
" We muster here in the fort nearly 6,000 soots,
and I believe have provisions for some six months,
long before which time 1 hope we shall see order
restored throughout the district. Everything, in
bet, depends upon things at Delhi. The delay has
bees most unconscionable. Yesterday we heard the
sews of the death of Sir Henry Barnard, the gene-
ral commanding, so that now the army will change
heads for the third time. All this is most unfortu-
nate, but we are all sanguine of things being set
right in time. We want at least twenty more
European regiments out here, for after this general
desertion of their trust and colours, no faith can be
for a moment placed in any se v. They are all
alike treacherous, deceitful, and full of hatred to all
Christians, with a white face or black."

The following extract is from a private letter from
en officer of her Majmtre —th Regiment
Barreckpom, July 20.

Onr principsl duty at preeent is to watch dye regiments
of Native Infantry whom we disarmed lame mouth. To do
tide we are kept constantly patrolling at night, and perform-
ing general duties—hard work at this season. As soon aa
some of the Chinese force—now daily expected—arrive, the

35th and the rewirneut now in Volt *Miens move upcountry
to be formed into Dirinion et Al'anima, end then, I fancy,
move upon Ouds. We shell have hard work. The' newton is
sadly against us. Our numbers are small; rarer, food, and
.
' •

kicked, I fear, ammunition will, till reinforcements arrive from
home, be very short. Never was loths in such a state. If
you had been. here about a month ago—the day. before we
the!diasemud sport—you would have been surprised. There
was a panic. Ladies, women, children, all sought refuge
ta my hoar and the Brisiadioee—the two closest to the
temporary barracks of my regiment. Puor things, they were
sadly to be pitied. for alrewly there were lot. of no living in
the house. and we had no comfort to offer them. A box, •
table sad chair, and • small bed, are all that any of us have
with ne.
You have heard of the massacre at Cawnonire. Report to-
: day says that Bir H. Latinate@ is killed at Locket:ow' and •
number of our 32nd Regnant. Thing. are daily getting
worn. C.h utt• is lilted with lachn end children *wooed
from the Upper PrITMCOP. I was on board one Mesmer
lath week in which 120 came down the rivet. Seine had
nothing but the clothe. they eseaped in ; few anything but
• change. And these sirs the daughters and wins of
Britons, who • few weeks ago portend this land. If
England want• to keep India, bat own Government must
to*e the country under rule. Twenty-In thousand bayonets
mMat be sent out at once, with • Gem] at their bead who
has • wand heed on hi. shoulders, sad power to act and
avenge the innocent blood that has hien so freely 'pilled.
To tell you the fearful tales of horror would make your
blood run cold. The government are afraid to report them,
an yea at home do not now bear one half of the wont. The
gowertemint ban made a PM mistake in gagging the ones.
Thor. Y an. led, now in Calcutta without • non or can.
Poor ebbs! I limo the in cos of many who have 'aimed in
Idol fasmar.

TY lbßowing is an extroct from prlvata letter
C.lcutts, July 17.

1 . .
Ns Mild lislien yet' —and worse. no Dews from Delhi. A
IsMerr Asp Ages wwwisest the day %whey yesterday mid awry
MI se am !era Dab'. This will show you bow tato-

mighty the country is in the loads of the rebels. Govern-
ment, I suppose, will be able to explain by-ad•by the attic
impossibility of having organised any otamituniortion with
the captured capital in two months: It otwhdaly re-
quires explanation. There Is no belief that govern-
ment knows any more than anybody elm It le dearly
Tine na easily misled.

The government here—l am very sorry to have to may
does nowt
not wand wall in public opinion. Lord Canning made
• fatal mistake in ng the prem. the which, I sin
assured, he wss by hiss
peial ma, as
far is they dare interfere; but he is said to have
yielded to the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal end the
Bemetary to the Government of India. Every one
was disposed to stand by the lard, and except hint
from his miserably imbecile Council ; but he has flown
st the throat of hie friends, and I think it will end in his
being pulled down. There are petitions to Parliunent about
the town of the Managua character, and people hesitate to
alga because they are not strong atiough These peados'
ill any put& paper would have lid instantly to
rwraiir of the estabßlemest ; It could not be attempted.
The Twit?
.I!rfrileticinlarks, sad hundreds of 1111MM0.701

be subscribod bobr• the prom moot ooseereid Yon sorb an(
about It. I With ft weld bare ben bettor that
the Gororaor-Oeural bed 1~ err a ropes (If ho boo
dose .0) to Bible @WNW or Mbolosoriso ; bat toe tbsemod
times the mischief boo bon does by adooloeory Cobs& aad
Majors plying the Meet Its to (oversewed protestations of
son-interferease orbit rellstbes mem by eistribether tele*
'mow be r ma, sad warbles kr ceeveliket by *my mem
ia they poorer. Tido* boomer, Leta pot of the lorlbotbe
seesod by abet mopeto lisheemeibm eed Hide, dim
tetleedkeasollselid ef teeeilieendele.

Tbs /allowing Inter is from the principal partner of ono of
Use leading ems In Calcutta

"Calcutta, July 19.
I do not consider even Calcutta over safe, and think all

women mad children should leave India in our present
perilous times, although I do not apprehend any outbreak
but what could be epeedfly put down. We have a good lot of
troops in the fort; the volunteer guard amounts to 800
wont( ; sad the Niemen in the fiver would form another

thou sad—awkward customers with muskets and rudeness.'
Beside., we could muster 1,800 more Christians who can
fire a sun , and we are all more or less armed ; in the face of
which I do not think our Itnasulman friends would like
to try it on. But that the feeling of insecurity pervade, ell
claret may be gathered from the circumstance of the Go-
verner-General turning out the other night at twelvericlockr
wick his aides-de-camp and body-guard, and riding down to
the Bank, when a heavy gun was tired off, supposed to be •
signal fur a rising, but which turned out to be • war elemessr's
node of apprising • pilot that he area getting up stem.
The feet is the people have no confidence whatever in the
Govranment, they see such a want of vigour and precaution
Theneands of arms are sold weekly in the Calcutta bazaars;
..all bodies of mimed native@ meet outside asthma ; sad yet,
although this it pointed out to the powers, they "pooh,
pooh" all Idea of &Astr, . they hays der Is every Inatome,
until this hydra-headed couspirsey thrsatesedeedsetroy thew.
I suppose they are fearful of hurting the feelings of the
natives I They ought to dire= everybody but thou, having
• linens@ to keep offensive weapons.
Calcutta u crowded with refugees. The inhabitants have
subscribed 8,0001. to find accommod►tion for theca, sad rad
home widows and thaw without Mends or means, which is s
good deal MOT, than the rcovernment would do.
Is it not rather surpicions that the Queen of 0.1. took
her departure for the Continent just at the time that the news
of the outbreak reached home ?

The following letter is from e settler in the hill °wintry et
the north-west provisoes.

- May 27.

I due say you have often thought me a illy, toile
alarmist, but perhaps the news the bat mall took
home, together with the intelligence which will go by the
nest—now to leave in a few days—will have given you rea-
son to change this opinion, if you ever did entertain it.
What will be thought of the past, and present, by you good
people in England—that is, if you are honestly informed of
what has already taken place, and what le now going sm—l
can pretty well imagine. Ime well imagine the intelligens*
came upon you—the loudest and most startling clap of
t►under which ha. burst on your mos for some time. What
le yet to follow God only knows ; but this every men of
. .

common genes roost know and lee, that, should Fie be
pleased to carry us through our present difficulties and pedle,
nothing short of a radical and complete reform in swap
branch of the public erreice, from the highest servaat to the
most subordinate, es well se in the whole system cif Ms sad
government, will save India to England. You may pat
down, you may suppress fora time, the present mutiny and
" "

reurreinon—even this, as I now write, t feel to be by no
mans certain—but, admit you do so far succeed, I repeat,
without you follow it up by en entire and complete change
In your whole conduct and system of government, you will
never extinguish, never destroy, the ill feeling, the discon-
tent, now en generally displayed among all ranks and claws
of natives against British rule. Do not suppose. and deceive
yourselves, that it is the army alone who are discontented,
dismantled, and mutinous; the feeling is general, and per-
vades all ranks and clam of natives except, per-
haps, in the two instaneem of the grain dealers--
I do not mean the cultivators, bat retailers of grain in towns
and villages—and the native Milers belonging to one Civil
Courts. To thew two clause the British Government Is
perfection. Under its shade they ran rob and cheat, and
lie and swindle, with the most perfect impunity. The com-
mand of the public markets n entirely under the selfish
griping hold of the one, while the preseedinge of the courts
of justice, criminal and civil. are as cotopletely 17111111 the
control of the other. It is true the Senile have Pita Ale
Initiative; but do not fancy they stand alone and lad am
sympathy in the breeds of the net of the populates. Nies
takes enough you have fallen Into already do not drop late
this may-be-fatal see. The greased cartridges, you will in
all probability hear so much about as the cause of the pr.
sent mutiny, base In truth about am mush to do with it in
producing it in the pen I am Dow writing with—ray It ts
no more than • convenient match to blow up • mine in(
room of loading and filling. As far as the army is taw •
wood, you moot go back to the rule of Lord W. Bestir* if
you wish to ascertain the origin and real cause of the present
outburst. From that date the government would seem to
have formed and systematically followed the plan of lower-
ing, degrading, injuring, the officers of the army. firefly one
of what wee. previous to this period considered vested or
chartered righta but ham been attacked in some way—
either ebolished, retrenched, or declared to be held only by
the =Serene* and goodwill of the Government we Nam ;
while at the MILO time new impenitens on ourteigra small
pay and allowaneee (for, think what you will
of them, however liberal Indian pay sad al-
lowances may seem to your good people In Ragland,
I can ware you to those who have to live = them they are
found to be pug enough)—half batta fns ; taxes for
beads ; taus for tosser ; taxes for funds, have been ten •
posed ; is all this one cannot help thinking the object of go-
verensest kr been to reduce us to the lowest state of depend-
eire—at all eviate, they leave done mo. To do this with
safety it wee necreary to do away with oar influence over
the Brays. To attack the officers while they held the disport-
lion sad goodwill of the eepove at their disposal was not a
very eels trick to try ; accordingly every means has been
tried to learn or do away with this influence—lad. The night
guards every officer formerly was allowed from his own com-
pany, and which oar Sepoya considered it a privilege and •
plerure to serve on, were ordered to be discontinued. 2nd.
In the same way, the Fund formerly always allowed to offi-
cers who happened to be merching from one station to an-
other were ordered to be discontinued. 3rd. Sepoye for-
merly were always allowed—encouraged—to help and aunt
their officers in many little waye—euch, for instance, aa in
pitching their ninny cleansing their military accoutrements,
cleaning their guns, accompanying them for • day or an
afternoon while out shooting, in mach like and many other
way.. Sepoys when off duty were always considered at
liberty and encouraged to make themeare useful to their
off ore,. By this • degree of intimacy, good feeling, and cone-
denoe 1111101 created and maintained between officers and men,
which not only gave the officer an interest and influence
over his Illel3, whose character. he had thus en many
ways and opportunities of ascertaining, but it attached the
men to their teem; they knew him es well es he Ire= them;
they told their unmoor to him, made him the depository of
their little family end vine's secrete and squabbler, with the
hope that, when a month or two's leave was remind,
they would have his support and inters= in obtaining In.
indulgence ; for any indulgence in this way, or for the re-
deem of any real or fancied wrong, they very seldom Indeed
ever thought of looking beyond the good will of, or to any
higher authority than their own company officer. Now for
• ftepoy to he seen at or near his akar s quarters without
duty taken him there, Is an offerse in numerous regiments.
Orders have been tented most atrictly prohibiting sepoys
being in attendance on their °flirt under any other pretence
than public duty. ith. A &pi now fauns himself Injured
or aggrieved is some way, perhaps, for instance, in promo-
tion; her again the officer of the company has now so little
power, so little to say, that he is helpless, can do nothing for
his man, and has only to rod him away diratialed and
discontented. The S.poy now writes a complaint, and sends
it direct to army head-quarters; this is jut what army head-
quarters went —• splendid opportunity to lower the officer is
he rtiination of the Sepoy, and accordingly a great none is
wade about the coatplaiat, sad the sepoy made to believe he

le:tcose meanly tenet In these, end la other ways
I elopteeente his Use beams of the Alen over
the news{ till et lama the omoer hes
own% se llalie hi es be has influence over his
nem Tweatrlive yore age, thin sorb a feeling of discon•
teat and diesatishe bes jaw town Uri( among oar
&goys should, or mil, have mined unimown to the regi-
mental officer, wee Imply next to, if not quite, isopmeible.
The entire reladoneidg, If I nay so call it, between offiorn
and men within that period hat bnn changed; and now, in-
stead of being the almerfal, faithful, obedient soldier, he is •
sullen, disoontented ' black nigger," a. I &DI sorry, and
still more ashamed, to my he is too often called
to his face by hi. own officer. The result of ell
this is simply—the officer has brooms powerless for good
or for ill over his Sepoy—be luso oil intone in him or his
welfare. With loss of interest follows Ines of ialluenot, sad
loss of influence is simply loin of the only link by which the
government held the loyalty, ettschment, sad obedience of
their native army. To suppose that they could mien&
them by any other hold than by the influenced the Ismer
officers over the &Toy was se insane an idea a. ever entered
into the hied of the wildert maniac. That influence was

gospe—gons--cut asunder by the suicidal hand of our own
government ; and see the consequence the metre army
murrethers rising up in open mutiny and rebellion.
Beth officers and Sums feel they are serving a govenr
ingot In whom ward mad good faith no conikkeete, no edema
son be pkosL To both °Moen and moo, the underelasttlng
on widen they bet sabred the service has bee In the most
unscrupulous manner violated and broken to pram by the
s .dr=mt; abillgogion on their part le spunky Wad—
as the pad ef the soldier le this only rearaning
&Mick in the eanknat, 13s intend thin MAN SS ar
linnet this,* lee pentillbe end Wield many:nitaa ,
and deeerethg Aar, been abolished ; sad a system of '
promotion adopted at the Horse Ouerds—promotion by '
brevet—has been partly subetituted in lieu of it; a system I
which opens the door to the most scandalous abuse of autho- '
rity, and numberless instance.* of each awe could be pointed '
out old and deserving officers superseded by thole who '
perhaps had not done wearing frocks and petticoats when
they had worn their red jackets through tome well-fought
field.. In the same way, and on the very same score, do I
our old &joys complain. Promotion now with them le not I
made to depend on seniority or length of eureka, I
but on smartness—Ood Mae the word—or in other
sad more intelligible word., to depend on the
keen end affection of some Adjutant, Commanding
Ofiker, or even, perhaps, Commanding Officer's wife.
Our old Bepoys are as sensible and as much alive to
the Injustice and wrong they suffer and are constantly ex-
posed to under this specious plea, " Stuart officers—emart
youngsca-comminioned officers —se lying as it is specious;
se the Z officer and Sepoy—both feel it alike, and
both remelt 1t alike; as some sepoys whom • friend of mine
met two or three months ago, while travelling through
the district, and with whom be got into conversation over
their camp lire, said, when talking over the service
how and what it was, "You had no right to in-
troduce such • change with us ; make at if you
plea,. the rule of promotion for all who now enter
the service, but our promotion was promised to us on
very different teem ;" and, after discuseing this end other
wrongs they complained of, ended by telling my friend to his
admithroent, "You think is Goorkhae (the hill men), very
staunch to your rule—and so we are, but mind if ever we
are celled on to fire on the sepnys of the line (the regular re-
=es that is), we will not do it." This was pretty plain;
try must have been not only brooding over, ben
diem.% their wrongs at that time some thee
months ago and, if report any. tree now, the men
of this eery regiment have been se good es their
word. Look at the regiments or some of them sow in
Barmah —the Bengal Sepoy hates goings that country ea you
would into • plague-stricken city ; he knows at beat the
chances are even whether he lives there two years or not.
Yet our eepoys, under a promise that they should not be kept
there for longer than two years—went, and went cheerfully.
Now, have government kept their promise? Some of the re-
giments now them are serving for the fourth year, and that
after having lost by death through edema 600 men out of
1,000 or 1,100, an some regiments may have taken down
with them. After thine, ean you wonder that the Sepoys
are distended, dish-eda and even mutinous? Re-
member, they are not, like British soldier*, fighting
for the honour, good, and safely of their own
nation, national sovereign and national ',depen-
dence, all motives which actuate the British soldier as moth
as the pure hope of pay and honorary owords—all motives la
which pride has an lege • ahem in urging him on as any
mere pecuniary coadtaration ; bat the Sepny is • merce-
nary, tired and bribed to fight against his own selvedge—
his own independence, hie own laws and muttons and If
you expect to retain him faithful to his engagement with you,
you must be ecrupolosely exact end honest in the perform-
ance of your engagemente with him. Ton have, ran have,
no other hold on hie fidelity—l wont call it loyalty—kr
Malty it is not—it is the very reverse.
Again, the rule in India has always been that of a military
olespotiam ; it is that beet Puited to the ides' end habits of
the people. Accordingly the moldier has away, been accus-
tomed to consider himself and ham bees neatened as the
leading. the supreme power in the stet*, end you can no man
7•oobeiki his mind—no, nor that of the great mass d the
people—to the military being subordinate to the dvll, than
you could an Englishmen to the civil being subordinate to
the military. You might as well try to change the colour of
kis skin. In nothing more than in attempting this have you
degraded the character and alienated the affections of your
native army—a sure as tenacious of reek and place in
society as they are of religion" caste, or as your ancient
English nobility art of their rank and independence. It is
no more than France and others of your great continental
powers ace; and why should not the warrior race of Raj-
mots be the same? Bat now • Sepoy not only finds him-
self a degraded inferior mete, but he Pees his European
officer reduced to the sante low and humiliating grade—be
sea his colonel, his captain, held in lees reepect, In Ism
estimation than the most petty thander (kind of super-
intendent of police)) of any dirty little village. Up to
the time of Lord Lake the feeling of superiority (and you
were pied enough then, when you felt your very existeam
lathe to be dependent on hie fieklity and brawiaand, per-
haps, even up to the fall of Bhurtpore, in I the
flew steady and faithful to his colours in them saw; his
*overtire, and himself standing where immemorial custom
bad placed him, next to and round about the sovereign, and
his penile, his favour and approbation, was the best reward,
the highest my you could give him ; but now-a-days he has
nothing of the kind to look up to, feel • pride in following,
and pleasure in obeying. You throw to him seven paltry
rupees a month, you reduce him to the low level of a mer-
cenary, and then complain end wonder that he behaves as

At the very moment I em writing this, a Geremommt
Oseettele headed in to me, in which I tee a table of teak and
precedence published, and here fled the other of, perhaps,
twenty-dm ram' hard services—jast a quarter of a century
—placed on en equality with the boy civilian of four years'
eervice—pieced on the ISMS level IS one who was not actually
born till after he had made his limy through some hard-woe
fields. This way of estimating the services and Importance
of the two may do in England bet It will not do in India.
Ont bare, lower or degra& the Aker from hie proper or
recognieed place and you equally degrade the &poy. And
deepite, hold as cheep ea you plows the native eoldicr, rest
assured this is not a thing to be done but et great risk.
May 29.

The above I believe to be some—by no means all but the
chief, causes of the present mutiny amongst the men, and may
be ell summed up ID a few words. The °Beers are dissatis-
fied ; they have lost all interest in their men. Having lost
interest, they have lost their influence; and this gone, the
native array has lost all genre of obedience, order, and reeling
of attachment to our rule. But I have said it is not the waive
army only but • large portion of the many millions
of Hindoosten who are as dissatisfied end discontented with
our rule ea the eepoys, and the rause of this is our wretched
civil courts. I do believe no native ruler ever Immo& •
SORT cur= on the country than our Civil and Criminal Courts,
as now conducted; they are, in truth, nothing more than so
many sinks of fraud, chicanery, bribery, corruption, roguery,
in every okapi" and form, and it is hardly possible, consti-
tuted as they now are, they can be otherwise. Ido not mean
to say the Europese officers of our civil service are open to
bribery and corruption, for I believe very very few of theta
are so ; but most avowedly I do mean to nay the native
°Morro about these courts are en, and to an extent which
makes all (European or native) submit to almost any injury
or wrong rather than risk a complaint before Do uncertain •
tribunal.

Another source of the present diaallefsetion, you may de-
pend on it, was the disgraceful attempt made Rome few years
ago to resume all rent-free land tenures where legal door-
meals could not be produced by the then holden. This act
crested a vest amount not only of ill-will but of distrust In
the eberacter of our Government. It is true the government
at last abandoned the attempt • but not before they left an
iropreesion on the mind of the'landholders which a century
will not efface—a dread, a belief, that no man's own is one
whit eater under a British than it is under a native rule.
Again your annexation polity—as you facetiously enough
term it—has been undoubtedly one of the cation of this
viable of the natives. There is now hardly an independent
proms left in all Ilindnoeten but feels the grasp of your
" bloody hands" at his throat; that some mean petty excuse
may cheat him and his descendants out of powwowns bald in
their family for centuries and centuries—bald long before
even the same of England was heard, far leas feared, in
India. It may be—and, I believe, is said—most of
the native chief@ are aiding with as; but, for once,
let me entreat of you not to be deceived by any hope of this
kind. Believe me, there is hardly one native prince left in
India who would not raise bin hand against you when be
feels he can do so with safety ; they are now only biding their
time—if the mutiny among the sirys succeeds, or even
gains • heed, they will be up and join. Ask yourself is this
net *sterol, is it not human nature f—to ruppoee otherwise
is he suppose the natty. a different elsse of beings from all the
rest at mankind. Do not fall into this fatal mistake. Ask
sewing ct UMW ewe now. If report Celle true some were meted,
when government opened the Let loan, to cont* bete towards
B; sod whet raw/ Ifl the gevenumatt get t The line of

policy pursued by that man, Lord Etalhoube, and which,
gainedbirn s Marquisats sad a pension of 6,0001. reer,
ehoedd, Übe had his merits, hays gained his drums to ,
buy • rope to bog him with. Hie rub will noon peon to
ham been the most pernicious, the moat dabructive to
British influence In 11111111 of any Cloveraor-Cionseal who
ever bead power. I told you as much Ina Mtge some 18
months ago; and England will yet find bow teas this is, bat
not till you have paid dearly for the truth.
One more cams for all thin I will only new stop to men-
tion or slightly allude to, and that is, the Myeectsd met
of the Missionaries ; they have, to use a oast tans, " own-
done it." Fancy a number of Mussubbas Imo=
preaching the rottenness of Christianity, Its an
and unworthiness, in the midst of one of your gnat bits, or
soy large assembly of Englishmen, and that, too, Ferhmic.st
an Easter &today, Cloud Friday, or some great C
hankisy. What do you Immo.. the feeling, what the ISOF
&sot of the pupas would ho God forbid I should ow us
cos ward in opposition to the spread of Christianity; bet I
do my so d seal la the cams Is anything but wise—
it is celealmed mot to advancer but to obstruct the eauss—to
mats the moat bitter of all sal yessions, religious bobol—
ink the very Mast and centre of our own home ; sad this I
am afraid it hos done in the present instance. All these see
some of the cameo which have helppeed topmoduse the pretest
state of mutiny in the army, and dirsatithodon among the
native population generally. It is not one aune—atelt as
the greased cartndgee—nor two causes, but sevoral; soma
telling here, others working there, till at lost or general
Sasling of mistrust and dimatiofaction seems to pervade dm
whole race, and to unite all in a determination to mist

foster sttbjeation to British rule.
lons 1.
I hew been obliged to write this by scraps. Hare we
hen all tea kept on the re nor apprehending some
sudden attack either by the people of the Plies or from the
plane. I have not slept in my own house for the last six-
teen nights, several of us Europeans having united to guard
and patrol the public roads and apprcethes, and during the
day constant interruptions, as la usual et such times.
I have in this given you what I eh:merely and conscien-
tiously believe to be the real muse of the present mutiny sad
insurrection. It appears, from what is now becoming
known, to have been long premeditated and arranged ; that
it wee to have broken nut about the middle of Jane, at a time
when, from climate, Europeans are most helpless ; but some
very harsh and unjust measures adopted in the 3rd Cavalry at
Meerut blew it into a blaze before all was reedy and ripe.
Had it not been for this accident, in all probability you would
have received no warning—simply the intelligence that WI
was lost. May God send the warning now given be not
despised end lost! You may—in all probability will—have
time to repair the peat and to provide for the future. If this
much is given to you, do not Mille, do not think lightly of it.
Another such opportunity may never again be open to yea.
Another rising of this kind will decide for ever the fate of
England in India; and whatever that of the latter may be,
that of England in India will be certain. Commence the
work of reform at once do not allow Missionaries to be
weadeeing over the length and breadth of the land, turning
the most mend and cherished religious opinions of the
natives into ridicule ; teething dietr utter worthiessnees and
untruthfulness ; preaching what in England would balled
blasphemy. You have no right to do this, however certain
you may be of the truth of all you are raying Have
wheels and educate the people if you please. They will
gladly accept this ; but be content to leave the net to the
tam of education, or to God in his own good time.

THE CONSPIRACY.
PARIS, AVOUBT 28.

I amjust returned from Calcutta: myresidencewu
next to that of the ex-King of Onde. I was in Calcutta when
he and his ministers were armed. I saw sufficient to con-
vince me that something was wrong a month before they
were arrested, and my opinion is, after a residence in Calcutta
of 25 years, that it is entirely a Mahomedan rise. I do not
believe that any Hindoo would or could be guilty of the
atrocities perpetrated. They may have gone with the rest
through intimidation end Wee representations; but you
may rely on it that it is entirely a Mumulman insurrection.
They hate no, and never lose an opportunity of showing it
where they can do so with impunity. I believe that the
whole Mahomedaa race in India knew what was going
on ; and any one of them could have told no
what would take place if he chose. I have no-
ticed a very marked difference in my domestic servants
within the lest 12 months—that is, tie Mussulmana, but
not in my Hindoo .e-rants; they won Just the same,
quite as respectful es ever. Talk about showing clenceney
to such villains ; I cannot think how the Rev. J. Leifchild
could have made inch a speech as he did the other day, at
the meeting at the Mansion-house. The idea of showing
. . _

mercy to • set of violaters and murderers of innocent
women and helpless children 1 I am • merchant; but if
I were only twenty years younger I would go out
tomorrow to India, if only to pay those *mandrels off. Yon
meet not be surprised at the indignation every Englishman
Stela when he bears of Englishwomso having their proms
violated and murdered by such as compote the Bengal army,
being little better than the beast, their bodies being very
Reds more covered when off ditty. The government of
India must hare foremen this a long time ago, bat It was
with them a matter of pound', shillings, and pox. The idea
°Heaving Delhi without troops, a place that has always been
troublesome, when 1,000 English troop would hare held
the place against any odds. Regarding the Kiog of Oude,
he is a poor helpless creature, who cannot move from one
room to another without assistance. His father-in-law,
Nutt Ally Khan, is the great movier in all this; he isp
wealthy, having, they my. 20 creme of rupees at his dim .
The King is often obliged to borrow from him. Near y the
whole of the Ightiog men round the King belong to
Radii Ally. I learned this from one of his head Fornutas,
who used to call on me, and from whom I sacertuned
aufl-
cieat to induce tee to leave my reidamos, and move into Cal-
cutta, only three days before they wen all arreued. He celled
on me about taking my house, stating that if the news by
the eteamer Bengal, which was esperted in daily, was
favourable he should require
_the home, if on the contrary, be
would not. After the Bengal arrived I thought it we. time
for me to quit, which I did at 9 o'clock at night, with my
family, to an hotel in Calcutta.
P. 9.—1 am surprised now that ere were not all murdered la
oar beds. The King of Oude and hie father-in-law had
some 1.200 retainers there, and many of them were the
disbanded soldiers of the 19th and 34th, from
An old partner of mine haa jest arrived in Calltrurtat:l4
Csernpore with • wife and eight children, who writes to my
that he had several narrow and hair-breadth wanes down
the river. After much trouble and fright be arrived at Alla-
hated just as the steamer going to Calcutta bad pushed off
—in fact, five minutes more and they would have been too
late, and all would have been lost, for the very lame night
they rose at Allatiabad and murdered all the Europeans.
My friend and his family would have wished. He had been
twenty years at Cawnpore. and from the hurried way in which
he must have left be could not have Wien much with him ;
coneequently, his house and all him property, no doubt, have
been stolen or destroyed, mi that his hard earnings for so
long • time are no doubt lost in • day, and he will have to
begin the world again, with • large family to support.
Surely the government will have to pay for all this eventually.
My cousin, who lad a place at Meerut, had it burnt to the
round, and all he had there stoles, amounting to somethiog
like 20,000 rupee.' worth of property.