The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-19 00:00:00

INDIA.

By the arrival of the Bombay mail we have re-
ceived advices from Bombay to May 23, and from
Calcutta to May 15. The present mail left Bombay
five days before the usual date, in consequence of
the near approach of the monsoon.
Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India has,
it is said, sent out telegraphic orders to the Go-
vernment of Bombay to fortify Bombay harbour
without delay, and put it in a complete state of
defence. The Bombay Gazette thus refers to this
intelligence—" No doubt the orders have been issued
in consequence of the serious apprehensions pre-
vailing in England, at the date of our latest tele-
grams, of a disruption of friendly relations with
America. In the event of a war between the two
countries, the Americans would doubtless direct
the best efforts of their navy for the injury of the
British-Indian commerce, more especially of the
cot ton trade. And, moreover, the injury that Ame-
rican clipper-built steamers, privateering in the
Indian ocean and Arabian sea, might do to our
shipping may be learned from the destruction that
has been wrought by the Alabama alone. Our
Bombay harbour and our Indian waters are at pre-
sent far from a state of security against the men-
d- war and privateers of a belligerent power."
The Sindian states that the aspect of affairs with
Persia is threatening. Much important official
correspondence of a political nature is going on.
Advices from Cabool, under date 29th April, state
that there has been some fighting before Herat.
The Ameer has changed his counsels, and it is
likely that a treaty will be ratified between him
and Sultan Ahmed Jan.

The prizes offered by the Bombay Government in
November, 1862, with the view of stimulating and
improving the cultivation of cotton, have been
without any effect; and Government now states
that the realisation of good prices on the spot ap-
pears the best and most acceptable reward to the
producer. The experiment made with Peruvian
cotton seed at Coimbatore in November last has
proved a failure. The plants appeared for a time
healthy and promising, but were entirely destroyed
by worms.
The port of Knrrachee is rapidly rising in im-
portance, in consequence of the impetus given to
the Indian cotton trade since the outbreak of the
American war. During the month of January,
1863, 400,000 maunds of cotton, the market value
of which was 11,70,887 rs. were exported; while!
in February the quantity exported amounted to
621,270 maunds, valued at 21,89,358 rupees.
A medical association is to be established in Cal-
cutta, to be designated the Bengal Branch of the
British Medical Association, with a view to watch
over the growing interests of the medical profession
in India.

It is expected that in January next it will be pos-
sible to travel both from Calcutta and from Bombay
to Meerut by rail.

Street railways are to be almost immediately in-
troduced into Madras.

The China Merchant Steam Navigation Com-
pany's screw steamer Bombay Castle capsized in
the graving dock in the Bombay dockyard, on the
21st inst. She had just undergone thorough repairs,
including new boilers and spars, and was being
moved into the harbour when the accident occurred.
From 20 to 30 men were injured. The Times of
India estimates the loss to the company of £5,000.
The same paper says :—" We are glad to learn
that the sentence on Lieuten.lnt Jackson is one
of four years' penal servitude, and not of
penal servitude for life, as stated by the La-
hore Chronicle. The sentence in its present shape
approves itself to our judgment, for we find it im-
possible to believe that Lieut. Jackson intended to
kill his servant. That a most severe and cruel
beating was administered no man can doubt, and
the offence is rightly, and we think adequately,
punished by the sentence of the court-martial.
Lieut. Jackson is to be sent to Bombay."