The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-31 00:00:00

AFFRAY WITH THE ARABS.

In the Nizam's dominions a very severe fight has
taken place between a detachment of the Hyderabad
contingent, under Brigadier Mayne, on the one hand,
and a body of Arab disbanded troops, who had seized
upon a fort near Bejapoore, the property of the Rajah
of Dewalgaum. The Arabs were beaten, but not before
two English officers (Captain Parker, of the Nizam's 6th
infantry regiment, and Ensign Bosworth, of the Bombay
Native Infantry) and a number of Sepoys were killed.
The following account of the affair, from the pen of an
eye-witness, appeared in one of the Bombay journals :-
1 " AURUNGABAD, Sept. IS.—Mayne received orders
from the resident at Hyderabad to take a rajah who de-
clined to attend to any orders from the Nizam, and this
fellow, Bajee Row, had been confined by some Arabs to
whom he was said to be indebted for arrears of pay, and
they would not give him up. These scoundrels had
taken up a position in a mosque and some old buildings
near the city walls, and the place filled up in various
spots by impenetrable plots of prickly pear.
"Mayne made his arrangements as to the force to go
out, consisting of cavalry, artillery, and infantry, enough
to invest the spot. Young Bosworth, a nephew of Han-
cock's and an ensign of the 26th Regiment, was staying
with Mayne, and volunteered to go to the fight, and was
crazy about it, so he had the command of two companies
given to him ; and Remington, another volunteer, acted
as aide-4e-camp to 'Mayne.
" The'force was on the ground at daylight, when a
letter was sent in demanding the rajah—not to be had.
After waiting two hours another messenger was dis-
patched—Mayne being most anxious to avoid bloodshed.
His answer was, 'lf you want him you may come for
him ; we are quite ready to die.' So at it they went,
and, after a touch of the big guns the infantry advanced
to do the needful, but met with a warm reception from
the enemy. One shot took fatal effect on poor Bosworth;
he was struck in the right thigh just below and outside
the groin ; the bullet traversed the pelvis and lodged in
the left buttock, where the surgeon afterwards found it
and took it out, but the poor fellow was dead in five
minutes, from external and internal bleeding. A very
sad affair indeed. Captain Parker, a local officer, and a
very gallant one, was shot through the right lung whilst
leading his men on, and he lived about an hour. Cap-
tain Shakespeare of the cavalry was shot in the right
fore arm (slightly), and Dr. Vaughan also wounded
slightly in the upper right arm. The casualties
amongst the men are 20 killed and 50 wounded.
This was a sad spectacle, too, body wounds princi-
pally ; and considering the Arabs were behind walls,
and occupying houses, it is wonderful that mor e were
not knocked over. Mayne seemed to lead a charmed
life in all parts of the scrimmage led the first
storming party, in company with poor Bosworth,
Mayne had two horses shot, but not mortally ; the last
was shot immediately in front of the saddle flap, so it
was too near to be agreeable. I had such a polishing as
I never had before on the top of an elephant, for which I
was a fool, being a capital mark for the scoundrels ; but
I was not molested, and soon dismounted. The rajah
was taken alive with three or four others, and it is sup-
posed that all the Arabs were killed. In two or three
instances, when they came out, they fought more like
tigers than men, not caring a pin about their lives ; and
three of the party rushed on the bayonets of the soldiers
and were regularly spitted. Dr. Orr, the surgeon of the
contingent, made a gallant charge with some cavalry ;
he was carrying a hog-spear as his weapon, with which
he transfixed a fellow through the body. These cavalry
fellows are splendid troops, and do their work. We
came back into cantonments by three o'clock. Bos-
worth and Parker were buried this morning : it has been
a sad business,

DEATH OF LIEUTENANT WEDDERBURN BY A WILD
ELEPHANT.—We take the following from the Bangalore
Herald :—" It is with deep regret that we have to an-
nounce the violent and truly-melancholy death of Lieu-
tenant D. 0. Wedderburn, of the 37th Grenadiers, which
occurred near Tippacardoo, on the Neilgherries, on the
2d inst. The unfortunate gentleman was on a shooting ex-
pedition, and whilst at breakfast on the above date, some
natives arrived and informed him that they could lead him
to an elephant not far off. He set out with them imme-
diately. and the animal was soon discovered on a plain.
Mr. Wedderburn,' says our informant, was armed with
a rifle, and having expended upwards of 20 shots without
bagging his game attempted to near the elephant, when
it turned upon him, charged, seized him in its trunk,
trampled him under foot, gored him fearfully with its
tusks,. and leaving tbo unlucky sportsman a corpse, dis-
appeared in the jungle.'
THE DEATH Or LIEUT. CHUTE, OF THE 78TH.—We have
been favoured with the following particulars of the me-
lancholy death of Lieutenant Chute, her Majesty's 78th
Regiment "M. arrived here on the 15th, having
marched from Leea, via the Chumararee Lake, and the
Parang La Pass, the Chung River Rock Bridge, and
Busahir, in 27 days, including one halt at Cheenee, a
feat which I do not think any European has ever per-
formed before. We met with one of the companions of
that poor fellow Chute, who gave us an account of his
death. He died of fatigue, in ascending the Parang
La Pass. He could neither get a pony nor bearers
from the Ooka, at Keevas, and was consequently
obliged to go on foot. The ascent of the pass on the
south is very steep, and upwards of four miles, chiefly
over loose stones, a work of no small toil for a
man in perfect health and strength. No wonder,
then, that an invalid sunk under the exertion.
He reached the top, but almost immediately after
fell down senseless. He never spoke afterwards,
but lived for four days, and was carried on as
far as the Chumararee Lake, on the banks of which he
was buried. The Parang La is 19,000 feet high. I don't
know how others feel at such altitudes, but with me the
sensations are most unpleasant, sickness, ringing in the
ears, and a feeling as if I could not get enough our to
breathe. It was quite a relief to get down a few thou-
sand feet on the other side."—Lahore Cloviticle, Sept 3.