The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-25 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA AND CHINA.

(From the Morning Post.)
BOMBAY, Auo. 2.

I write you on this occasion by way of Ceylon,
per favour of the steamer Braganza, which ill in all
probability arrive in perfect time to meet the Pre-
cursor from Calcutta, on her way to Suez. After
all, there is nothing of importance to write you about.
The English mails of the 24th ult. reached this on
the afternoon of the 23d July. _ _

India throughout may be said to be perfectly tran-
quil. An abundant supply of rain appears to have
fallen everywhere. The prospects of the ryots are
highly promising, and general contentment and quiet
seem to prevail through the length and breadth of the
Company's dominions.
From the Punjaub there is next to nothing to com-
municate. The affairs of the country seem to be
settling down to a state of general quiet, while the
most rigid economy is being exercised, and no doubt
is entertained but that the young Maharaja will find,
on attaining his majority, a considerable surplus in
his coffers. The French officer General Cowitolane,
who, it will be remembered, was refused employment
lately by the Lahore authorities, and who had been
subsequently taken into the service of the Jamoo
King, has at length been taken into favour again, and
had conferred on him the governorship of the whole
of the Trans-Indus territory belonging to the Lahore
state—the same extending from the boundary of
Kohat (the estate of Sultan Mahomed Khan, brother
of Dost Mahomed), as far down as Dhara Ghazee
Khan at Mooltan.

Local magistrates have likewise been appointed for
every district, and these again have had placed over
them Nazims to look after the impartial administra-
tion of justice—thus affording a much less expensive
and speedier means of obtaining redress to the poor in-
habitants than that of being compelled to resort to the
capital. This measure, of course, judicious as it is, is
purely English, and does credit to the administration
of affairs by Colonel Lawrence. Even our system of
capital punishment, that of hanging, has been patro-
nised by the Siekhs. Not less than eight murderers
were dispatched at once by this means on the morning
of the 14th ult. ; be it remarked, however, that these
were punished for no political offence, nor conspiracy
against the powers that be; and the better to ensure
their being doubly dead, they were to hang suspended,
by orders of the Durbar, for three days together.
Our Resident, Colonel Lawrence, is, I am happy to
say, rapidly recovering from the effects of his late
ailment, which had arrived at such a pitch at one time
that his speedy removal to Simla was considered ab-
solutely indispensable.
Lahore, as a residence, is now, since the completion
of the improvements lately made by us, much co-
veted, and the term " filthy city," applied to it when
first entered by us, turns out now to be a complete
misnomer. It has been thoroughly gutted and
drained; abominable lanes converted into airy and
handsome streets, and all the filthiness with which
thoroughfares in the east usually abound, confined,
where it ought to be, underground.
The intelligence from Sinde is still scanty and of
no great interest. The navigation of the Indus by
steamers appears to absorb the whole attention of the
natives along its banks ; the river itself has fallen
about two feet within three days. Between Shikar-
pore and Kussmoor a considerable body of freebooters
have their abode, and every now and then we hear
of some little dashing affair, which, in the present in-
stance, seems worth recording. Information was
given to the police 1.4 t Shikarpore that a band of these
marauders were then a few miles distant from Kuss-
moor. Lieutenant Younghusband, in command of the
police, set out at daybreak one morning and came up
with the robbers a short time after ; these, after a
tough encounter, he seems to have completely routed,
chasing them as far as the Seikh territory, having
killed 29 of them and taken about 25 prisoners. Very
few of the Shikarpore police were killed, and on the
whole the matter appears to have been much thought
of at bead-quarters. The accounts from Sukkur and
Hyderabad are every way satisfactory. Those from
Kurrachee are equally so. Lady Napier, whose
health was so much impaired, so much so indeed,
as to induce the Governor to apply to the Governor-
General for an express steamer to convey her to
Europe about September next, has now much' im-
proved, and there is considerable doubt entertained
that either Sir C. Napier or his amiable partner
will even then quit Kurrachee ; they will not, at all
events, till after that month has expired, from the
nature of the weather at this season.

Matters begin every day to get more gloomy in the
Goomsor territory, and the immense sacrifice of
human life occasioned by the existence of the Meriah
sacrifice appears to be but little abated. Several
tribes, which have hitherto st..)ocl aloof, have, from
fear or otherwise, joined the standard of revolt,
headed by Chokra Bisshye; so much dreaded, in-
deed, has this chief become among them, that an
order from him to stay all agricultural and other ne-
cessary operations, to follow his standard, is with
them enough ; no one dare dispute, none dare
grumble at, the behest of their master. The rebel
chief is everywhere well seconded both with men and
money, and on no occasion has the sympathies of the
heathen been better appealed to on the occasion of a
religious war (though this is one on a small scale),
than has this under the leadership of Chokra
Bisshye. That there was something rotten in the
manner our local authorities there have hitherto pro-
ceeded, a short time must show, and from the
character given of the new agent, Mr. Grant, you
may rest assured of a searching inquiry being in-
stituted, and the veil drawn up which has so long hid
in mystery the real cause of the insuccess which
has hitherto attended the humane efforts of our
Government to stem the sacrifice of human life. 'We
hear of nothing satisfactory in any of our movements
in this quarter ; nothing, in fact, saving the daring and
successful exploits and defying threatenings of the
rebel chief—a village or two burned here, another
there—occasionally sacrifices at one spot, and rob •
beries at another—and all under the very nose of our
sentries. Strange that affairs such as these should
not long ago have been finally subdued.
Dhoonghur Singh, the Wizard of the West, as he
may justly be termed, is still at large, driving a
splendid trade by the levying of black-mail on every
village he comes across. Poor Colonel Sutherland,
our President in the Rajpootana States, with all his
aids and strategems, cannot, by any possibility, over-
take the rogue. He is not, be it remembered, reduced
to the necessity of bolting from the approach of our
troops. His resources are large, and his private in-
fluence extensive, and would not at all hesitate, when
he can catch an opportunity, of hinting to Colonel
Sutherland, when the latter little expected him, "that
Doongee was here," and backed with a force, too,
sufficient to swallow up, so far as numbers were con-
cerned, the straggling detachments sent against him.
Already has the Colonel lost all patience with him, and
no wonder. Information is brought in that on such a
day he will be found at Nusserabad—a party is sent off
instanter—when, lo ! the wizard is then found to ,be
quietly located at Harrowtee, very far beyond reach
from that quarter. As matters are to be, however, it
is to he hoped you will soon hear of his capture.
Instructions have been issued to all officers in com-
mand of detached parties of our troops to march on
without waiting for orders from superior authority.
As it is, throughout the independent native states no
traveller can pass the roads ; life and property every-
where are alike at stake.
The intelligence from other parts is unimportant.
Our local news is chiefly absorbed by the investi-
gation pending in the coal conspiracy case—several
other parties appear to be deeply implicated, and
Government seems to have been robbed in this de-
partment alone to a most alarming extent.
The intelligence from China is important thus far,
that the rumour of another attack by the Chinese on
foreigners turns out to be without foundation. By
latest accounts all was quiet at Canton, though busi-
ness was at a complete stand still. Governor Davis
appears to be completely forgetting himself, he
seems to have fallen into disrepute with every one—
even the Chinese themselves have lost all confidence
in him as the powerful representative of the barbarian

t hrone. The affair of Hong tt especially, the full and
c fficial account of which I append, will best show
vberein Sir John Davis has. forgot himself. For
f arther intelligence from this; quarter, I have only
r 00111 to refer you to the Clan a local papers, which
v.,i1l of course reach you direct -with this.

(rßom OUR OWN COr.. RESPONDENT.)
,BOMBAY, AUG. 6.

I wrote you on the 2d inst, by way of Ceylon, I
write you now by way of Mad ras, but for the safety
of neither of these documents, can I become surety.
The weather down the coast; just now is anything
but propitious, so that for the safety of the former,
going as it does by sea, I will not be over sanguine;
fur this one, going ns it must do over the Ghauts, in-
fested as they are at this season by bands of barefaced
thieves, I can only hope against hope.

It matters but little, I suppose, whether or not
this reaches you„ four days' intelligence at any time
—much less in a. period of peace, and during the
most teazing weatl ter, are never likely to be pregnant
with importance.

The Punjaub a ocounts have in them nothing better
nor worse than when I wrote you four days hence,
All is quiet and peaceful; the Queen-Mother alone
seems to be the only malcontent at the capital. Col.
Lawrence, our able Resident there, continues to im-
prove in his health, while retrenchment and the most
rigid economy appears to be the order of the day in
all measures likely to affect the interest of the state
exchequer. Considerable gratification has been dif-
fused among all parties by the announcement of the
intended elevation of the Gallant General, Sir J.
Littler, to a seat as provisional Member of Council,
and to the honours of the Bath ; as much as this, if
not more, has been long expected, and though they have
come now, at the eleventh hour, they are not the less
very well deserved.

The accounts from Affghanistan contain nothing
that is new. The Dost appears to be still very
much put about by the menacing attitude shown
by the Ghilzie portion of his subjects. Sultan
Jau seems to be blustering much at Khelat, and
is said to have emissaries and sympathisers even as
far as Caubul itself. The arrangements, whatever
these may be, which have been made betwixt our
Government and the Dost, seem to have afforded him
every sort of satisfaction, and there can be no doubt
that, now that his turbulent son has been gathered to
his fathers, the Dost will make it his best endeavour
to foster the good position with our Government
which has now been established, valuing, as he must
do, at its proper value, the fact that we were the first
to act on the initiative. From Peshawur there
is also scarcely anything that is new. Lieu-
tenant Lumsden, our agent there, appears to
have met with an accident while crossing the
Hooske river on his way to Hussein Abdal. By some
accident or other, he fell into the water, and was with
difficulty rescued by two natives. Orders appear to
have been issued for the division of the territory into
thamahs, as has been done in some of the districts
within the Punjaub, for the purpose of trying and
punishing offences on the spot, by magisterial autho-
rity, instead of as hitherto, having to prosecute and
bring every grievance before the authorities at the
capital. The measure, you will admit, is a highly
judicious one—affording, as it does, a safe, speedy,
and economical mode of obtaining redress to the poor
inhabitants, who heretofore had been deprived of all
chance of appeal.
Robberies still prevail within the Khyber Pass—
so much so indeed, that the place to travellers is
virtually shut up.
All the accounts from the Goomsoor country give
a very melancholy picture indeed of the ill successes
which have hitherto attended all our efforts to stop the
sacrifice of human life. Every new day brings fresh
accounts of the daring exploits of Chokra Bhissye,
the powerful leader of these disturbances ; and it is
much to be regretted that the season alone prevents
those measures on the part of our Government from
being put into more effective operation.
There appears to be considerable stir making from
the rumours of an outbreak taking place in China;
even our authorities here appear to be among those
who put the most reliance in them, and the reported
movements of steamers in due course for that direction
are keeping every one here on the qui vice for further
intelligence, and more authentic we hope it will be
than that which has lately found its way hither from
China. You will by the arrival of this have much
more authentic particulars regarding China matters
than any I could send you ; besides you will be aware
that this is the route by which my budget must needs
be confined within the smallest limits.

In subjects of local interest I have nothing to
communicate. The economizing and rigid entrench
ment begun by Lord Hardinge has now found its
way to this Presidency, and disposal of the servicse
of our junior magistrate of police is one of the first of
a series to which report assigns a most extensive field.
Since I wrote to you on the 2d we have been
blessed with one continued plump of rain. Fortu-
nately, on the score of health, our Presidency has
little to complain of just at present.