The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-05 00:00:00

, gone on to Hyderabad. The Advertiser of the 22d
; informs us that Mr. Pringle, accompanied by his
ssistant (Lieut. Lester), intended making a tour
through the entire provinces, and that they would
leave Kurrachs-e about the Ist of December. The
expectation of the speedy return of Major General
Auchmuty to Kurrachee was general; but this we
think not for some time likely to happen, as w e be-
lieve head-quarte-rs are to remain at Sukkur 4tring,
the absence of the Horse field force on service. Time
troops at Kurrachee were healthy, as were also the
inhabitants generally.
From Sukkur and Roree we have news to the 22d
' ult. Major General Auchmuty reached the latter
s';ation on the 10th, and Brigadier D. Capon the
former the day previous. The whole of the mortars
and part of the siege train, at Sukkur, had been at the
request of General Whish dispatched in boats under
Captain Hicks, the commissary of ordnance to the
field force. Nearly the whole of the field force had
assembled. The first brigade, under Brigadier
Dundaq, is said to have broke ground on its upward
march on the 21st. The whole would be on their
way by the 26th, and would be before Moultan by
the middle of December. Turnbull's battery had
changed their guns at Roree, and commenced their
retrograde march to overtake the advance guard on
the Bth. The pontoon bridge and its equipments were
in boats made fast to the shore opposite Subzulkote.
They were in charge of two European officers
and one hundred sappers and miners; no instruc-
tions had reached them as to how they were to
act, and it was thought probable they would re-
main in state quo till the force from Roree overtook
them. None of the officers of the Roree force likely
to supersede those of Moultan have been permitted to
go on with the array. Major Scott, of the Engi-
neers, is, we believe, senior to Major Napier: so is
Major Leeson to the officer commanding the Artil-
lery. We regret to hear that the latter is suffering
from sickness. It seems singular that the Bombay
Government should ever have imagined that officers
sent up by them would be suffered to supersede those
appointed fur special service by the Government of
India, considering how little reason we have to ex-
pect that the supreme authorities will, under any cir-
cumstances, or on any occasion, give way in favour of
their subordinates. General Whish seems to have
been most urgent in his requests for aid from Sinde.
It is probable he felt by no means comfortable, after
the conduct of Shere Singh, with such allies as the
troops under Edwardes, Leke, and Cortlandt, in his
neighbourhood. The following extract from the
letter of an officer with the artillery affords the best
excuse we have seen for delay:—
" With the field battery we can do much, but entering
an enemy's country without them might provoke an
attack by masses of irregulars, when to join Whish, and
not skirmishing, must be the paramount object to keep
in view. Partial actions, or little fights, are now worse
than usele.s. Some good general actions remain to be
fought, and must be won by us, and our troops must
move and fight in masso.e. To scatter them over the
l'unjaub will almost ensure defeat; a circumstance to
be guarded against—even the smallest disaster—by able
forethought and arrangements, so far as
.practicable to
be made."

We seem by no means disposed to rely on the pro-
verb, " Never venture never win ;" the maxim, "to
risk nothing," lately acted on, seems to have been
followed by the usual consequent—" and gain no-
thing." The enormous force we are now throwing
on the insurgents seems likely to prevent them mea
suring swords with us in the field at all, this being
:he very thing we do not want. One of our objects
is to show them that, with a fair field and no favour,
they have no chance whatever; that it is only in
treachery and assassination—behind walls or in sta-
tions which they Lave selected and fortified—that
they can hope for a temporary success.
Of the upward march of the " advance guard" of
the Roree army, we have the following particulars.
The detachment, it will be remembered, consists of
the 3d Bombay Native Infantry, 500 of Jacob's
Horse, and Turnbull's battery of Native Foot Artil-
lery (Ist company 4th battalion). They left Roree
about the middle of October, and had proceeded as
far as Subzulkote, when the infantry and horse were
ordered to stand fast, and the artillery to return to
Roree to change their light field pieces (six 6-
pounders) for heavier metal (four 9-pounders and
two 18 and 24-pounder howitzers). They accord-
ingly retraced their steps, and having been provided
with their new ordnance, again set out to rejoin' at
Subzulkote, seven marches trolls Roree. In the mean-
time, an urgent request had been sent by General
Whish to the officer commanding the detachment,' to
push on with all speed to join his camp • this was; of
course obeyed with alacrity and cheerfulness. They
left Subzulkote on the 7th of November, and
reached Neoshera on the 9th. Lieutenant Mere-
wether had been detached from the camp to join
Major Jacob, who was in the saddle with 1,000
of his horse, in pursuit of the remains of the
Bhoogtie tribe, and 1,500 Murrees who had crossed
the border and threatened a foray on Kusmore and
other towns in its vicinity. Lieut. Malcolm was bn
his way from Roree to replace Lieut. Merewether.
The roads -from Suk-kur all along to Bahawulpore,
are described as excellent—so much so that a carriage
could easily be driven the whole way. Water was
good and abundant, and provisions of all kinds cheap
and plentiful. The advancing force had found the days
rather hot, the nights and mornings being cool and
agreeable. There was scarcely any sickness in the
camp. Dr. Malcolmson, who accompanied it, was
indefatigable in his numismatic researches at all the
towns passed ; and in an old Hindoo fort which he
had discovered in the jungles, he had dug up several
very curious and ancient coins of the times of the
Dolorahs—at least 1,500 years ago. The towns were
large and populous, the houses generally built of
burnt brick. The soil was a rich alluvial,
and in many places well cultivated. The language
in common use was Sindee, but many of the
inhabitants spoke Persian fluently. Game was abun-
dant. The country is described as being a dead
level, with straggling low jungle. Bahawul Khan's
territory commences at Subzulkote, where what may
be termed Shale Proper ends, and the country from
the former place to Uoch may be considered as neutral
ground betwixt Sinde and the Punjaub. By the 12th
tne detachment had arrived at a place named Khan-
pore, six marches from Fullpheladpore Ghaut above
Ooch, where the Bombay column are to cross the
Sutlej by a bridge of boats. Turnbull's battery was
a few marches behind, but were making double
strides to overtake them. Further instructions had
been received in camp from General ‘Vhish, directing
them to lose no time in joining him. The 3d had
only ten men sick, and these slight fever cases. In
the early part of their march many of the sepoys
(upwards of three hundred) had been laid up with
fever, but not a single casualty had occurred. Khanpore
is described as a very large and populous town, the
houses being chiefly pucka brick-built. The whole
country is well cultivated, producing grain °fall kinds in
abundance. It is from this part of the Bahawul Khan's
territory that the greater portion of the supplies for
the force now before Moultan is drawn. A large
canal, or rather a branch of the Indus, passes close
under the walls of the town; this is now running,
with a strong deep current to the eastward, diffusing
the advantages of a constant supply of water, for the
irrigation of the country. The canal continues nearly
full throughout the year, and during the inundation
the whole country is covered with water. Boats of a
large size were close up to the town, busily engaged
taking in supplies of all descriptions for Moultan;
the town of Khanpore is ten miles from the Indus.
By the 17th they had been joined by Turnbull's bat-
tery," and had reached Chunnee Rhan•ke-Gottee, a
large town ten miles from the left bank of the Indus,
and one march from Ooch, when they had again re-
ceived orders from Roree to stand fast till further

nstructions reached them ! The criers had been re-

ceived, as might naturally be expected, with the deepest
disgust by the detachment, who had hoped in six days
more to have reached Gen. Whish's camp and shared
in the toils and honours of the fight; they still cheered
themselves, however, with the hope that orders from
Lord Gough would speedily reach them directing
them again to hasten forward to Moulton, without
awaiting the arrival of instructions from the rear.
se
Captain James, of the Sukkur collectorate, who had
been deputed to collect provisions and forage
rr he of tho
townfor
cl the
thou
s
Rorer force, was at Abinedpore on the 3d November.
lie had taken quiet possession of the fort, which is
described as a better one than the generality
p
met with in the surrounding country,
a:cribed as a tolerably good one, but the country
t.
James.
was open and flat—not a mound or eminence to be
peen anywhere. A large quantityoftte fort, and
gungunpowder
destined for Moultan, was stored
in
supplies of all sortsc,owlieitchtewdhbicyhetiale country abounded,
were about being
Scarcely
owing
to the want of cover adapted any game was procurable aroundP Ahinedpore,pted fur harbouring it.
---__

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
Casualties by death in the armies of India, reported
since the departure of the null of the 16th of Nov.:—
Her Majesty's troops—Captain S. Brown, Bth Foot, at
Kurrachee, on the 16th November. Lieutenant Colonel
Thornton, barrack- nimter at Ilong Kong, on the 21st
of October. Captain T. A. Souter, 22d Foot, at sea on
the Lieut. A. Frere, 24th Foot, at Kussoor, en
route to Lahore, on the 9qi of November.

.e. Bish,,p, 36tii Native lillautry,
at sea, on the 21st of May. Lieutenant R. Aitchesou,
46th Native Infantry, at Seonie, on the ith of Novem•