The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-25 00:00:00

OVER LAND MAIL

INDIA AND CHINA.

(From the Times.)
We have received by express from Marseilles our
usual letters and papers in anticipation of the over-
land mail. The dates of these advices are, Calcutta,
August 7th, Bombay, August sth, Madras, August
12th, and Hong-Kong, July 25th.
The intelligence brought by this arrival with re-
spect to the state of affairs in Mooltan continues to
be of the most encouraging kind. Lieutenant Ed•
wardes and his gallant brothers in arms, Lieutenant
Lake and General Cortlandt, in conjunction with the
Seikh forces under the Sheikh Emainodeen, had been
attacked on the Ist of July at the village of
Sadoosam by the whole available force of Dewan
Moolrej. A smart action ensued, which lasted up-
ward of six hours, and resulted, like that of the
18th of June, in the total discomfiture of the Mool-
tanees. Moolrsj commanded in person, and sustained
the action with considerable bravery until a cannon
ball struck the howdah of his elephant and prostrated
him in the dust, after which mishap he escaped on a
horse into the city of Mooltan, under the walls of
which the village of Sadoosam is situated. His fol-
lowers soon followed the example of their chief, and
were hotly pursued by the British forces, who only
relinquished their attack on reaching the gates of
Mooltan. Four guns were captured on this occasion
with a loss to the British of only 18 killed and 70
wounded. It seems that this second great success, at
a season of the year when Indian troops are supposed
to be incapable of moving, has jat last opened the eyes
of those in authority at Lahore, and that they have
actually made up their minds to send a strong force
to support Lieutenant Edwardes.
The united forces of Ed wardes ,Cortlandt, and our
ally the Nawaub, were by the last advices encamped
not far from Mooltan, but were unable to commence
operations against the fort owing to a want of
artillery. A requisition for a siege train was for-
warded to the Resident at Lahore, and by him trans-
mitted to Calcutta, where a special council was held,
as was generally believed, for the purpose of deciding
on the request. What were the precise deliberations
of the supreme conclave was not known ; but in the
meantime a force had commenced its march to the
assistance of Edwardes, consisting of the following

subdivisions :
Horse Artillery-4th troop Ist Brigade (Native),
Captain Murray Mackenzie, from Lahore; 4th troop 3d
Brigade (Native), Captain John Anderson, from Feroze-
pore.
Foot Artillery for the service of the siege train of 30
guns-4th Company 2d Battalion (Captain Sissmore)
from Ferozepore ; 3d and 4th Companies 3d Battalion,
from Lahore (under command of Major Garbett) ; 6th
Company 7th Battalion (Native) from Lahore. Lieu-
tenant P. Christie to act as Commissary of Ordnance.
Sappers and Pioneers—The head quarters, and all
companies present from Loodianah.
Light Cavalry—The 11th Regiment, from Ferozepore.
Irregular Cavalry—The 7th (Captain Wheler's) from
Lahore ;. the 11th (Captain Master's) from Ferozepore.
European Infantry—Her Majesty's 10th Foot, from
Lahore ; her Majesty's 321 Foot, from Ferozepore.
Native Infantry—The Bth, from Lahore •, the 31st
from Ferozepore ; the 32d, ditto ; the 49th, ditto ; the
73d, from Lahore.
Making a total in round numbers of about 500 artil-
lery, 1,503 cavalry, 1,500 European, and 3,000 native
infantry, or altogether about 6,500 men.
Major-General Whish is to command the force in per-
son ; the portion proceeding from Ferozepore is to
march down the right bank of the Sutlej. Lieutenant-
Colonel Augustus Abbott, Principal Commissary of
Ordnance, was expected immediately at Ferozepore to
superintend the embarkation of the siege train, but ap-
prehensions were entertained that the number of boats
required would not be available for many days to come.
Large quantities of ordnance cousmissiariat stores are
still on their way from our local magazine to that of
Ferozepore ; 200 bullocks have been dispatched from
this to the frontier to assist in the conveyance of the
guns from the river to their destination. 500 bearers
and 200 transport train bullocks left Agta during the
past week for the same destination, and more bearers are
being collected there.
We regret to learn that this force had already
suffered considerably on its march from Lahore.
The following extract from the Delhi Gazette of
July 29th contains the latest information as to the
movements of the auxiliary column :
" Since going to press we have received the 'Kurnal
dak,' and have just time to add, that the troops. of the
Ferozepore column which crossed to Gunda Sing wallah,
had halted on the 24th and 25th. It was expected the
siege train might be ready to start by the 28th, but be-
lieved there would be great difficulty in providing the
boats for the use of her Majesty's 32d Foot. The sap-
pers were encamped in the ghat, and were) to go down
in Chupoos. (We use the words of our correspondent
without knowing what it means, but we presume it is a
kind of boat.) The Sapper company ordered from
Lahore has been countermanded."
With regard to Moljau himself accounts vary ;
one represents him as having sent a messenger to
Lieutenant Edwardes offering to surrender if his life
were spared ; another, on the contrary, reports him
as busily engaged in strengthening the defences of
his stronghold, and in making every preparation for
a desperate resistance. Neither of these statements,
however, derived as they necessarily are, from native
newsmongers, a class of people only too prone to in-
vention, can be implicitly relied on.
Lahore itself was perfectly tranquil. Two native
soldiers implicated in the late conspiracy had been
hanged, and considerable progress had been made in
tracing the ramifications of the plot, to which it was
ascertained that the Dewan Molraj had been privy
for a great length of time.
Not the slightest symptom of a disposition to
sympathise with the revolters had been manifested
in any of the adjoining countries. In Sinde all was
tranquil ; in Affghanistan Dost Mahomed was re
ported to be planning an expedition against Balkh.
From neither Sinde nor Peshawur have we any news
of interest.
Our Bombay letter contains no news of import-
ance, but we regret to have to announce the death,
of Sir 13,. Oliver, Commander-in-Chief and Superin-
tendent of the Indian navy, and of Commodore John
Pepper, acting naval storekeeper and senior officer
of the Indian navy.
In Calcutta the affairs of the Union Bank still
seem the exclusive object of public attention.
Our correspondent at Hong-Kong writes as follows,
under date July 25 :
" The Peninsular and Oriental steamer Pekin arrived
on the evening of the 14th inst., with dates of the 24th
of May from London.
" Her Majesty's steamer, Medea, from Shanghai on
the Bth inst., with his Excellency Governor Bonham on
board, arrived in the forenoon of the same day, touching
at the lower ports. General quiet prevails at Canton and
at the other ports. Here we have little to remark upon
since last month; a prevailing sickness has been general
amongst the garrison of the 95th Regiment in particular,
arising probably from the early and unusual heat; other-
wise the colony is generally healthy.
" Her Majesty's -ship Melampus has returned to the
Majesty's
harbour from Whanspoa, relieved by he.,
steamer Medea; she leaves in , a few days for Bombay.
Her Majesty's ship Mariner, from Shanghai, passed
through the harbour on the 23d inst.; she is supposed to
relieve the Espiegle. Her Majesty's ship Cambrian,
Commodore Pluroridge, remains in our harbour.
," About 150 recruits of the 95th Regiment arrived a
few days since in the Hugh Walker.
" Our latest dates are from London, May 24; Cal-
cutta, June 20; Madras, June 13; Bombay (received to-
day per Antelope), June 27; Singapore, the 14th inst.;
Manilla, the 15th inst.; and Sydney, April 1.
" There has been some activity in trade at Canton
since the middle of the month. A good business has
been done."
Our correspondent at Malta informs us that great
consternation had been created in that island by the
report of three fatal cases of cholera. All vessels
about to leave the island had been furnished with
suspected bills of health, when it was fortunately dis-
covered that the deaths referred to had not arisen
from cholera, and clean bills of health were issued to
the captains.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CALCUTTA MARKETS.
(From the Bengal IJurkaru, Aug. 7.)
Our last issue was dated the Bth of July.
The express of the Mail of the 7th of Jun© reached
this CI. the 15th of July. That of the 24th or Juno cart
in during the night of the 2d instant, and the steamel
arrived on the sth.
Sugar has been the favourite object of demand, and
sales are extensive, all sorts commanding ready sale at
full prices, either for shipment, or refining purposes.
The new silk ia; now arriving, And meets with a fair iu.