The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-25 00:00:00

OVER LAND MAIL

INDIA AND CHINA.

We have received from Marseilles letters from
India in anticipation of the monthly mail from Cal-
cutta and Madras. The dates so received are from
Calcutta to the Ist, and Madras to the 9th of June.
The papers from Bombay are to the Ist of June, by
dawk to Madras, the mid-monthly mail having been
discontinued from Bombay, in consequence of the
setting in of the monsoon.

The advices, as may be expected, are important.
At Lahore, General Khan Singh, of the Seikh
Artillery, had been discovered heading a plot to allure
our Sepoys from their allegiance, and had been hanged
by order of the Resident, along with a Moonshee of
the ranee, similarly implicated. It was expected that
important information would be gleaned from a
third culprit, who had been reprieved at the gallows
on that condition. About twenty other persons were
in custody on the same charge. The plot had been
brought to light mainly by the instrumentality of
several Sepoy officers. Previous to this discovery it
had been considered necessary by our authorities at
Lahore to employ further measures of precaution to
secure the peace of that capital. Troops had been
ordered to move up there and:to the Jullunder Doad
—namely, her Majesty's 14th Light Dragoons from
Ferozepore, and a native troop of horse artillery from
Loodiana ; and from beyond the Sutlej two corps of
infantry, a corps of irregular cavalry, and a field
battery, to occupy Govindhur, near Umritsir ; while
a native regiment and a troop of horse artillery were
further to reinforce Jullunder. Her Majesty's 23d
were to move from Umhallah to Ferozepore, and her
Majesty's 98th, from Meerut, to take up the place of
the 32d. The engineers were occupied in raising a
parapet around the whole inner edge of the rampart
of Lahore, and by every possible means strengthen •
ing and isolating the works occupied by the troops.
A large magazine of arms in the city, furnished of
old by Runjeet Singh, had been undermined by order
of the Resident, and blown up. It was said that the
populace had begun to help themselves to arms from
that arsenal. The strictest garrison duty was being
maintained, and every officer had been called in from
the districts. From the measures of usrveillance of
defence, however, which had been enforced, it does
not on the whole appear that there are grounds of
serious alarm as to the ultimate issue of affairs at the
Seikh capital.
The advices further allude in detail to; the position
of affairs with respect to Mooltan.
It had been determined at Bombay not to under-
take military operations from that presidency at the
present season of the year. There remained but a
few days after the news of the outbreak in which to
decide upon any efficient movement from that side
of India ; and although it was understood that the
first impulse in the Council was to hasten a consider-
able body of troops with artillery up the Indus, and
to reinforce Sinde, a contrary decision was subse-
quently adopted. Fears, it is understood, were enter-
tained of the difficulties of the passage through Sinde
at the beginning of the hot months, and it was hoped
that the same ground would deter the hill tribes
from any active movement. It was hardly doubted at
Bombay, we are told, but that the works of Mooltan
would be strengthened, and combinations be effected
among some of the hill tribes before October next,
but, on the other hand, every confidence was felt in
the more complete operations which might then be
undertaken.

While those counsels prevailed at Bombay, similar
results, under more urgent circumstances, occurred
on the north-west frontier, where the Resident at
Lahore, Sir Frederick Currie, entertaining grounds
of distrust as to the state of affairs at the capital,
and the spirit of the Seikh troops, counter-
manded an order for the march upon Mooltan of a
brigade from Ferozepore. Sir F. Currie, it appears,
considered it necessary, on further reflection, better
to secure the safety of the capital of the liunjaub,
and was unwilling to trust, in any degree, to the co-
operation of Seikh forces against the insurgents of
Mooltan. But, notwithstanding these circumstances,
by which the army of Western India, with the
corps of Sinde, and the powerful frontier co-
lumns, organized by Lord Hardinge, remained in-
active, there was one direction in which, with
slender means, we may hope for some of the
results of promptitude towards a rebel whose
efforts of resistance were not yet consolidated.
Major Jacob, at the head of the irregular Sinde
horse—a body of at least 1,200 cavalry, which
that officer is understood to have brought to a
high state of efficiency—had at once moved up-
wards to the frontier near the enemy. Little had yet
been heard of his proceedings. He is said to have
fallen in with a body of Beloochees, under one of the
hill chiefs at Kosmoe, on the verge of the Sinde ter-
ritory, who were proceeding to join the standard of
the Dewan, and to have had a smart and successful
engagement, without, however, being able altogether
to arrest their course. It is thought, however, that
we shall yet have other than a bootless account of the
efforts of this officer, known to have been an apt pupil
of the late Governor of Sinde. Similar conduct, al-
though ineffectually, had been displayed by Lieutenant
Edwardes—an officer dispatched last year to garrison
the plain of Bunnoo, in Eastern Affghanistan—who
marched upon Mooltan with the 2,500 Seikh troops
under his command, but these forces deserted him
when near the insurgent frontier, and he escaped,
with only one attendant, through perils. It deserves
also to be mentioned, that Colonel Shaw, of the 9th
Native Infantry, at Sukkur, dispatched a light com-
pany, with medical assistance, by steamer up the
Indus, on receipt of the first intelligence from
Mooltan. The steamer put back when news had
been obtained as to the final fate of our two coun-
trymen.
Accounts had been received at Lahore, via Bha-
wulpoor, of the proceedings of the insurgents in
Mooltan. The Dewan had offered large bounties to
Seikh Sepoys, and especially to horsemen, to induce
them to join his standard, and there appears no
doubt that considerable masses had already collected
around him. He is said to be strengthening and
garrisoning the fort of Mooltan, and also that of
Mittenkote, on the Indus, at the confines of our
territory. He attempted to intercept an officer and
his family who were descending the Ravec, but they
received timely notice and escaped. His horsemen
had been out, also, in pursuit of Lieutenant Ed-
wardes.

The Nawaull of Bhawulpoor, whose territory is
contiguous to that of Mooltan, and who remained
faithful to our interests, had been threatened by the
Dewan. A fuller statement of the catastrophe which
befel our countrymen does not materially differ from
the facts previously known.
With regard to the north-west frontier, it was un-
derstood that no further movement of troops would
take place besides those already alluded to until
definitive orders had been received from the Go-
vernor-General. General Gilbert had gone to Simla
at the invitation of Lord Gough. We are informed
that the Governor• General had decided upon de-
ferring operations against Mooltan until after the
rains.

We regret to learn that several cases of cholera are
reported to have occurred daily at Surat and Broach,
in Western India.
We have received intelligence from Hong Kong to
the 26th of May.
All remained quiet at Canton, and also at Shanghae
and the other ports on the coast.
Commodore Plumridge was daily expected at Hong
Kong. The frigate Melampus, Captain Campbell, and
steamer Medea remained in the harbour, the Pluto
steamer at Canton, the Columbine at Amoy, the Scout
at Foochow, the Childers at Ningpo, and the Espiegh,
at Shanghae.
The latest dates received from Hong Kong are
from Calcutta, April 8 ; Madras, April 1.4 ; Bombay
April 10 ; Singapore, May 9 ; and Manilla,. May 4,
There bad been a better feeling m the import
market in general, and prices at Hong Kong im-
proved for almost all articles, with the exception of
cotton, which remained very dull, the stock bein,
59,204 bales, against 27,332 bales in 1847.
Cotton yarns were firm at last month's quotations,
viz , Nos. 16 to 24, 25f to 26 dolls.; Nos. 28 to 3o'
33 to 33i dolls; Nos. 38. to 42, 36 to 36f dolls.
Loncluths have experienced a slight advance, prin-
cipally the lighter fabrics, and we now quote gray,
2 dolls. 75c. ; white, 2 dolls. 90c. to 3 dolls. 30e.
Woollens sp. stripes have improved a little. Long
ells also rather better, and assorted quoted 8 dolls. 70e.
to 9 dolls. Camlets, English, 20 to 24i dolls. Dutch,
22,1 to 26 dolls.
Iron without change. Nail and hoop, 4 dolls. 80c.
to 5 dolls. Bar, 3 dolls. to 3 dolls. 20c.
Cochineal, 250 to 260 dolls.
In tea a greater activity has been shown through-
out the month at former prices. The export from
Ist July, 1847, to 18th May, 1848, is—_black,
39,938,4001 b.; green, 6,042,6001 b.; total 45,981,0001 b.
against 51,299,6941 b. last season, thus showing a de_
crease this year of upwards of 5,000,0001 b., of congou
alone 3,000,0001 b.
The export of silk to date amounts to 21,843 bales,
against 17,097 bales in 1846-7.
I Exchange on England has fallen to 45., and fen
bills offered ; Company's bills accepted, 210.
Freights, 41. The last arrival from England is
the Guardian.
From Shanghae we have advices only to the 3d of
May. Longcloths firm'; and grays quoted at 2 dolls.
1 60c. to 3 dolls.; white . 2 dolls. 90c. to 3 dolls. 10c.
Woollens little inquired after. In tea and silk
nothing doing ; of the latter about 400 hales, mostly
inferior, remain
..in the market. The Dumfries and