The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-30 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

INDIA.

we (Times) have received our private corre-
spondence and journals from Calcutta to the 22d
of September, Bombay the 3d of October, and
Hong Kong the 12th of September.

CALCUTTA, SEPT. 22.
This side of-India has this year been heavily
afflicted. The work left undone by the cholera has
been completed by the inundation, and from the
Punjaub and every part of the Gangetic valley we
have nothing but tales of suffering and loss. The
pestilence broke out in Agra in May last, and in a
few months slew upwards of 16,000 people. Thence
it struck the native cities of Rajipootana, Bhurtpore
in particular losing 50 men per diem. About July
it began its march to the north-west, moving along
slowly and quietly to Kurnaul. Then it took a
spring, missing Umbellate, but striking Feroze- '
pore, and finally concentrating its strength on the
cantonment of Mean Meer. One third of the
European artillery perished in a fortnight. It then
turned on the city, but its fury was spent, and on
its return march the mortality was much less and
the disease not so fearfully rapid. At Mean Meer
men died two hours after seizure. I can send you
no certain statistics, but I have a very moderate
calculation before me which gives the twal loss of
life at upwards of 90,000 persons. It seems certain
that the outburst was in many respects exceptional.
Thus the .Mean Meer artillery barracks, where its
ravages were most terrible, are notoriously the
largest, best. ventilated, and best drained in India.
Again, the disease everywhere appears to have
spared the women, and most certainly did not
attack European, females—a strange fact, which
suggests the idea that bad, liquor may be a predis-
posing cause; The mere oost of the outbreak to
the Comphny will exceed 60,0001. The surgeons
universally 'behaved nobly, and the scourge,
as usual,--brought out many acts of individual
heroism. A -young lieutenant, whose name it pains
me to have forgotten, distinguished himself espe
cially. For weeks he never quitted the Mean
Meer Hospital, helping the surgeons, comforting
the men,. reading to them, writing their wills, and
lending them the sympathy, the want of which we
all in this country feel so bitterly.
The seeond calamity was- even more widely dif-
fused. The rains this year have been universally
severe. The downpour in Affghanistan was unpre-
cedented, and in August its effects began to be visi-
ble. The torrent- of water which at this season
rolls down the water system of the Indus gradually
increased, then overtopped the banks, and then
burst on the plains with a force which swept
whole towns from the face of the earth. The
cantonment of Naoshera, only half built, was
carried away. , The great cantonment of Debra-
Ghazee Kahn was totally ruined, the sun-
burnt bricks- of the building melting in the
flood. The hund, or dyke, which defends Leia
burst, and Leia has disappeared. Tile loss of life has
not been in proportion, 4,000 or 5,000 villagers
not counting for much in India, but the destruction.
of property is incalculable. There will be no re-
venue from the submerged districts, and the Public
Works Department is grievously discredited. In
Jtillundeur all- the bridges burst up. Meanwhile
the. " Ganges system," as we call it, or the system
of the Himalaya rivers, began also to swell. The
storm in this case spent itself on Bengal. The
country of Tirhoot, which is as large as Suffolk and
Norfolk, wa.s partially under water. In the Moor-
shedabad Zillah the people ran for their lives to
the few hillocks. Boats traversed every portion of
the cultivated plain. The river still rose, and a few
days since fears were entertained for the safety of
Calcutta itself. The proprietors of houses on the
strand erected low walls to save their property, but,
though the"water crossed the road, the inundation
was averted. -There .are no means of estimating
the loss. of life; but it.must be very greati,land will
be greater* the subsidence of the waterrbeing
lowed.by the low.fever, against which the Benga-
lese cannot-contend. The rice, too, has been rotted
in the fields, the crops will not be large, and the
demand increases-apparently without cessation.
Indeed, the export of rice is becoming a pheno-
menon altering- all social life., and deranging every
scheme for public works, uc, e
In 1853 54 the exPeittnaiis 142,255 tons.
1854-55 Ora ag5,208 „
1g55-56 c'LaitraB2
The demand on the eentineat still increases.
The crops in China have beau, diminished by inun-
dations, our own crop will be emationcl rice is ris-
ing to,balf as much again, as its usual price. For
months past labourers have been striking for
wages, and it is not, too much
.to say that the cost
of labour throughout the metropolitan districts have
increased a third. 14 Bengal, as I have pointed
out before, a partially deficient crop benefits the
cultivator. His difficulty is not to get enough
grain, but enough specie to pay his rent in, and
increased prices are better for him than an increased
crop, which from our deficient communications he
cannot sell. The dealers declare that the demand
baffles all their calculations, seeming to extend in
spite of-all ordinary drawbacks.
The revenue account of the railway has been
published," it stands thus :
PAYMENTS.

To maintenance of way and works . 61,478 1 it
To locomotive department 87,711 9 10i
To coaching axpenses
To merchandise traffic expenses
8,943 8 01
To geteetil charges

206,951 10 10