The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-18 00:00:00

Hare you ever passed through the Strand, or Flee

street, at dawn on a summer's morning? If so, you
have seen a street unknown to you by day—sharp gables,
quaint angles, odd signs and sculptures, strange shops, new
alleys--a curious old carved and irregular continental street,
with antique spires peering over a toppling sea of roofs, as
unlike the street that the good citizen sees when he takes
down his shutters as Venice to Bermondsey. I saw India
in mourning, lighted up by a blood-red conflagration,
and in her misery she appeared very different indoed from
the pictures which had been drawn of her, but they may
have been, nevertheless, accurate representations of her
former state. I know not if I have seen aright or can de-
scribe the objects which I beheld ; but such as India ap-
peared to me, it shall be to the best of my poor ability, por-
trayed in pen and ink."
The fair and temperate tone of the work is highly
commendable, and the date at which it was written,
as well as the personal anecdotes, relieve the
mournful narrative of deaths and sufferings which
are, unfortunately, the chief contents of all works
on India. The writer's Crimean experience served
him in good stead, and the following anecdote is not
without importance. When Mr. Russell was in
the Crimea ho saw a young Oriental who expressed
great anxiety "to see the famous city and those
great Roostums, the Russians, who have beaten
Freach and English together." He explored all
he could in the environs of Sebastopol, and said
laughing to the author, "I think you will never
take that strong place."
" This fellow, as we all know, was the Nana's secretary,
and chief adviser in the massacres at Cawnpore. Now, is
it not curious enough that he should have felt such an in-
terest to see, with his own eyes, how matters were going in
the Crimea? It would not be strange in a European to
evince such curiosity; but in an Asiatic of the non -mili-
tary caste, it certainly is. He saw the British army in a
state of some depression, and ho formed, as I have since
heard, a very unfavourable opinion of its morale and phy-
sique, in comparison with that of the French. Let us remem•
ber that soon after his arrival in India he accompanied Nana
Sahib to Lucknow, where they remained for some time,
acd are thought by those who recollect their tone and
demeanour, to have exhibibted considerable insolence and
hauteur towards the Europeans they met. Afterwards the
worthy couple, on the pretence of a pilgrimage to the hills
-a Hindoo and Mussulman joined in a holy excursion

visited the military stations all along the main trunk-road,
and went es far as Urnballah. It has been suggested that
their object in going to Simla was to tamper with the
Goorkha regiment stationed in the hills; but that, finding
on their arrival at llmballah' a portion of them were in
cantonments, they were able to effect their purpose with
these men, and desisted from their proposed journey on the
plea of the cold weather. That the Nana's demeanour to-
wards us should have undergone a change at this time is
not at all wonderful; for he had learned the irrevocable de-
termination of the authorities to refuse what he—and, let
me add, the majority of the millions of Hindoos who knew
the oircumstances—considered to be his just rights as
adopted heir of the ex-Peishwa of the Mahrattas."
The shameful official mismanagement of the Cri-
mean army may thus have had its influence on the
horrors of 1837. Mr. Russell speaks of Sir Colin
Campbell, now Lord Clyde, and the other
generals, in high terms. Their kindness to
himself appears to have been consistent and
unvarying. Unfortunately he was in a position to
need it, for a series of mishaps invalided him for
months, and nearly made him pay the penalty of
his enterprise with his life. The heat he describes
as something fearful—hundreds of men being dis-
abled by sunstroke. The march from Jellalabad
to Futteyghur seems to have been a fearful one.
"The march was resumed. On again we went for mile
after mile over a sandy, dusty plain. The soldiers of the
80th, who had had a long march already, were soon as
much exhausted as those of our old escort. From every
side were cries of distress for the bheeties. Suddenly there
came out of the hot black night a fearful storm—not of rain
or thunder, but of wind and dust, which burned like the
ashes of a furnace. The column halted at once. Nor man
nor beast could face the force of the blast, the burning
breath of the Simooru I The current was as a stream of
lava, and it fell on my dooly so savagely that I tumbled
out of it on the sand to leeward lest it should be blown
away with rne. The bearers threw themselves on the
windward-side and kept the litter down. I felt the hot dust
gathering over me, skin burned as though in fever.
Close to me lay a gnarled old soldier of the 80th, who was
gasping for breath, and in the lulls of the storm calling for
the bheesty with feeble breath. I told him to cheer up, and
that it would soon be over.
" That it will—soon for me. I've been 18 years in the
service, and never had such hardship as this —. It's
more than a man can bear, sir. There's ten of my section
missing—and no wonder I' All the officers were dis-
mounted, and the men were crouched on the ground during
the violence of the storm.
" In a quarter of an hour or so the strength of the wind
abated. The column re-formed, and the march began once
more ; but the poor fellow near me had spoken only too
truly. They tried to rouse him. He was a dead man.
Several of the escort died that night. A large proportion
were carried into hospital on our arrival at Futteyghur,
where several of them expired afterwards. Some weremiss-
ing up to the time I left the Fort."
Of Lord Canning, the author speaks with all pos-
Bible courtesy. He saw him twice, and was im-
pressed by his careworn look, but seems to have
shared the general opinion that the transaction of
business at Calcutta might have been more rapid if
more distributed.

"He seemed proud—and am I not bound to say with
justice ?—of the exertions of his Government, to forward
the troops up country with comfort and despatch, and
to provide for them when sick and wounded ; but it
struck me that ho over-estimated the amount of work
that can be effected by any one man, however zea-
lous and self-sacrificing, unless indeed ho be such an
administrative giant as Closer or Napoleon. I was not
astonished to find a Governor-General of India at sueh a
time worn-looking and anxious, and heavy with care; but
when I learned incidentally, and not from his own lips, that
he had bean writing since early dawn that morning, and
that he would not retire till twelve or ono o'clock that night,
and then had papers to prepare ere he storted in the morn-
ing, I was not surprised to hear that the despatoh of pub-
lic business was not so rapid as it might have been if Lord
Canning had a little more regard to his own ease and
health."

h regard to the vexed question of the Oude
Proclamation his opinion is clearly and emphati-
cally given. He says on March 20th, " There are
copies of a proclamation by Lord Canning to the
people of Oude which has caused much real alarm
in camp." A little further on, he says on the same
subject, " I have not heard one voice raised in its
defence, and even those who are habitually silent,
now open their mouths to condemn the policy which
must perpetuate the rebellion in Oude. In fact,
unless there be some modification of the general
terms of the proclamation, it will be but irrita-
menta malorum to issue it." Many other allusions
to it are written in the same strain, and arguments
given against it, with the tenour of which English
readers are generally familiar, from our discusions
on the subject at home. The following is a speci-
men of the author's amusing camp anecdotes :

"April 22.—LeftUrrowl at 3.15 and marched to Meerun •
ke-serai, ten miles—a decided improvement as to time and
distance. I came up to camping-ground, passed a discon-
solate-looking Englishman on the roadside who had got out
of his gharry, and was looking for the troops. It turned
out to be Ross of the 93d, formerly adjutant-general at
Balaklava, and I directed him to our tope. Dined with Sir
Colin, and after along talk with him and with Gen. Mansfield,
who was also one of the guests, I made for my tent. For the
life of me I coiild not find it. I wandered about among the trees
in the dark, and at last was forced o shout out Simon' at
the top of my voice, no doubt receiving kind wishes from
the inmates of the tents. There were plenty of fellows
sleeping out in the air on their charpoys, as it was cooler
than in the tents. No Simon answered. At last, quite
savage, I made over to a charpoy, and shaking the sleeper,
said, ' Who's here ? Can you tell me where my tent is ?'

It was Sir Colin himself, who, wide awake in a minute,
gazed at me with some wonder. I apologised and told him
my story; he laughed, and said, ' Well, take a fresh de-
parture from this point now, and you must come upon your
tent down that street.' I did so, and ne.:t,- distinguishal
myself by walking in upon Mansfield, who was sitting up
reading. After disturbing all the camp I got to my own
tent at last. The position of it had been changed, owing to
the arrival of Col. Percy Herbert and others at head-quar-
ters. We were near the famous ruins of liunouj to-day, tlie
great Eindoo city and seat of empire. An old man who
sold rosewater and preserved tamarinds, and who told us he
had been guide to Lord Lake, promised to come in the even-
ing and conduct us to the place, but he did not keep his
word, and so I missed seeing those very wonderful remains,
which are, however, only appreciable by one who is better
versed in Hindoo antiquities than most of us are. Only
one or two officers went; and they came back, declaring it
was a ' do—a sham, nothing but old bricks and rubbish? "
The difficulties attendingourlndian rule struck the
author most forcibly. While moralising over the
ruins of Cawnpore he asks, How shall we prevent
the recurrence of such a catastrophe ? and proceeds
as follows
' "I am deeply impressed by the difficulty of ruling India,
as it is now governed by force, exercised by a few who are
obliged to employ natives as the instruments of coercion.
That force is the base of our rule I have no doubt; for I
see nothing else but force employed in our relations with
the governed. The efforts to improve the condition of the
people are made by bodies or individuals who have no con-
neclion with the Government. The action of the Govern-
ment in matters of improvement is only excited by consi-
derations of revenue. Does it, as the great instructor of
the people, the exponent of our superior morality and civi-
lisation—does it observe treaties, show itself moderate, and
just, and regardless of gain? Are not our courts of law
condemned by ourselves? Are they not admitted to be a
curse and a blight upon the country? In effect, the grave,
unhappy doubt which settles on my mind is, whether India is
the better for our rule, so far as regards the social condition of
the great mass of the people. We have put down widow-
burning, we have sought to check infanticidQ ; but I have
travelled hundreds of miles through a country peopled with
beggars and covered with wigwam villages."
He enters very little into the details of the earlier
part of the revolt. So much has been said on the
subject, that not having been an eye-witness it
would have been futile for him to have enlarged
upon it. With regard to the unchecked advance
of the mutineers from Meerut to Delhi he expresses
a feeling of indignation which was very generally
felt in this country :
"Although I heard many circumstances adduced in ex-
tenuation of the cardinal errors and fatal incapacities which
pre-eminently marked the conduct of the authorities in
command of the Meerut division, at a period when errors
and incapacity were by no means unfrequently conspicuous,
I own that on the very spot itself, under the able guidance
of the intelligent young ()Meer who went round the whole
of the seen:: of the disaster, I was unable to comprehend
how it was that the mutineers were permitted to march off
after the commission of murder and arson quietly to Delhi,
to inaugurate the reign of terror and bloodshed all over
India, whilst a regiment of English dragoons, a famous
battalion of English infantry, with an ample support of
field-artillery, were within a few hundred yards of them.
Every one talks of the incapacity of the aged veteran, on
whom the whole affair produced the effect of a hideous
nightmare; but is it not strange that among all the officers
there was not a man with courage and coolness enough to
take on himself the responsibility of action, and to order the
pursuit of the mutineers ? What was Sir Archdale Wil-
son, of Delhi, doing ? Whore were the officers in com-
mand of the various regiments ? To plead the novelty of
the situation, the suddenness of the outbreak, ignoranca of
the extent of the movement, apprehension for the safety of
the women and children, is simply to say, We were in a
position to which, being very ordinary men, we were un-
equal'—it is a plea ad naisericordiani. Tho miserable de-
monstration of a march through the bazaar after the rebels
had gone off, and the:feeble inaninity of discharging- a few
round-shot in the dark night 'in tho direction of voices
which were heard among the trees,' stamp the capacity of
the authorities at once. It seems to me that it might have
been possible to avert the outbreak at Delhi by vigorous ac-
tion at Meerut. What form the discontent and religious
excitement which prevailed in the army might have sub-
se luently assumed, it is not easy to say ; but, at all events,
enough would have transpired at Meerut and. elsewhere to
arouse the Government to action, to demand investigation,
and to place the European community in India on the
alert, so that they might concert measures for defence in
case of an outbreak. It may be said that the mutiny would
have come, sooner or later, and that may be quite true ; but
after the outbreak at Meerut it surely would not have conic
like a thief in the night. Many people will assert that it
was desirable it should come, as nothing short of such_ a
tremendous catastrophe could have produced a charge of
system and awakened us to a sense of our danger; but no
one will affirm, I think, that the slaughter of our poor
countrymen and women shou'd have taken place in order
to produce that effect. Above all, no ono can maintain
that the state of ill-feeling and mistrust which exists be-
tween native and European now, and which is a most de-
plorable result of the mutinies, their crimes, and their
punishments, is not most mischievous, as its existence ag-
gravates those evils in the Indian system which in some
measure caused the revolt."

The conduct of the European officials, whether
civil or military, has evidently been most evil in
its effects on the people. Besides unauthenticated
stories, Mr. Russell gives many instances which
occurred under his observation, which sufficiently
show the evils of unchecked power even in a civi-
lised race:—

" On my way back from this visit, I had occasion to go to
the railway office to give instructions for forwarding my
baggage—which had not yet arrived from Lucknow--if I
were obliged to start ere it reached Cawnpore • and I am
obliged to confess the fears which are expressed—that the
sense of new-sprung power, operating on vulgar, half-
educated men, aided by the servility of those around them,
may produce results most prejudicial to our influence among
the natives—are not destitute of foundation, if I may take
the manners of the person whom I found at the chief en-
gineer's house, as a fair specimen of the behaviour of his
class towards gentlemen. As I was returning to the hotel,
I saw another exemplification of the mischiefs which are to
be dreaded from a large infusion of Europeans into India,
in positions where they are really irresponsible, unless to
their own good feelings. The Company foresaw the dan-
ger, which, however, arose very much from the system of
legal administration and police which they founded, or were
forced to accept. If Europeans are not restrained by edu-
cation and humanity from giving vent to their angry pas-
sions, there is little chance of their being punished for any-
thing short of murder—and of murder it has been often -
times difficult to procure the conviction of Europeans at
the hands of their countrymen. This is what happened.
There were a number of coolies sitting idly under the
shadow of a wall ; suddenly there came upon them, with a
bound and a roar, a great British lion—his eyes flashing
fire, a tawny mane of long locks floating from under his pith
helmet, and a huge stick in his fist—a veritable Thor in his
anger. He rushed among the coolies, and they went down
like grass, maimed and bleeding. I shouted out of the
gharry, ' Good heavens, stop ! Why, you'll kill those
men (One of them was holding up his arm, as if it were
broken.) A furious howl, What the -- business have
you to interfere ? It's no affair of yours.' Oh, yes, sir,
but it is. lam not going to be accessory to murder. See
how you have maimed that man ! You know they dared
npt raise a finger against you.' Well; but these lazy
scoundrels are engaged to do our work, and they sneak off
whenever they can, and how can I look after them "

We commend this work to all who wish for a
fair and authentic picture of India as she appears
to an unprejudiced observer, as it enables the reader
to judge for himself of the state of our vast posses-
sions and the difficulties of our rule. Above all, it
sets forth the paramount importance, even in a
narrow and worldly sense, of fair and equitable
government; of justice administered as between
man and man, not as between master and slave ; of
the firm rule of a well-ordered state, not the pas-
sionate and uncertain vengeance of an incensed
despot ; of the encouragement of civilisation and
the diffusion of our faith, not by the denunciations
of Exeter-hall authorities, or the increase of well-
meaning but often mistaken missionaries, but by
the influence of practice instead of precept—by
showing that the dominant race are Christian men,
owning Christian responsibilities, and that, there-
fore, cruelty, intolerance, and injustice arc to them
forbidden things.

Shooting and Fishing in Lower Brittany. A
Complete and Practical Guide to Sportsmen.
By John Kemp, Esq. Longman.
The author states that his object in presenting
this volume to the public is twofold ; firstly, that
the sportsman abroad may not meet with the same
difficulty that he did of finding himself in a wild
and strange country, without any guide to assist
him, and, secondly, that his example may induce
others to follow his example, so that many fine
shooting and fishing localities abroad may be
known to the intending sportsman, and that when
arrived there he may hare a plain straightforward
book to direct him in his researches for game. It
is certainly hard that, when the tourist has a com-
plete hand-book to every town on the continent, the
unfortunate sportsman resorts to his own ingenuity.
This the author has taken the first step to remedy,
and if those who follow his example can produce as
instructive and amusing a volume as the one before
us, their productions will be both instructive to
sportsmen and amusing to the general reader.
The district strictly treated of is Lower Brittany,
of which there is a good-sized map given, but the
author does not confine himself strictly to that
locality •, his sketches of character are good, and
some of his adventures at the small inns he stopped
at are amusing; he, however, informs the traveller
where to find good accommodation. The following
extract is a sample of his misfortunes :
" Madame Huet, who was supposed to manage the affairs
and
of the Inn, (for her husband was hen-pecked,allowed to occupy himself with ' la commerce,' viz., buy-
ing up butter for the Landivisiau market,) was_
a
veritable
dragon. She morningShheerm,h'aussibnantoxdi,chaetreddafurogmhter,
a Itimilany say, horight, and
she
absurd questions, and
guests. Fancy, the old termagant acteuotlybseaetfd),oantme
with
me to dinner (Breton soup hardandht
her fingers, grinned at me, asked
tried to get rid of her by smoking,—simply_ ous,—
uNw.nelrakfyortunate
rambled in her conversation on every conceivarbildetetuotdeidcre.aandld.
it, and who
leereds h e
a t smokedn e too.from lwt
nhaeuycs
doorway.
walkedolivedroor
owma onyi
n.f theort
lhp,
hei fiysl a
wasf
oer
midst,
hs
allhoe
fre
intention of entering a convent as soon
couldhebemartatiesred4 Tbrheeaklafattseteosnintthee•
confideddf igbhutte
omhade whoh stillearl
as the necessary
rest I easily
morrow. Coffee and milk she could manage, but she hinted
o procured in i't
that I must superintend the operation of egg-boiling. And
so to bed with aching head ; and the room seemed to me to
be the best part of the establishment. Still, even thither
was 1 followed by the dragon, who would not leave the
room till I was actually between the sheets. I might have
been thankful that she did not, in Iceland fashion, give Re
a parting kiss, which would have been the worst of all.
-"Early, so early, for fear of the dragon, I came down
stairs, and superintended the fabrication of breakfast. What
a simple thing that egg was, and which I had selected, as
being the only thing the dear creatures could not put their I

fingers into ; but, then, what ignorance on my part to have
bciled it for three minutes and a halt; when there was not
a spoon in the establishment to eat it with: "

Harry Bartlcy, or Social Science fur the Workers.
By J. W. Overton. Lea, Warwick-lane.
The object'of this litths:book is to describe the
state of the English workman, and to discuss the
plans which have been made for his improvement.
The author expresses his opinions in a most sensible
mariner ; after stating that the middle classes are
actua'ed by the most praiseworthy motives in their
effortg, he truly remarks that they make a mistake
in trying, to elevate the lower gasses. I have
ever held that the workers must elevate themselves
—and that our real, true, and good friends of the
middle class must ceaseto look upon us as automata,
to which they have to give life as well as motion ;
rather let them look upon us as the great mis-
directed power we really are." In the exciting
story that is met with in these pages the reader
will find many opinions set forth whose validity he
may question, but there is manifested throughout a
straightforwardness which irresistibly attracts the
attention and commands the esteem. All respect
those who state their opinions with courage, and
yet with courtesy, and the author of this book is
entitled to the consideration of those who admire
energy and good intentius.

THE PROPOSRD CONVERSION OF TILE
REGENT'S CANAL INTO A RAIL WA

Yesterday a crowded meeting of the proprietors
of the Regent's Canal Company was held at the
Dock-house, City-road, to consider the offer made
by the promoters of the Central London Railway
and Dock Company for a conditional purchase of
of the canal property.
The Marquis of SALISBURY, chairman of the com-
pany, who presided, observed that negotiations had
been going on between the solicitors of the companies
which required the confirmation of the proprietors
or otherwise. Mr. Barnes would read the terms of
the arrangement for the transfer of the Regent's
Canal to the intended Central London Railway and
Dock Company.
The following are the heads of the arrangement:
—That on payment of £lO,OOO the promoters of the
rai'way are to be entitled to a transfer of the ! Re-
gent's Canal and all its property, subject to all its
liabilities; that the transfer was to take effect on
the expiration of four months after the passing of
the act, up to which time the canal company are to
receive all their revenue, the railway company to
take the revenue from that time, and to discharge
all liabilities chargeable against capital. Then fol-
lows a scale of compensation to officers and servants
of the canal company. Tha transfer is to be subject
to the payment of £3O per share (amounting to
27,618 shares £815,540) to the canal proprietors, £l5
per share to be paid at the end of four months from
the passing of the act and the remaining £l5 by
three annual instalments in 1861, 1862, and 1863,
with interest at 41 per cent. The unpaid part of
the purchase-money:and interest to be a first charge
on the canal company's property and on the assets
of the railway company. On payment of the last
instalment the railway company to be entitled to a
rebate of £lO,OOO. The railway company to apply
for an act to confirm the arrangement, and for the
winding up and dissolution of the canal company,
and pay all costs and expenses ; and that the ar-
rangement to be subject to the sanction of Parlia-
ment, and to be at an end, except as to payment of
costs, unless the act be obtained in 1860. Provi-
sion is made for deterraining matters of detail by
arbitration.

Mr. BARNES 'next read a correspondence which
had taken place between the solicitors of the two
companies,,, from which it appeared that there had
been IP:, deposit of £10,000; and it was stated by
Mr. Parker, deputy chairman, that the promoters
bf the railway scheme were Messrs. Gurney,
Donaldson, and APTilenzie. He had written to the
former gentleman upon the subject, and had received
no letter in reply from him, though he had from
the solicitors of the promoters. He concluded by
asking if those gentlemen were present.
It was stated that they were not.
The noble CHAIRMAN remarked that, under the
circumstances, as the arrangement for th• deposit
of £lO,OOO had not been fulfilled, there was an end
of the meeting. They were not in a position to
make any proposition.
It was then moved and seconded that the meet-
ing be dissolved.
Mr. NEWHALL, a Parliamentary agent, on the
part of the promoters, said that the act possibly
might not pass in the next session of Parliament,
and that it might be flung out under rule 150 of the
standing orders. He looked upon it that it would
be an absolute forfeiture of £lO,OOO.
The meeting showed much impatience during
Mr. Newhall's remarks. Eventually the meeting
was dissolved.