The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-17 00:00:00

(7-0

ranch fleet. The author concludes with the re•
on that, even as England has hitherto escaped
!anger of an invasion by keeping up a sufficient
time force, so should France do the same, and
render a war between two equally powerful
,ns impossible.

THE INDIAN MUTINY.

(From Hr. Russell's Diary in India.)

Whilst I am writing about it, I may as well re-
late an incident in connection with one of the Nana's
chief advisers, which I mentioned to the Governor-
General, who appeared much struck with it. After
the repulse of the allies in their assault on Sebasto-
pol, 18th June, an event closely followed by the
death of Lord Raglan, and a cessation of any opera-
tions,, except such as were connected with a re-
newed assault upon the place, I went down for a
few days to Constantinople, and, whilst stopping at
Missirie's saw, on several occasions, a handsome
slim young man, of dark olive complexion, dressed
in an Oriental costume which was new to me, and
covered with rings and finf rv. He spoke French
and English, dined at the table cfliote, and, as far as
I could make out, was an Indian prince, who was
on his way back from the prosecution of an unsuc-
cessful claim against the East India Company in
London. He had made the acquaintance of Mr.
Doyne, who was going out to the Crimea as the
superintendent of Sir I. Paxton's Army Works
Corps, and by that gentleman he was introduced to
me one fine summer's evening, as we were smoking
on the roof of the hotel. I did not remember his
name, but I recollect that he expressed great anxiety
about a passage to the Crimea, " as, said he, "1
want to see this famous city, and those great Roos-
tums,the Russians,who have beaten French and Eng-
lish together." Indeed, be added that he was going
to Calcutta, when the news of the defeat of June
18th reached him at Malta, and he was so excited
by it that he resolved to_go.,to Constantinople, and
endeavour thence to get a passage to Bilaklava.
In the course of conversation he boasted a good
deal of his success iii London society, and used the
names of people of rank very freely, which, com-
bined with the tone of his remarks, induced me to
regard him with suspicion, mingled, I confess, with
dislike. He not only mentioned his bonnes fortunes,
but expressed a very decided opinion that, unless
women were restrained, as they were in the East,
" like moths in candlelight, they will fly and get
burned." I never saw or heard anything more of
him until some weeks afterwards, when a gentle-
man rode up to my hut at Cathcart's-hill, and sent
me in a note from Mr. Doyne, asking me to assist
his friend Azimoola Khau in visiting the trenches,
and on going out I recognised the Indian prince. I
had his horse put up, and walked to the general's
hut to get a pass for him. The sun was within an
hour of setting, and the Russian batteries had just
opened, as was their custom, to welcome our reliefs
and working-parties, so that shot came bounding
up towards the hill where our friends were stand-
ing, and a shell burst in the air at apparently
near proximity to his post. Some delay took place
ere I could get the pass, and when I went with it
I found Azimoola ',had retreated inside the ceme-
tery, and was looking with marked interest at the
fire of the Russian guns. I told him what he was
to do, and regretted my inability to accompany him,
as I was goalg out to dinner at a mess in the Light
Division. said he, 'this is a beautiful place
to see from; I can see everything, and as it is late
I will ask you to come some other day, and will
watch here till it is time to go home.' He said
laughingly, I think you will never take that strolls,
place ;' and in reply to me, when I asked him to
come to dine with me at my friend's, where I was
sure he would be welcome, he said, with a kind of
sneer, Thank you, but recollect lam a good Ma-
homedan !" But,' said I, you dined at Missirie's
' Oh, yes ; I was joking. lam not such a fool as to.
believe in these foolish things. lamof no religion.'
When I came home that night I found he was asleep
in my camp-bed, and my servant told me he had
enjoyed my stores very freely. In the morning he
was up and off ere I was awake. On my tabls I
found a piece of paper—' Azimoola Khan presents
his compliments to Russell, Esquire, and begs to
thank him most truly for his kind attentions, for
which I am most obliged.'
This fellow, as we all know, was the Nana's secre-
tary, and chief adviser in the massacres at Cawnpore.
Now, is it not curious enough that he should have
felt such an interest to see, with his own eyes, how
matters were going on in the Crimea? It would not
be strange in a European to evince such curiosity,
but in an Asiatic of the non-military caste it certainly
is. He saw the British army in a state of some depres-
sion, and he formed, as I have since beard, a very un-
favourable opinion of its morale and physique, in
comparison with that of the French. Let us remem-
ber that soon after his arrival in India he accom-
panied Nana Sahib to Lucknow, where they re•
mained for some time, and are thought by those
who recollect their tone and demeanour to have
exhibited considerable insolence and hauteur to-
wards 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 as far as Umballah.

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 Umballali a portion of the regiment were
in cantonments, they wsre unable to effect their pur-
poses with these men, and desisted from their pro-
posed journey on the plea of the cold weather. That
the Nana's demeanour towards us should have un-
dergone a change at this time is not at all wonderful;
for he had learned the irrevocable determination of
the authorities to refuse what he—and, let me add,
the majority of the millions of Hindoos who
knew the circumstances—considered to be his just
rights as adopted heir of the ex-Peishwa of
the Mahrattas. When the great villany was planned
is not now ascertainable; but it must be remarked,
as a piece of evidence in some degree adverse to the
supposition that Nana Sahib had successfully tam-
pered with the troops at Cawnpore, that the latter
did not evince any design of making him their
leader, nor did they hold any communication with,
him on their rovolt, and that they were all march-
ing off for Dclhi when he and his creatures went
to their camp, and by his representations, promises,
and actual disbursements, induced them to go back
and assault Wheeler in his feeble intrenchments.