The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-09 00:00:00

THE NATAL ERZ-GAD/4 IN INDIA.

The Rev. E. A. Williams, chaplain of the Naval
Brigade in India, writes to a contemporary as
follows :

" Sir,—As the Indian question is at the present
a source of so much interest at home and abroad, I
send you a brief account of the movements of the
Naval Brigade of her Majesty's ship Pearl since
the defeat of the rebels at Solunpore on the 26th
of December last, to which their rifles and four
howitzers mainly contributed. The force under
the Command of Colonel Rowcroft, consisting of
two regiments of Goorkhas, and the Naval Brigade
under the command of Captain Sotheby, R.N.,
has for some weeks been in the district of Go-
ruckpore. In the vicinity of some villages it
hai been found necessity to halt for a few days,
either to make arrangements for the preserva-
tion of peace for the future, or to give confidence
to the people who are friendly in the district,
or to awe into respect those who are the reverse,
by showing them that our power is again re-
established, or to search for the persons and pro-
perty of well-known and decided rebels. At Sulem-
pore, Burhul, Pyena, and a village near Burling,
the houses of some of the most influential zemindars
and men of property were destroyed. This serves
not merely as a punishment to the delinquents, but
as a warning also to others. This will, no doubt,
apr ear a barbarous method of carrying on warfare,
but it is adopted in this country by the advice and
on the judgment of those who know the character
of the natives best. The deed of demolition
seems to have a great effect on the minds of the
natives by impressing them with a sense of our
power ; and to desist from so treating the houses
and property of offenders appears to have this evil
effect, that they begin to regard such mercy as fear,
and as a tacit acknowledgment that we have some
secret dread of the offenders, thus allowing that
they have not yet learn'l to consider such lenity
as proceeding from the humane and just notions
of civilised cations. It is to be hoped that they
will not entertain a similar feeling with regard to
the respect which is shown to the temples in cities
which may be stormed and taken. It is to be
feared that they will not impute our desisting from
carrying ruin into their shrines to our desire to in-
troduce a less barbarous system of warfare, and a
humane and generous intention to show lenity to
the vanquished, but to fear and a secret reverence
for their gods ; and thus our caution not to hurt
the feelings of the Hindoo is in danger of being in-
terpreted into respect and a feeling of awe for the
deities themselves.

At Suletnpore the house of Narail Dial Canoos-
goe was destroyed, and he was captured a few days
afterwards. He was a very wealthy man, and had
formerly been iu the employment of Government ;
but when he went over to the side of the rebels he
rendered them great service from his extensive
knowledge of the financial resources of the dis-
trict ; in proportion to les services to the enemy
his offence as a rebel became aggravated, and he
consequently suffered the penalty which was his
due. Slime days afterwards be was hanged at
Roodurpore. On the 11th of January the whole
force mareited from Mehra to Roodurpore, where
we encamped for several days, while a search was
being made for the person and property of the
Rajah, who takes his title from the town. He has
made himself very conspicuous on the side of the
rebels ; his property was sought out and sold.
About thirty thou,and rupees were found buried
in different places, but he has not been caught.
On the 27th of January the troops crossed the
river Taptee, and on the 28th marched to Burhul.
It would be very laborious and injudic;ous to carry
out the burning principle in this neighbourhood,
as there is some villages a general opposition to our
rule, and therefore, instead of destroying indis-
criminately, this special favour is reserved for a few
of the distinguished leaders of the rebellion. At
Pyena, although it is reported to have contributed
six or seven hundred rebels to Solumpore, yet only
a few houses were destroyed. At Burling, although
some of the people were killed in the same action,
none were destroyed, and at Burhul only the house
of the neighbouring Rajah has been pulled down.
The house both of this Rajah and that at Roodur-
pore were complete fortifications ; tbat of the latter
was surrounded by a loophooled wall and a belt of
jungle, and that of the former was on a rising
ground on the left Gogra, and having' a very com-
manding position on that river. The Naval Brigade
is very soon likely to be employed in more active_
operations against the enemy. A large convey
f,r of
boats is now going up the river Gogra Troop:"
atot
bridge for the passage of Jung Bahadonr'srobali
the right bank., in order to attack the
,
r twee tom
Fyzabad. The brigade, with t
panics of Goorkhas and 40 Sikhs,
'slumber) and ore
tection to these boats ( ore%ifordiug pro-
bringing them up to Gaig'llsl°.t Trhere it is supposed
General M`Gregor,
that J ung's forces will ctorotsist:
Goorkha force, could
who is now attachedre
efficient force than that of
not have selected
e°„ona naval officers to convey
seamen under expertv
of boats to the scene of action.
and protect a cobvo.,
of the rebels on the oppo.lite bank the
o
wately known, but they are prepared
The force
river is not ac
nmergency, and the rifle with which they
for every will have a wonderful advantage over
,re all arms
old Brown Bess and MAtchlook of the enemy if
they should be so infatuated as to risk an attack.
It is said that Jung Bahadoor is anxious to have
some Europeans attached to his force, and he will
no doubt find the British seamen and marines ready
to dispute with him the right to the foremost ranks
against an enemy stained as those are with such foul
crimes.