The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-28 00:00:00

A STATE VISIT TO SIR COLIN.

"I waited, -in common with 'Deny others, for a
long time, till the period arrived to return to
camp, in order to witness the state visit of Jung
Bahadoor, to his Excellency the Commander-in-
Chief. No one could say whether the assault was to
come off or not, but, according to general orders, it
was quite settled that tha Maharajah would make
his appearance in our camp at four o'clock. A
canopy was prepared in front of the Commander-
in-Chief's mess tent. A guard of honour of
Highlander; their band and pipers, were drawn
up near it, an escort of the oth Lancers and a
battery of field guns were in front and on the
flank% and all the ceremonials which could be de-
vised under the circumstances were executed admi-
rably well. Sir Colin, in full uniform was punctual
to the minute, and all his staff on duty were
also present em grand tenue. The chief, it
,was
plain enough, would rather have hem close to the
Begum's palace. His eye and his ear were by turns
dirt:toted towards that place, whence, as the time
wore on, could be heard the increasing ratio of
musketry. Still the Jung came not. Minute after
minute passed by very slowly. It was plain that
his Highness the Maharajah, if ha knew of the
Commander-in-Chief's arrangenvnt; did not possess
the " politeness of princes." It was 5 o'clock, and
the musketry was rolling out in great volleys. Sir
Colin was walking up and down, like a man who
had waited quite long enough for his wife to get on
her bonnet, and was about "to stand it no longer,"
when a. great buzz amid the soldiers announced the
arrival of the "Jung Bahadoor, " the Lord of
Battle," and the band of ike. Highlanders an l the
thunder of the guns gave him welc(Ape. Inside
the canopy were Sir Archdale Wilson, Col. Hogg,
Colonel Young, Colonel Sterling, Sir Hope Grant,
Major Bruce, Major Norman, Dr. Tic:), etc. As
the Maharajah approached the Commander-in-
Chief and his aides-de-camp on duty stepped out to
meet him. Who in London does not remereber the
Maharajah's diamonds and jewelled headdresses ?
In the light of the setting sun they even looked
more brilliant than under the opera chandelier.
Indeed, he was so very brilliant, that for a time one
only looked at the casque and at the scarlet coat,
crisp with jewels and gold, and not at the man who
wore them. With white-kid-gloved hand raised to
Lis glittering crest, above which nodded a plume of
Bird of Paradise feathers delicately loaded with
emeralds and diamonds, Jung Bahadoor advanced
towards Sir Cohn Campbell, took the outstretched
hand of our chief, and introduced him to his two
brothers, Who, almost equally gaudy in attire and
rich. in decoration, aceompinied him. Colonel
M`Gregor, in his full uniform and orders, was on
the right of the Maharajah, and after him came a
long following of generals in rich dresses, most of
them with faces of the Caltouck type, broad in the
shoulders, short-necked, and thin-legged. They
seated themselves on chairs, anything but easy for
them, on the right of Sir Colin, whose Staff sat on
his left, and then there was a long interchange of
courteous speeches, but Sir Colin's mind seemed
intent ou the Begora's Palace, acid his ears
fixed on the rapid roll of musketry. Still the
speeches and conversation went on, the Maharajah's
quick eye glancing furtively from Staff to High-
lander, and back again. In the midst of all this
courtly ceremony a tall figure, covered with dult,
broke through the crowd of spectators at the end of
the line of Highlanders and strode up towards the
chief, who rose from his seat and advance 1 to meet
him. It was strange enough amid all this glitter of
geldOace and fine clothes, to sea this apparition in
holden gray tunic, turbaned cap, and trunk boots,
with long sword clanking on the ground, and head
and face and garaten.s covered with dust, walking
stiffly up the aisle of men. "I am desired by the
Chief of the Staff, Sir, to tell you that we have
taken the Begum's Palace with little loss, and are
now in possession of it and the adjoining
build-
ings." And with a few played words from
Sir Cohn, the Deputy.Adiutant-General to the
Chief of the Staff, Hope Johnstone, marched out
of the crowd again and vanished. Jung Bahadoor
perhaps imagined it was a well-executed coup de
theatre ; but it was a hard reality—as hard almost
as the skirl of the bagpipes, which were played by
six as fine Highlanders as ever trod on heather who
walked twice in front of us to a heart-stirring
pibroch, and then played a few morceaux, to the
great delight of the Bahadoor. .Elis Excellency
finally mounted with his brothers on two elephants
with gorgeous howdah cloths, and returned to his
camp."