The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-14 00:00:00

WHY 'WINDHAM WAS DEFEATED.

A correspondent, who was fourteen years in
Gwalior, has addressed following letter to a
contemporary ;—The Times is fortunate in its cor-
respondent, " Indophilus," an matters connected
with the civil history of Bengal, but it had better,
its
military the future, dispense with the services of
military informant, one " F. 101," who, in this
day's issue, in his endeavour to account for Wind-
ham's defeat, indulges in not a few fantasies re-
specting the Gwalior Contingent, He begins by
telling the Times that this force is t
no composed
are of
the same sort of men that our nati ye regiments
.--that it is chiefly the disbanded .Mahratta army
of 1843—that they are Mahrattas, " soldiers from
their cradles," men who hold our sepoys in con-
tempt ; and he concludes his description with the
remark that Windham had very superior soldiers, a
different class altogetNer from those vanquished by
Havelock, to contend against. Now, ap this repre-
sentation of the Gwalior Contingent is simple moon-
shine ; and I much question if " F. B. M." eyer saw
a Mahratta foot soldier. I was myself, at all events,
many years attached to the Court at Gwalior, and
witnessed many reviews of Scindia's troops in the
days of his greatness ; I was, too, in the battle of
Punniar, which, it will be remembered, was fought
on one side of Gwalior, whilst that at Maharjapore
was carried on on the other side, and yet I never
saw one. "F. B. M." asserts that he saw the Com-
pany's Sepoys run away from these soldiers of
Scindia, and therefore he deduces the fact that
Windham had no contemptible enemy. Though on
the spot at the time, I never heard the fact of " the
running away" advanced before ; but of this there
is no doubt, that the Sepoy force of Scindia, dis-
banded by us in 1843, was the veritable Simon Pure
Hindoo, " the mild, patient, humble Brahmin" of
the same caste, of the same kindred, and of the
same country, as the Company's Sepoys. So far
from being dreaded generally, Scindia's Sepoys
were not so smelt nor so well organised as the Com-
pany's Sepoya, and, what was still more fatal, they
had no officers with them at Maharajpore.
The Mahratta, " who is a soldier from his cradle,"
allow me to tell "F. B. M.," is a slightly made
horseman, something like in size to our English
jockeys, and plunder rather than fighting is, while
on active service, always present to his imagination.
He scorns discipline, relying on the speed of his horse
and the dexterity of his spear, his only weapon. Any
one who has read Malcolm's History:of Central India
must be well aware of the real characteristics of a
Mahratta, who is nothing more than a rugged sol-
dier of the jungle. No, Windham was engaged
_against Sepoys who have been disciplined by very
excellent officers, by Vincent Eyre, by Close, by
Michell, by Grove, and by Hennessy, officers of
known reputation in India, but the men were the
Rajpoot, the Brahmin, and the Pythan, precisely
the same castes as the men of the late Bengal army.

HEALTH OP LONDON DURING TBE WEEK.

(From the .Report of the Registrar General.)

The total number of deaths in London in the week
that ended on Saturday, Jan. 9, was 1,327. In the
10 years 1848-57 the average number-of deaths in
,the weeks corresponding with last week was 1,230,
and if this is raised by a tenth part, as a correction
for increased population, it will become 1,353.
Hence it appears that the number returned last
week is not much less than that which the average
rate of mortality for the first week of the year
would have produced. _

Bronchitis was fatal last week : the deaths from
it rose to 181, the corrected average being 142.
Nine deaths were referred to influenza. Measles
is on the increase, and carried off 60 children. Of
eight nonagenarians included in the return, one
was 90 years of age, one 91, ose 93, two 94, one
95, one 97, one 98. Besides these, a silk-weaver
died in Bethnal-green Workhouse, who is reported
to have reached the age of 101 years.
In the improved nosological arrangement all the
causes of deaat are distributed in five classes. Of
the class of zyrnotlu diseases 263 persons died ; of
the constitutional disea.,QB (including consump-
tion) 243 persons died ; of local diseases, in-
cluding inflammation; 618 persons vued ; of deve-
lopmental diseases, including the disease., peculiar
to the young, the puerperal and critical periods of
life, and the aged, 156 persons died ; and of violent
deaths 20 cases were registered. The last class,
namely, the violent deaths, is subdivided so as now
to show separately the deaths (1) by accident or
negligence, 17 ; (2) by homicide, 1 ; (3) by suicide,
2 ; (4) by public execution, none. The deaths in
battle form a fifth order, which is fortunately not
required in the London tables.
Dr. R. D. Thomson has analysed the waters
which were supplied by eight London companies
during the months of November and December.
Such analyses supply the best tests of the quality
of the water with which the people of London are
supplied. It will be observed that the waters are
much less impure than they were formerly ; but
that there are still great differences, and still
room for further improvement. Four grains of
organic matter were once detected in a gallon of
water of one company.

Analyses of Waters supplied in November and December
1E57 by the London Water Companies ; showing
the number of grains of extraneous Matter in every
Gallon of Water•

NOVEIIBER.

DECF.MBEZ.

Cola Arras.

. .
Total Organic Total Organic
Impurity. Impurity. Impurity. Impurity.
grs. grs. grs. grs.
.. 21•56 1,18 20 84 .56
•. 23'52 19'96 •611
21'28 176 20'32 1•04
22.56 1.56 20.72 1.24
21'24 1•52
19'68 2,18
22'64 2'48
26 36 - 2.65

Lambeth ••
Chelsea ..
West Middlesex
S.uthwark
New giver • •
Plwastead .•
Grand Junction
Kent ••

... • - -
20'08 2.12
„. 21*92 -
.. 39'16 4'40

Last week the birth of 890 boys and 810 girls,
in all 1,700 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1848-57
the average number was 1529.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.148 in.
The mean daily reading rose above 30 in. on Tues-
day the 22d ult., and continued above it till the 9th
inst., a period of 18 days. The highest reading last
week was 30.39 in. on Sunday (the 3d). The mean
temperature of the week was 34.5 deg., which is
I's deg. below the average of the same week in 43
years. The variation of temperature was great ;
for on Wednesday the mean temperature was 25.4
deg., which is 10.6 deg. below the o.,,eraga, and
on that day the lowest temperature was 20-9 deg. ;
and on Friday the mean rose to 44.6 deg., which
is 9.1 deg. above the average. The highest tem-
perature occurred on Saturday, and was 51.9 deg. ;
and on that day the lowest was 41.5 deg. On
Tuesday the range of temperature was so small as
3.8 deg. ;on Friday it was 17.3 degs. The dif
ference between the mean dew point tem-
perature and mean air temperature was 2.8 deg.
The mean degree of humidity was 89. The mean
temperature of the water of the Thames was 41.3
deg. On the last three days the wind was mostly
in the south-west, having been previously in the
north-east. The rain measured was 0.09 in., which
fell chiefly on Friday. Friday and Saturday were
unseasonably warm.

FROM THE QUARTERLY SUPPLEMENT

TO THE WEEKLY RETURNS.

In the 14 weeks that ended January 2, 1858,
the deaths registered in London were 16,546. The
mortality was comparatively high ; for, after re-
ducing it to the proportion of the 13 weeks which
forma quarter, it will be seen that the deaths ex-
ceeded those of the last quarter of 1855 by 1,500,
and those of the same quarter of 1856 by 1,200.
The diarrhoea, which destroyed children in summer,
was succeeded by the influenza, which carried off
old persons, when a lower temperature, damp, and
fogs set in with the last months of the year. Pul-
monary complaints predominated; for the deaths
referred to this class were 3,732, besides 1,964
caused by phthisis (consumption), whilst those from
zymotic diseases were 3,313. Bronchitis (1,950)
was much more prevalent and fatal than usual last
quarter, and phthisis was also more fatal, though
its increase was less considerable ; the twc diseases
carried off very nearly the same number of per-
sous, and with pneumonia, which numbered 1,406,
they exhibited a great preponderance, as compared
with other special diseases in the list. That the
sickness of the season did not derive its prevailing
character from inclemency of the atmosphere, is
shown by the fact that the mean weekly tempera-
ture was below the average in only one of the 14
weeks,
Out of 583 deaths from hooping-cough, only 76
i:4?Futred in the west districts ; in the north dis-
t ruto the then cumber was 138, and in the south 119,
though the latter are considerably more populous.
.n the central
123 cases, districts the complaint was fatal in
ouch in the east in 127. Measles hid
chiefly prevaitedthi,
for out of 408 arkt?ie central and east divisions,
curred in the parts mentioned.
from it in London, 218 oc-
curred
in the east dlxiTtntioned. Fever was most
turned in 26 cases, icts. Small-pox was re-
a week. being nQt. more than two in
Of 2,599 deaths in 117 public institutions during
the quarter, 1,478 occurred in
prisons, 71 in military and navall"rkvitil'es' 26 in
general hospital,:
, 68 in hospitals for3e."in
ipytactal disases,
766 in
3 (of women) and 8 (of children)
hospitals tals, 58 in military and nava
pitals and asylums for foreigners, ana
in lunae-..
tic asylums.

A. gentleman named Young' died intestate, in St.
Pancras, a few days ago, leaving property worth 1,201/.
or 1,400/. to go to the Crown.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTBL-LIGENCE

The large screw steamer United Sel :vice, which
has been taken up by the Hon. East India Com-
pany for the conveyance of reinforcements to India,
having arrived at Gravesend to embark her troops,
has been inspected by Col. W. H. Eden, the com-
mandant at Chatham garrison, assisted by the
officers of his staff, in order to ascertain that the
necessary requirements have been complied with for
the comfort and convenience of the officers and
troops during the voyage. The following from the
radian dots at Chatham garrison are ordered to
embark: this (kg) viz.-46 non-commissioned officers
and men of the 7i:;12 Royal Fusileers, Ensign W. A.
Le Mottee and 21 me':l of the 18th Royal Irish,
Lieut. J. C. Langford aU,'l 33 non-commissioned
officers and men of the 27th "t..:'uiskillens, 15 men
Lieut. G.
of all ranks of the 51st Light Infan,,:l7)
L. W. D. Flamstead, 52d Light Infaritr.7-
and 44
non-comma officers and men of that COrps,
7 men of the 6ig!' Regiment, and 20 rank and file
of the 70th Regime;:t,
.Lieut. E. Meurant and 14
J. J. Gordon, Lieut. W.
men of the 83d ; Captiii:
Knife, and 18 men of the o,4th ; 87th Royal Irish
Fusileers, 6 men ; 15 men or. the 94th ; Lieut.
11. ranks of the
Montague Browne and 60 men of E:
98th, Staff-Assistant Surgeon W. H. A rice, from
Port Pitt, will embark in medical charge' of the
troops. Total-8 officers, and 299 non-corm
:4'
sioned officers and men. The following reinforce-
ments from the depot battalions at Aberdeen, Col-
chester, and Fermoy will also embark iu the
United Service :-15 men of the 56th, 5 men of the
, 72d Highlanders, Lieut. W. Fleming and 35 men
of the 95th. The whole of the above reinforcements
will proceed to Kurrachee and Bombay.
The Calypso, 18, Capt. F. B. Montresor, fitting
for sea at Chatham, was undocked yesterday after-
noon, having completed her repairs. She is still a
few hands short of her required number.
The Bacchante, 46, was taken into dock at
Chatham yesterday, to be broken up.
The Cospatrick sailing transport, a new ship of
1,400 tons, one of Dunbar and Sons' flotilla, Capt.
C. Scott, arrived at Spithead yesterday from the
Thames, and will go into Portsmouth harbour this
morning, to embark the draughts of regiments enu-
merated in The Sun of yesterday.
The Victory, 104, Captain G. H. Seymour, C. 8.,
flag of Admiral Sir George Seymour, K. C. B. ,
Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, having under-
gone a thorough refit, is appointed to go out of dock
on the 13th proximo.
The Melpomene, new 51-gnu screw frigate, has
nearly completed the fitment of her machinery in
the basin at Portsmouth, and will be ready to prove
its working in a few days.
The Fire Queen, iron steam yacht, Mr. W. F.
Paul, master (R. 14.) commanding left Portsmouth
yesterday morning for Dover, to bring over foreign
personages to the marriage of the Princess Royal.
The Curacoa, 31, screw frigate, Captain T. M.
Mason,lwill go out of the steam basin at Portsmouth
to-day, and will go to Spithead, it is expected, this
week.
The Tulcan and Urgent steam troop frigates left
Spithead yesterday afternoon for Gibraltar with the
25th Regiment.