The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-30 00:00:00

THE. SUN

our wolfish oppenents for their losses at Delhi. Here we
are perfectly (pie'. monotonew-ly so. There is a rumour
afloat, tha` some 5,000 rag-tag-abd-bobtail are hovering
about this, anxious,' as our excellent Brigadier Wilson
expresses it—' to get killed.' But they are rather back-
ward in coming forward with that object, and keep a
di agreeably long way off. I beard it whispered to-day,
however, that our c nnrnandant is itching to get at the
blackguards, and rneditat-s mischief. If a force moves
out I shall ac,ompany it, for here my occupation is
nearly gone.
" A. very excellent soldier our Brigadier Col. Wilson
is, and a rare bright look-out he keeps. I generally
stumble across him once or twice a day somewhere about
camp The other day at mid-day I met him, near the
Telegraph-office ; 'twits hot enough to fry an Ashantee,
and he bad an umbrella, the only time I noticed Lim
using one. I mention the fact becau-e the umbrella was
n every-day bit of gingham, but a mighty umbrella—
an umbrella of price, such ai Jahns Caesar never used,
or the L ird of the White Elephant ever dreamt of.
Ou side it was blue as the ocean or indigo ; inside,
crimson as an autumn sunset, and, moreover, it bad
a fringe of silver. Whether it was, in whilom days,
tne property of Nana Sahib, or whether the old gen-
tleman had it built for his own especial delectation, de-
ponent sayeth not. Indubitably such an umbrella
entitles Col. Wilson to rank as an "umbrella bearing
chief." Long may he live to wear it.

"All our chief officers here, indeed, are first-rate men.
Captain Murphy, our brigade major, is really an indefa-
tigable (.B:leer, moreover, he is suave, courteous, and
obliging. Then we have Captain Impey, our engineer,
a most hardworking and capable officer. In fact, he
over ex"rts himself, and is sick in consequence. How-
ever, our intrenchments are now, thanks to his great
industry, complete, aed well found in guns. It is con-
templated to entrench a new camp so as to enclose the
Horse Artillery barracks, which are standing still intact.
Tne object in doing so is, I believe, to obtain greater
accommodation for the magazine and commissariat de-
partment, as we are rather badly off for space in this
camp in that matter. Speaking of the commissariat
brings me to our commissiat officer, Mr. Burnell. Some
time time ago I mentioned to you what a zealous and
efficient man be is. The rapid and systematic manner in
which he has accumulated stores is beyond praise. He
ranked A 1 in General Nei•l's estimation, and fo be does
with. Colonel Wilson, and everybody else who knows
him. I don't think a more thoruughly systematic com-
missariat officer exists. Everything, since Havelock
left Allahabad through all the dangers and difficulties of
the early portion of the campaign, has gone well under
his experienced supervision. Everything is going on
well and everybody is satisfied. " Let well alone" is an
old and wise adage, but the red tapeism of the commis-
sariat office cannot admit of its practice ; and therefore,
no matter how efficiont Burnell is he must—no* that
all the difficulties of the wark are mastered—make way
for a commissioned officer, who will hereafter, devil a
fear, reap all the reward and honour for what has been
effected. I have little more news to tell you. The
Futruckabad Rajah, it is said, has fled across the Gauges
into Oude. The road towards Agra is gradually being
opened up. The otber evening some blackguards stuffed
two of our heavy guns full of bricks and stones. They
have not been discovered.

CARNPORE, Oct. 20.

Large reinforcements are daily expected from the
lower provinces. The 934 and 53d are a day's march off,
and will in all probability be in to-morrow. Detach-
ments of her Majesty's 78th, 84th, 90th, and sth Fusi-
liers, with a battery of artillery, go on with a convoy of
provisions to Lucknow. News !rem Lucknow is very
scanty. Fever prevails in camp. Thn 64th have no
less than 34 in hospital. The reports show 100 Euro-
peans and about 10 Sikhs in the general hospital. No
casualties have occurred, and the weather has changed
much far the better. The provisions served out is con-
sidered unexceptionable in cantonment, but were you to
go a day's march, then see what you would be served
out with. Of cou-se every excuse is allowed the fur-
nishing authorities, but in some instances no excuse can
be mad., the biscuit being not only mildewed, but had
a sour nauseating smell.

THE BANKS OF THE JUMNA.
The following interesting account of the disor-
ganisation of the country along the banks of the
Jumna, and of the dingers experienced by a party
of Bengalee pilgrims, is from a reliable source :
"2 few months ago, some time before the breaking
out of the mutiny at Meerut and Delhi, a number of
persons, chiefly Bengalee women of respectable families
of this town, started on a pilgrimage to the shrines of
lkluttra and Brindaoun in three boats. They arrived at

Allababad without meeting with any impediment or
obstacle some days before the Ist of Joistee last, ou
which date they left that place entered the Jumna. The
mutiny of the 31 Cavalry at Meerut, and of the regi-
ments at Delhi, had then taken place, but they heard at
. .

. .
Atiababad nothing of the affair, beyond that some dis.
turbances had occurred at those places. Proceeding up

the Jumna for several days, they arrived at Hun;eer-
pore, the head-quarters of the district, the authorities
of which informed them of the dangers of the trip up
;he river ; but, on their persisting to proceed,
them four guards to accompany them to the end of
their jurisdiction, strictly enjoining them on no ac-
count to cross the river, but always to keep along

the linmeerpore bank of it. They got up with
safety as far as Michreepore, where the guards left them,
repeating to them the injunctions they had already re-
ceived. From this latter place they proceeded up to a
place called Simarab, a few mills above Calpee, without
much serious opposition, as the country was then com-

paratively peaceeble. This last mentioned village stands

on the bank of the river, to which they had been pro-
hibited to go ; but the boatmen, fancying that the navi-

gation aloni it was comparatively easier, imprudently
crossed over, and m)ved the boats, the number of which
increased to eight since they left Allahabaa, on an ad-
joining chur, for the purpose of cooking their food. They

had not, however, been long there before they could see

a party of four or five hundied ruffians, mostly villagers,
armed with swords, lateos, and muskets too, descending
down the shore with an attention which they had no

difficulty to conjecture. Fortunately, however, as the
alarm had been given in time, they hastily got upon the
boats aoy how they could, before the rascals could
arrive on the spot and seize the boats. The river at
this place being very narrow, the shouting and yelling
of these desperadoes, furious at losing their prey, brought
nut masses of villagers en the other bank, to which the
boatmen and the trembling, weak, and helpless pilgrims
were invited to come over, with offers of assistance and
protection. But no sooner had they gone there than
they found teat these men were not a whit better than
the fellows., n the other bank ; for their head men told
told them in plain words that if they wished to be saved
from being plundered and di,honoured, they must im-
mediately pay down to him and hie followers a handsome
sum of money as the price of his protection. Under
these difficult and dangerous circumstances they handed
him 600 rupees, upon which he agreed to follow them
with his men along the shore down to Calpee, where
they were assured they would find protection from the
zonindar, who had declared himse f the rajah of the dis-
trict. They were told, besides, that the voyage further
up was very dangerous, and no less than 29 boats, all
filled with pilgrims like themselves, had been some days
before plundered at Etawah. Accordingly the boats
began to ply down, the head man and his men accom-
panying them along the Lank, but what was their sur-
prise when they saw fresh bodies of men appearing on
both balls, shouting to them in the mo-t abusive and
threatening language Lo lagow the boats ; the head man,
however, be it said to his honour, still remained their
friend, and but for him they had certainly been lost ; for
he told the boatmen to disregard their treats and use
their utmost exertions to carry down the boats till they
reached Calpee, while he with his men employed some
means to slacken the pursuit of those who were most
furious for the prey. This, however, had the most for-
West° effect of raising as altercation between the two
parties, which enabled the fugitives to reach Calpee
without further moles ati tn. One fact ought to be
stated here very distinctly, that among the ruffians who
had pursued them, setting all law at defiance, there was
perhaps not one mutinous soldier, but that they were all
villagers and people living along the banks of river.
This proves very clearly, notwithstanding anything that
may be stated to the contrary, that whole villages, at
least in that part of the North-West, have turned rebel-
hoes, and done their beat to disorganise the country.
These men, it can scarely be denied, have done their
best to overturn the authority of Government, and have
in most cases cheerfully obeyed the authority of any
rebel zemindar who had power or influence enough to
proclaim himself Rajah.
"Arriving at last at Calpee, vainly hoping to see the
end of their troubles, the fugitives were immediately
surrounded by bodies of bravoes, calling themselves the
Rajah's men, who came oetensibly with the purpose of
protecting them, but really to see what they could get.
Here they were detained for nearly two months, during
which time, though they were not much molested, they
bad the mortification of being spectators of many an
atrocious act, the principal of which was the cold-
blooded assassination of an European gentleman
and his lade. When the fugitives arrived at Calpee
they were still living, but only a few days after their
arrival, when it is said a body of mutinous soldiers
arrived at the place, those two helpless persons
were murdered under circumstances too revolting to
allow for description being given. Suffice it to say that
under the heat of a burning son, both the gentleman and
his wife were made to run like horses up and down, till
out of mere exhaustion they fell down half dead, when a
number of the bloody miscreants hacked them to pieces
with swords. The bodies were then thrown down the
river like the carcase of an animal. It is unnecessary to
state that while this is being written the writer is fete
vertly praying toGod that the government may soon be
enabled lo take the most terrible vengeance, a vengeance
the remembrance of which may last for centuries in the
villages and hamlets of the north-west. At Calpee, teo,
the fugitives learnt with what feelings of hatred the
people looked open the English, and the desire prevalent
among them of exterminating the whites. One of them
who had imprudently said that he could speak English
was brought to a serious scrape, out of which be was
extricated with no difficulty. They had with them
several English books, which the boys used to read, and
and English shoes for their use, all of which tieey threw
dawn in the water. The self-styled Rajah of Calpee they
also learnt, had given orders in the 13ezear to sell Com-
pany's pine, which they call Lad ebahee, at 32 gundahs
fer the rupee, that is to say at half their value, and tee.
old copper coins of the place, which they call l3alnshahee
at ten gundehe for the rupee, a rate which they never
had. At Calpee the fugitives were joined by 6of the 29
plundered ooets already spoken of, which had proceeded
a far as Etawah. From the people in them they heard
tne most horrid tales. Ali the 14 boats were then all :wed
to leave on the let Aug. last, net before they had beet
searched, on the payment of a fine of 12 rupees for each
of the first 8 boats, and 5 rupees for each of the other 6.
As the river bad then risen, they descended very swiftly