The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-31 00:00:00

THE INDIAN COMMISSAR CAT.

(EXTRACT FROM A PRIVATE LETTER.)
CALCUTTA., SEPT. 24.
In Calcutta we have at last done something, the
results of the establishment of the India Reform
League..
The China force is gradually coming in at last.
Her Majesty's screw ship Sanspareil, 80 guns, with
300 of the Royal Artillery ; the transport steamers
Cleopatra, with 400 of the 23d Royal Welsh Fusi-
liers ' • Adventurer, with 300 more of the same regi-
ment, and 270 of the 82d Foot ; and the Mauritius,
with 700 of the 93d Highlands ; her Majesty's ship
Belleisie, with 350 more of the latter corps ; her
Majesty's steamer Penelope, with Horse Artillery
and horses from the Cape, having all arrived since
last week. Besides 58 of the Royal Engineers who
came up in the Lightning steamer from Singapore,
we ought soon to be favoured with seine of the
troops coming to India round the Cape. It is now
more than ninety dap since the first of the trans-
ports left Portsmouth ; but they may as well have
the benefit of the sea air a little longer, for nothing
is ready for them here. The same miserable inca-
pacity, tee same red-tape imbecility, that killed our
poor soldiers in the Crimea, are rampant hero.
Though these troops have been sighed for and ex-1
pected these last two months, though every English
soldier who can be added to Havelock's force is
equal to 100 of the enemy, though our poor be-
leaguered countrymen at Lucknow and elsewhere
are hourly praying for help, 2,000 of our noble
soldiers, Fusiliers and Highlanders, are kept
kicking their heels for days on board trans-
ports or in the fort, because there are no
means ready for conveying them up the country,
and those that are detained on board the trans-
ports are kept there because there are no quarters
ready for them on shore. The authorities well
know that a ship crowded with men, moored by
the bank in September (the worst month in the
year) is about the best encouragement to cholera
that cm be devised. They know it so well that
out of the crew of H.M.S. Sanspariel they have
sent 400 men into the fort. But Highlanders and
Fusiliers, who came out to save India, our women
and children from torture and death, are better on
board ship with malaria around them, than in
wholesome quarters or on the river on their way to
the rescue. Sometimes English soldiers in Cal-
cutta are forgotten altogether. Witness the case
of the detachment of her Majesty's 53d Foot, sta-
tioned at the Normal School during the Mohur-
rum who were kept literally forty-eight hours
without food. If English soldiers are thus for-
gotten when they are so few, what in the name of
goodness will be the result when the reinforcements
come pouring in and are detained here ? Two or
three regiments will be forgotten then, and as Gene-
raj Red Tape won't allow them to buy food for
themselves they must starde. The 260 men of the
Military Train or Land Transport, who arrived
here a mouth ago, were immediately mounted on
the horses of the Madras Cavalry Regiment, which
refused to embark for Bengal. The horses arrived
about the same time. This fine body of well-
mounted troopers only left Calcutta three days
ago. Had they been sent as soon as they ought to
have been after their arrival, they might have joined
Havelock by this time. Such wicked mismanage-
ment speaks for itself. If it be said that the Mad-
ras horses were too much out of condition
after the sea voyage (which could hardly
in the south-west monsoon have been more
than ten days), then I say that they
might have picked up condition sufficiently during
their trip up the rivhr to enable them to be of ser-
vice when disembarked at Allahabad ; but, whether
these were ready or not, there were the splendid
horses (the finest troop horses in India) of the
Governor-General's body-guard. Had these been
handed over to our English troopers directly the
latter arrived a body of cavalry might have been
sent up to, and ere this joined, Havelock's force,
which would now be of incalculable service to
If Lord and Lady Canning must have their
dis-
armed black troopers to ride behind them i
be
in their
their
evening canter, surely twenty-five horses wouldespared
enough for that purpose ; the rest might b
Itsagon my
lady'ss
e'
tosharceouinntrythweoumnetit fromere astingeawth. work
I makesvin
of
blood boil to write about it.
And now another difficulty has arisen in refer-
ence to these troops, and simply because (really it
is-the case) there is no one here connected with
this government who knows his business. When
her Majesty's ship the Belleislo was at Sandheads,
the Underwriter, an American steam-tug, ran down
to her to take her in tow, and demanded 2,500 rs
(2501.) Thie sum was refused, and the Underwriter
would not tow the ship to Calcutta for less, and
steamed away from her. Now, be it remarked that
the price demanded was the ruing price paid
by, large merohant vessels. The Panther,a an
American ship, paid, I believe, 3000 r
circumstances have lately combied'tomakee steamMany
towage far more expensive than before. It is suffi-
cient to say that the price demanded was the ruling
price. But because the Underwiters refused to tow
the 13elleisle to Calcutta for leas, the marine au-
thorities have in consequence interdicted all their