The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-17 00:00:00

QUICKSILVER IN INDIA.

Some excitement has been created in the Madras
Presidency by a report that quicksilver has been
found at Cannanore, within the precincts of the
fort. At first the most contradictory rumours were
circulated in favour of the discovery and against it,
some going the length of asserting that there was
only the quicksilver from a broken barometer. The
Madras Government, however, directed enquiries to
be made, and on Oct. 18 an official report was re-
ceived fromßrigadier Fitzgerald, commanding Mala-
bar and Canara. The subject was considered of such
interest that communications took place between the
authorities by telegraph. The discovery was made
accidentally towards the the end of September, and.
on Sept. 23 directions were given by the Govern-
ment that the necessary exploration should be made.
There was, however, great difficulty in obtaining
stone-cutters, or quarrymen, and it was not till the
beginning of October that excavations were begun.
The top soil was cleared away to get at the main
rock, which is laterite ; and the cutting of the
rock itself was so troublesome, that at the latest
date but little progress had been made. The
laterite is ferruginous, and of the very hardest
formation, arranged in irregular blocks. In this
the quicksilver is found disseminated in small
cells, in a native state, but in some partsincor-
porated, as it were, with the laterite. The researches,
however, have been sufficient to dispose of the no-
tion that the quicksilver could have been intro-
duced extraneously, for it was found enclosed in
the middle of what appeared externally sound
blocks of laterite. •

Two small samples had been sent in to the Go-
vernment—one showing a cavity which had filled
with native quicksilver, and another a specimen
of its incorporation with the laterite. According
to the opinion of Indian authorities, the discovery
is of scientific interest, as no instance has been
known in that country of the discovery of any
metal in the laterite formation. M. Hayes, late
French Governor. of Mahe, a gentleman of
local reputation, considers this discovery as
the more remarkable because the quick-
silver is pure. As to the commercial value, it is
difficult to form an opinion as yet, but most com-
monly native quicksilver formations are not so pro-
ductive as cinnabar and the mineralised formations.
The matter will, however, be ascertained, as Briga-
dier Fitzgerald has left Colonel Lucas in
charge of
the operations, with directions to cut up the whole
portion of the bed of laterite uncovered, and to give
a complete report at as early a period as possible.
India has many indications of quicksilver, and it is
very desirable that discoveries made should be
prosecuted, as any increase of the supplies is re-
quisite for local commercial purposes.—/Ifining
Journal.

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more especially to the brain and
nerveo,

THE BRITISH ARMY IN INDIA.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Times.)
HEAD-QUARTERS, CAMP ON THE GOOMTEE,
LUCKNOW, DEC. 3.
The Commander-in-Chid is again collecting a
column for the purpose of reducing Buraech, and if
needs be, Khyraghur, the two districts of Oude
which lie between the foot of the Himalayan range
and the river Gogra, to complete submission. The
. elements of rebellion between the Gogra and the
Ganges have been dissipated or controlled, though
in some isolated places, where the action of our
[ troops has not been experienced, bands of Sepoys
1 and matchlockmen still hold together, led by men
who despair of pardon. It will have been observed
• that the force with which the Commander-in-Chief
took the field and the concentration of troops before
Amethie and Shunkerpore have been broken up as
he gained possession of the various strong places
and won our way through the country. When
Lord Clyde arrived at Lucknow he had nothing left
but a few of the 6th Madras Light Cavalry, a squad-
ron of Carabineers, four guns and one weak regiment
of European infantry. The other regiments of horse
and foot dropped off from time to time as we occu-
pied the military posts, or were despatched to
strengthen columns destined to operate on the
Gogra. The process of occupation is easily explained.
When a fort becomes ours by evacuation, surrender,
or conquest, it is either selected as the shelter for
the force intended to keep the district in order—
should it be suitable for the purpose—or it is
doomed to such demolition as the means at our dis-
posal will permit us to effect. In the former case a
party of Europeans—a couple of guns—some
Sikhs, or other native troops, are placed in the
fort, should it be an important position liable to
attack; in some instances, where the position is of
smaller consequence, the services of British soldiers
are dispensed with, and the fort is 11,31 d by Sikhs,
or Oude police, with a small parry of cavalry for
patrol and outlying picket and vedette duty. After
a time, when the country around the principal
posts has been cleared of enemies by the operations
of our columns in the field, the Europeans are with-
drawn, the guns are sent to their batteries, the
scattered companies join their wings, or regiments,
and the defence is left to native troops and police
alone. Thus the forces, which it was necessary to
break up into many fragmen ts, are re-united as
order is restored, and the preservation of peace and
tranquillity, as well as the suppression of rebellion
and the collection of revenue, become matters of
police. Independently of military posts, there arc
the 'posts established as tehseels for the collection
of revenue and thannahs for purposes of police by
the civil power. Whenever it is desirable to
strengthen those establishments by detachments of
infantry it is done, if the military authorities can
spare the men, but the Commissioner is averse to
multiplicity of demands of that nature. Indeed
Lord Clyde is much perplexed to meet the applica-
tions from all quarters for the services of regular
soldiers, and is often unable to comply with them.
Under these circumstances Major Barrow is obliged
to take such measures as he can to garrison his
little stations with police, and, when there are no
police to be had, with the matchlockmen of friendly
and submitted zemindars, talookdars, or other in-
fluential natives. Under any circumstances, how-
ever, the demand for troops is so great that the
first effect of successful operations is to diminish or
annihilate the effective strength of our moveable
columns, and to render it necessary to halt for a
time, till by the establishment of police suited to the
wants of the district the soldiers can be liberated
and new columns organised. Such forts as are not
required for military or police purposes are to be
destroyed, or they have been actually dismantled.
The chiefs who have made their submission are dis-
tinctly held responsible for the immediate destruc-
tion of their own strongholds and the surrender of
their guns. But it will require time, money, labour,
and gunpowder before the work is thoroughly done.
Meantime, not only is the destruction of the Oude
forts but the disarmament of the people suspended,
because we want some of the former, and we are
obliged to use the matchlockmen to aid us in keeping
down rebellion. It is lamentable but inevitable;
the evil, however, is of limited extent and transient
nature. The zemindars are plainly told that all
their followers will be disarmed the moment that
circumstances permit us to dispense with their ser-
vices. In no case will they be permitted to keep
cannon or arms, materiel of war, or materials for
powder. Hurdeo Bux, the powerful Hindoo zemin-
dar who saved European officers and women in his
houses on the opposite side of the Ganges below
Futteghur, may be cited as an exception—as far as I
know—solitary in Oude, to that rule. He pleaded
hard for permission to retain some guns in his fort,
as the most honourable and valuable part of the
reward bestowed upon him for his many material
services, his fidelity and honesty, but his request
was rejected. He has received the title of Rajah, a
jagheer, or fee simple estate of 20,000 r., or £2,000
per annum, and permission to retain 50 armed men
about his person, as a special mark of favour and
honour. But all others are ordered to bring in
their arms, on pain of fine, imprisonment, and
flogging for noncompliance. I much object to the
last punishment of the three ; it is impolitic to
threaten these people with a degradation which in
their eyes is in the last degree infamous, but we

labour under great difficulties in carrying out any
system of punishment except the facile process of
execution by howitzer or rope—now rapidly falling
into disrepute. Our prisons in India, with some
few exceptions in certain provinces, are, I am told,
not adequate in management or dimensions to the
object for which they were intended. Imprison.
ment is an expensive punishment; and at this time
our prisons are full to repletion, and worse. In
Oude especially, our latest acquisition, the prisons
are of course of a very inferior description. Hence
there is, no doubt, great difficulty in punishing
offences not deserving of death, and,yet deserving
severe chastisement. Transport to the Andamans,
the mors altera of the sepoy and of great political
criminals, is very expensive ; for the mere transport
of the prisoner from the interior to the port is
tedious and costly, even though the man marches
on foot with his guard. So far, there are reasons
for anxiety on the part of the authorities to reduce
the number of convicts and prisoners to the greatest
possible extent. I was once told in Russia that the
people liked flogging better than imprisonment,
whereupon I said, " Then you ought to try impri-
sonment instead of flogging if you wish to deter the
people from the commission of crime."

With the utmost respect for the ability, singular
administrative and judicial powers of Mr. Mont-
gomery, and with the conviction that he is at once
one of the most firm and most clement of officers,
I doubt the propriety of his proclaiming to the
people of Oude, that they will be " flogged" as well
as fined and imprisoned, in case they arc found with
arms, or conceal their arms after the data of pro-
clamation. The mode of disarming such a strange,
proud, barbarous, and hostile population as that
of Oude ought to be well considered and carefully
carried out, or the attempt will be a new source of
dislike. A subordinate officer actually ordered it
to be made known in his district that every Sepoy
who came into the authorities should bring in his
arms with him, "or pay a fine of 20 rupees." Major
Barrow at once cancelled the order, properly re-
solving that the great object to be gained was to
get the Sepoys in—with arms or without arms—to
send them to their villages, keeping a strict registry
of their names, so that the guilty ringleaders and
murderers may be secured and tried at our leisure
by the regular Courts, which, if but for that object
alone, I hope we may soon see established in lieu

of the Commissioners under the Five Acts. To call

on a Sepoy who had lost or destroyed his arms to

produce 20 rupees, when he was most likely all but
destitute, was to force him to remain in the open.
One of the causes prominently assigned for the
bitter hostility of Bainic Madhoo is as follows :—A
kinsman and great friend of his resided at the time
of the outbreak on his estates between Allahabad
and Futtchpore. The Commissioner Chester, aware
of his character, wrote to him to say that he was
to remain in his house, and give us such aid as he
could render. lie did so—he provided Coolies, trans-
port, and stores for our troops. Some Sikhs
quarrelled with his villagers, and in the fight it is
said a few men, lost their lives. The zemindar was