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

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—About three weeks ago a conspiracy was
detected at Jubbulpore to murder the Europeans,
and to plunder and destroy the cantonments and
town. It was discovered that a few of the native
chiefs and landholders and some of the 52d Bengal
Native Infantry were concerned in this.
The Deputy Commissioner of the district, Lieu-
tenant Clerk, an :I his assistant, Lieutenant Bald-
win, found that meetings were held at the house
of the; leader, Rajah Shunker Shah, and conse-
quently they determined to surprise and capture
them. This was admirably managed, and Rajah
Shunker Shah and his son Rughonath Shah, to-
gether with some 20 more of the conspirators, were
seized by these two officers, accompanied by a party
of police.
In the hbuse of Shunker Shah a bundle of sedi-
tious papers were found, and in bis private purse,
on his person, a small paper was discovered.
This was a prayer, of which I send you a literal
translation. It was written by the Rajah himself
in the Hindou character, on the back of a procla-
mation issued by the Commissioner, calling on the
chiefs and others to xemain staunch, and speaks for
Other and clear evidence was found as to the
guilt of these people—Shunker Shah and his son.,
They were tried by the commission under Act xiv.
of 1857 and condemned to death, and both were
blown away from guns.
The guilty 52d Regiment were so alarmed at this
that on the same night (the 18th) they all (except
10 men) deserted with their arms and the ammuni-
tion they had in pouch, taking one of their officers,
Lieutenant Macgregor, prisoner, but doing no harm
to any one else ' • and they wrote to the Colonel of
the regiment that they would do Lieutenant Mac-
gregor no harm, and would give him in exchange
for their ten men who had remained loyal, but their
request could not, of course, be attended to.
Ali the other officers of the regiment are safe,
and measures have been taken for the release cf
Lieut. Macgregor, which it is hoped may succeed.
I also enclose a copy of a curious document—viz.,
the letter written by the men of the regiment to
their Colonel after the mutiny.
Unfortunately, there were no troops near Jub-
bulpore who could be sent in pursuit of the muti-
neers, and it is supposed they are now proceeding
by jungle
,'paths towards -Nagode to join the 50th
Regiment Bengal Native Infantry, which has also
mutinied, and that they will proceed towards Oude
along with the mutinous regiments from Dinapore.
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

Camp of the Nagpore Moveable Column,
September 25.

TRANSLATION OF HINDEE VERSE.
IShut the mouth of slanderers, bite and
Eat up backbiters, trample down the sinnerA,
You " Sutraingharka" (one of the names of " Devee,"
implying here, destroyer of the enemy),
Kill the British, exterminate them, " Matchundee"
(another of the names of the goddess " Davea") ;
Let not the enemy escape, nor the wives and children
Of such, oh ! "Singharkha" (another of the goddess's

names) ;
Show favour to Shunker ; support your slaves ;
Listen to the cry of region.
" Mathalka" (another of the goddess " Devee's" names),
Eat up the unclean,
Make no delay,
Nov devour them,
And that quickly,
" Ghormatkelka" (another of the goddess " Deveo's"
names).

The following is a true translation of a letter from
the sepoys and non-commissioned officers of the
52d Regiment of the. Bengal Native Infantry, to
the address of the officer commanding the regi-
ment :

" To HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD OF CLEMENCY, THE
BOUNTIFUL OF THE AGE, His EXCELLENCY COLONEL
SAHIB BAIIADOOR.

" May hi. power be perpetual I
"After resp-cts, the representation is this :—That
Sheik Diamutt Allee, Ilavildar major, and Salar Buksh,
Naik, and Dirguz Singh, Naik, and Chundee Deen
Mise, Sepoy, and Jutchmun Mise, Sepoy, and Lall
Mond Sookool, Sepoy, and Shaikh Nuzzuff Allee,
Sepoy, and Bhowanee Singh, Sepoy, and others (named
in the original),—these Sepoys, Sir, send here ; and
this regiment the rfavildar-major ruined, and said that
the Major Sahib and Muxon Sahib told the Madras
Sepoys to seize all the arms of the regiment and kill
them, then you will receive 30 rupees per man as reward
and be promoted to Sonbadar Bahadoors. This speech
the Havildar-major made to the Havildars on duty. If
be had not raid this we would not have deserted and
saved our lives by flight, as only from the Havildar•
major's speech we deserted. It is proper that these
men shod l by some means or other be sent to us. Let
them be seized and sent. We have committed no injury
to the Government ; and as for the muskets and
cartridge-boxes which we brought away with us we have
left our property in lieu thereof. Having sold it, take
the price. Each Sepoy left about 30 rupees' worth of
property. Also, send pay for one month and 15 days.
We are men of honour, and are doing Government good
service here.

" Your lordship answered that the Madras Sepoy 5
are not under my authority ; then, baying become help-
less, we came away here by your ord,r to save our lives.
And on the 19.6 of May, when you officers fled, then we,
being faithful to our salt, did not say anything to your
lor,lships, and at that tune the Madras regiment was nct
present ; and when the Adjutant Sahib was attacked by
a Sepoy with a bayonet, if we bad not been true to our
salt why did we seizs the Sepoy and make him over to
you I And your highness is our lord and master, but
when we did not find any way to save our lives we fled
and came here, and we bad regard to your lordship's
salt ; if not, at that time we might have killed you. And
if yon do not let those Sepoys go then this Sahib (mean-
ing Lieut. Macgregor) we will not kill, but, having
bound him, will take him to Delhi, and if y:iu will send
those Sepoys then we will cause the Sabib to arrive
where you are. Moreover, having seized those Sepoys,
send them with a guard of police, and it will be well,
and, if life remains, we will again be present in your
strvice. We will not run away.
" This letter is written on the part of all the Sepoys
and non-commissioned officers. All the gpoye, non-
commissioned, and commissioned officers send salaam."

LIFEOO A

'OTLAND.

(From the Northern Ensign.)
Second to the question of Harbours of Refuge in
importance, that of Life-Boats seems to us to pre-
sent itself. It is armed with claims and advantages,
and presents arguments and facts from past history
and experience of a very important and convincing
character, and has by no means been favoured
with the degree of public attention and support to
which it is fairly entitled. Up to a recent date
only one or two life-boats were to be found along
the whole Scottish seaboard ; even now their num-
ber is so most miserably small that not a single
port on the whole Moray Firth can boast of one,
while Orkney, Shetland, Sutherland, Ross, and
Inverness are equally innocent of the invaluable
appliance for the preservation of life, and frequently
of property. This is not as it should be, and ought
to be forthwith remedied. Even Peterhead, with
its thirty whalers, 250 fishing boats, and large num-
ber of shipping, is yet destitute of a life-boat, though
the means of supplying and maintaining one are
within its reach. A letter from the energetic Secre-
tary of the National Life-Boat Institution, writing
us the other day, says :
I need not tell you that, with the exception of
Wick and Aberdeen, there is hardly a suitable life-
boat along the whole of your north-east and south-
east coast.

A suitable life-boat and transporting carriage
will be readily provided by the Society for every
locality where wrecks are frequent, and where the
inhabitants will build a suitable house for their
reception, and contribute about 201. a-year for
their permanent efficiency. Indeed, the enclosed
newspaper paragraph relative to the Groomsport
boat tells briefly the character of our life-boats,
and the conditions on which the institution is pre-
pared to act in respect to planting life-boats on
the coast. I send you herewith
sour papers pre-
paratory to the placing of a life boat in a locality.
The paragraph referred to is as follows :
THE GROOMSPORT, NEAR BELFAST, LIFE-BOAT.
The distressing shipwrecks which take place some-
times in our vicinity must, we believe, convince
every one of the necessity of a good life beat with
a trained crew attached to her, being permanently
maintained at Groomsport. Although wrecks of a
distressing character 'fortunately do not often occur
in this locality, yet it is evident from recent oc-
currences that our best calculations on that point
are to be baffled, and that human life may be sacri-
ficed through an apparent apathy.
We are, therefore, glad to understand that the
Royal National Life-boat Institution has deputed
its Inspector of Life-bo *ts (Capt. Ward, R.N.) to
vi..3it this neighbourhood, and to put himself in
communication with our town authorities and the
resident gentry on the Subject, and that it has
offered to station here au excellent new life-boat,
together with a transporting carriage, provided the
inhabitants of Belfast and its neighbourhood will
contribute Vie cost of the erection of a suitab'e
building fer their reception, and raise in annual
subscriptions from 201. to 301. towards the perma-
nent and efficient maintenance of the life-boat
establishment.

The character and peculiar qualities of the life-
boats now built for this valuable institution are
well known, fore,hardly a week passes in which
one does not sea some record of their services in
saving the lives of poor shipwrecked sailors ; in-
deed, the testimony in their favour, from all parts
4,f the coast, is almost universal. We will name a
few of their remarkable qualities. Although un-
usually difficult to be capsized from their peculiar
build, yet, in the event of such an accident, they
have the power of immeliately righting themseives
again. They also self-eject the seas they may ship
in a few seconds, through relieving tubs in their
flooring. They row well against a heavy sea and
wind : and their inertia (or the force on them)
so great that they shoot ahead in circumstances
where ordinary life-boats would Le thrown back
cunsiderat
Each life-boat of the Institution has a coxswain
or master attached to her at a salary of 81. a-year,
and a volunteer crew who are paid either ss. or 3s.
a man, according to the weather, every ginner
they are required to go afloat in the life-boat for
exercise ; aucllos. or 20s. each man for service in
the boat, in saving or attempting to save life from
shipwreck.
Such is the now class of life-boats of the Royal
National Life-boat Institution, and the mode of its
manning them.

We believe there will beno difficulty in this town
in complying with the terms of the Society. - In-
deed, we may safely say that with ordinary dili-
gence the whole cost of a life boat station might be
readily raised at Belfast and its vicinity.
The Society has recently placed such life-boats at
Newcastle, J)rogheda, Skerries, Arklow, Wicklow,
Youghal, Cahore, and Westport, including expense
of transporting carriages and other charges, at a
cost of nearly 3,000/.
We understand that this Institution, which has
already done so much to provide efficient life-boats,
tic , for our iron-bound coast, has again, in a truly
philanthropic spirit, offered to station life-boats
and life-boat transporting carriage's on every point
of the Irish coast, where it can be shown that they
are required from the frequency of wrecks in the
locality, and where the inhabitants will contribute

towarcle the erection of a suitable house for tho
reception of the life-boat and carriage, and will
raise from 151. to 201. in annual subscriptions (to
be spent in the neighbourhood) towards the effi-
cient support of the life-boat establishment.
Surely so generous and humane an offer will be
duly appreciated by our countrymen everywhere,
and will be cordially responded to. We may add,
that this valuable society is also constantly reward-
ing our fishermen and others for their courageous
services in saving life from wrecks.
We trust the leading inhabitant; of the various
northern districts still destitute of life-boats will

bestir themselves in taking steps for securing such
a valuable boon, obtained so easily, and so fre-
quently required wherever vessels and boats plough
the main. It is by no means creditable to Scrab-
ster, H.elmsdalP, Cromarty, Inverness, Banff, Mac-
duff, Pwerhead, Stonehaven, and other small ports,
that neither of them has yet taken advantage of the
faciiitiae which the Life-boat Institution offers for
obtaining ono of their boats on so cheap and easy
t3runs.

The Bologna to Ancona Railway bag been commenced
at several points, but progresses b lowly for want of

balidB.

THE WESTERN BANK OF SCOTLAND. —We have heard
from authority that the leading bauks in Scotland, Entio-
fie:l of the perfect stability of the Western Bank, have
caned the directors of that establishment any assistance
they may require in the present monetary crisis. In the
m .antinie the directors of the Western Bank have tetn-
porarily closed their transfer books, in order to con-
tinue to the pubPo the full assurance which the wealthy
list of their present shareholders affords,—Glasgow Daily
Mail. . .

MINES.—The aspect of commercial affairs continues
rather gloomy, although within the last day or two
money appears to have been easier, and more abundant.
The mining market this week has partaken of the general
dulness to a grtater extent than we had noticed before,
and when sales have been pressed prices have given way,
and lower quotations given ; and for this reason, with
one or two exception', quoted prices have been difficult
to obtain.—Mining Journal of this day.
The VienLa money market is stilt in a very sickly
state, and there is but little prospect of its speedy
recovery. The proprietors of the great Eggendorfer
cotton-spinning factory suspended their payments on the
27th, and a nay seldom passes without one or two
failures.

BELGlUM.—Letters from Brussels bring news of ex-
traordinary success obtained by the Liberal party in the
communal elections of Oct. 27. The Jesuitical Bill on
the Charities, which was adjourned last year on account
of its unpopularity, will now doubtless be withdrawn
altogether.
OPEN SCHOLARSHIP AT OXFORD.—There will be an
election to an open exhibition (besides the two scholar-
ships announced) on Saturday, Dec. 5, of the annual
value of about 401. and will be tenable for seven years,
:f the exhibitioner shall be so long resident ; candidates,
if mernters of the University, must not have attained to
their degree. Certificates of baptism and testimonials of
good conduct to be presented to 'the Provost of Oriel,
nn Monday, Nov. 30.,
THE AMERICAN MONEY MARKET.—Although the Pu!-
ton, from New York, has brcught 10,0001. in specie for
London, it appears that some amount—perhapssovereign_wsiu be dis-
patched
toth
-day by the Arabia. Anoma•
in
extentoffrolmsol4,oiovoe/r.p, chiefly
oolto
loos movements of this kind may be expected during the
next week or two, and they show the total derangement
of all the usual modes of action. Gold is sent from New
York because persons are afraid of buying bills on houses
on this side, and it is sent hcnca because persons maki,,g
investments or having payments to effect are aware of
this general distrust. According to the advices yesterday,
good sight bill.; on London could still be purchased at
an exchange of 101, and the extraordinary fact is there-
fore exhibited of the inconvertible currency of the New
York suspended banks being actually at a high premium
as compared with, the specie currencies of other coon-
tries ; that is to say, a bill on London could be pur-
chased in the notes of the New York banks at_a price
which, alter allowing for interest and all charges, would
Ming hack in gold a larger sum than baidit:sb?i ti
paidelaennetveay
vfcrr
it. Of course this state of things can last t b
short time, and it may still be surrni ise
totals already forwarded from Eng and vi i nvun t very
short
ly! a
loss to the remitters. The leading holism were unwilling
to draw at all at existing rittee, and one firm on being
ure,sed to do so for a small arncunt, reluctantly accepted
105. Since the lasitycliantselsos,, theLoan,rilyiefra:launrdes
Co„ Western
of importance
bankers, and
had been
rotst and Forrest, Now Orleans commis-
sion merchants. The rise in the stock merket in three
days had averaged from 10 to 15 per cent. Erie had
advanced from 8 to 11g, Reading from 31 to 36, Panama
from 65 to 711, New York C ntral from 55 to 661, and
Illinois Central from 70i to 84