The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-11 00:00:00

SINDE.

We have letters from Hyderabad to the 4th, and from
Kurrache6 to the 2d of July ; from Sukkur of the 29th
of June.

From Upper Sinde the news is unsatisfactory. The
court of inquiry, assembled to investigate the causes of
the reverse at I'oolajee, had scarcely closed its proceed-
ings when another mishap, which occasioned the loss of
80 men, befel us. The grass cutters of the 6th Irregu-
lar Cavalry having been employed in procuring forage.
under an escort near Khanghur, was surrounded and set
upon by a party of Bellochee horsemen, when about 80
mere, including 30 of the cavalry party, were cut to
pieces, and 50 were wounded severely. Sir C. Napier
has recorded a most indignant general order in reference
to the affair, highly blaming the conduct of Captain
Mackenzie, the commander of the Irregulars. This is
exactly the style of annoyance that may constantly be
looked for, on a frontier so exposed and indefensible as
that to which we have now advanced. Four men of the
same corps, when escorting bullocks towards Sukkur,
were set upon, and having been severely wounded, nar-
rowly escaped with their lives.
An officer's letter gives the following account of the
disaster :—" Captain Mackenzie's report has been sent
in, but little further information is afforded on the sub-
ject of the Chupao at Khanghur ; it seems that the
party of syces and the escort were sent to a much
greater distance than was necessary. The horsemen,
after reaching their ground and going to sleep, were
alarmed by a pot shot fired close to them ; a single man
only was observed, and in place of attacking him at once
they commenced firing with their short carbines. This
however did not last long ; a party of about 50 men well
armed, accompanied by a small gun, attacked them in
flank, and a second body, about 100 strong, appeared al-
most simultaneously and attacked them in rear. The
escort on finding themselves thus between the horns
of a dilemma,' commenced a sort of sauve qui peat devil-
take-the-hindermost-sort of retreat, left the grasacutters
to their fate, and rather preferring trusting to their
steeds than their swords, they reached camp with the
loss of fourteen men. The grasscutters are believed to
have all perished."
It may be recollected that when the order was
issued to have Sinde garrisoned by Bengal instead
of Bombay troops, six regiments mutinied on the
subject of pay and allowances, the 64th N. L having
taken the lead amongst those who refused to serve on
the Indus on the terms offered by Government. The
37th, the most turbulent of the mutineers, was after-
wards disbanded ; and the 64th, intimidated apparently
by this, and misled by the order of Government in re-
ference to Sinde allowances, expressed their regret for
their past conduct, and volunteered to serve where they
had formerly refused. On arriving at Sukkur, fresh
discontents on the old subject made their appearance.
They were ordered to Shikarpore, and there, on the 22d
of June, they broke out into open mutiny : they refused
to accept the pay which was offered them, disobeyed
orders, and threw stones and brick-bats at their officers
on parade. General Hunter lost no time in ordering the
69th out from Sukkur, to take the place of the mutineers,
who were taken under his own command, and ordered to
march to Sukkur, to be prepared to proceed without a
moment's delay to Delhi, there to be dealt with by the
authorities who had sent them where they were so unfit
to be trusted, and so unworthy to serve. On arriving
at Sukkur they were kept clear of the cantonments and
marched towards the river, where boats were in
readiness to carry them across to Roree. Here her Ma-
jesty's 13th and Forster's battery were placed in ambush
within point-blank distance of the mutineers, the
guns of the artillery loaded with grape, and the gunners
holding the matches ready lighted, to have poured in a
volley in case of disturbance. General Hunter, who
had taken the regiment under his own command, here
harangued them on their misconduct, and severely cen-
sured the officers; he required the ringleaders to be sur-
rendered, when thirty-nine of them were given up. Col.
Moseley has been temporarily removed from command,
and is greatly blamed. Colonel Norton has been placed
in charge in his stead. The conduct of General Hunter
appears to have been eminently firm, prudent, and
judicious. It was fortunate, indeed, that Forster's
battery and her Majesty's 13th chanced to have been
at Sukkur, otherwise we should have been exposed to
an active, indefatigable, and exasperated enemy, with
discontented Bengal troops alone to garrison the whole
of our north-west frontier from Roree around to the
Halla mountains.
Shere Mahomed is said still to be hovering about at
the head of about 1,500 horsemen, but is reported
willing to come in.
A detachment was about to proceed on the 3d instant
from Kurrachee to Beira, to return 1,500 rs. previously
paid by the chief of that place, as compensation for some
cattle which had been stolen from camp and traced to
his territories, but which were restored shortly after
their abduction. The chief had been obliged to pawn
his arms to raise the money, and our sense of the honesty
of his conduct was to be marked by a present. This is
a small but pleasant incident, standing out amidst fero-
city and knavery on the one side, and violence on the
location.
a
other. Sir C. Napier continued at Kurrachee—the
treasury was to be brought up on the 4th from its old
Napier has just issued a very beneficial
order, permitting
r es
white cotton to be worn, instead of
scarlet cloth, by the officers and soldiers throughout
Shade.

LAHORE.
The affairs of the Punjaub have grown more settled
Heera Singh's last successes have secured his throne,
and caused his provocations of the British to cease.
Dispatches from home are said to deprecate any view of
conquest. Heera Singh is in want of money, and is still
menaced by his uncle, Goolab Singh, and the widow of
Suchtt, but for the moment he can set them at defiance.
The young Maharajah had the smallpox, but has re-
covered.
.. _

—lt is said the British Government have agreed to re-
store the treasure belonging to the estate of thelate
Rajah Suchet Singh found at Ferozepoor, on the joint
receipt of Rajah Beera Singh and Goolab Singh.
A large number of troops have returned by order
fromthe province of Peshawur, as all apprehensions of
ainvasion by the Affghans have vanished for the pre-
sent, and the Minister has succeeded in persuading a
number of the men, to the amount of ten or twelve
thousand, to take some two, some three months' leave,
which it is customary to grant to all native troops (even
in our armies) during the hot season. This time, it is
supposed, Rajah lleera Singh will devote to the organi-
sation and augmentation of the troops more particularly
devoted to him, drawn chiefly from his own jagheers in
the hills, so that he may have effectual support in case
of any future outbreak against him on the part cf the
Sikh soldiery, whom he still fears on account of the dif-
ference of faith, and their rancorous feelings at the
death of one of their most celebrated priests, the Bhaee
Bheer Singh.

AFFGHANISTAN.
Dost Mahomed appears to have beat down the oppo-
sition which his government experienced on his return to
Caubul •, and has now begun to relax in the severities at
firstad returned
foiled at Bajore, but been successful at Kooner ; he
h
, and been received in
triumph at Caubul. His troops had reached the capital
probablyretr n
ed foundfrom necessary.j
ella,ahad Mahomed Akbar had
in detachments before him. An idea of making an
attack on Peshawar, if any such was in reality enter-
tained, appears to have been abandoned for the present.
Commerce at Caubul was improving rapidly. The chief
of Koondooz was still said to threaten Bameean, while
the Bokhara barbarian was in terror of an attack from
Persia. The chiefs of Candahar are said to be appre-
hensive of another attack of the British, a very ground-
less apprehension, and are cultivating the friendship of
the Caubul ruler. The news from Herat is so conflict-
ing, that we can scarcely venture to attempt to reconcile
the statements of the opposite authorities with each other.

COMMERCIAL RETROSPECT.
CHINA. Intelligence from China has been received
since our last to the 28th of May.
The quantity of
opiumotepiot H
,
theme particularly the Maiwa qualities, on
Hong-Kong was immense. The Hong-
of May states, that the neces-
taKhdeounlcgtoeara Gazette
adulterated
et
and a
neces-
sity of a reduction of the duty on tea is daily becoming
more evident. The increased consumption of goods in
China must be met by a corresponding export ; hitherto
with
articlestea to any and
silk, China has been un-
able
amount, suitable to
the English market, and so for as is now known, it is
with these commodities the enormous importations from
England and India must be paid. The opium trade is
draining the bullion out of the country, and the
to he
furnishe xeePtieilother e t
Ame-
rican bills on London, which has long afforded a safe
remittance, are decreasing—the Americans finding that
their own manufactured cottons yield a handsome profit,
will send goods to procure their tea charges. That China
will, in the course of time, be an outlet for a very large
quantity of the staples
is—how
British manufacture is un-
doubted. But the question now is she to pay
for them ? With the enormous drain upon her in the
shape of compensation money, and the heavy annual
burden of some twenty millions of dollars for opium,
all paid in specie—unless there are mines in the in-
i tenor of which Europeans are in ignorance—a few