The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-02 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA.
(From the Chronicle.)

We have received by extraordinary express, in an-
ticipation of the Overland Mail, our private corre-
spondence and journals from Bombay to the 2d Nov.,
and Calcutta 22d Oct.
The London Mail of the 7th September, which
reached Bombay on the 9th ult., was received at
Agra, Delhi, Madras, and Meerut, on the 15th, La-
hore on the 17th, and Calcutta on the 18th.—The
mail of the 24th September reached Bombay, by the
steam frigate MoozuffPr, on the 25th Oct.
BOMBAY, Nov. 2.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

You will doubtless be glad to hear that the " war,
and rumours of war," which have, from time to
time, of late, disturbed the public mind, on the
subject of the tribes who inhabit the mountain
passes and the valleys which lie between our
Pt.shawur and Punjaub frontier, in general have
subsided, and that there is every prospect now of
an amicable settlement being effected between the
Afreedees, Wuzeerees, and other unruly Indian high-
landers and our Government. Apprehensions were
very recently aroused that fresh disturbances had
actually occurred in that quarter, extending from
Kala Baozh, where the mountain range begins, to
Kohat northward, but they seem to have been the re:
suit of our own mismanagement, in suddenly increa-
sing the irregular troops stationed at the salt mines,
whereby the jealousy and fears of the hill men were
not unreasonably excited, and a tribe called the
Khuttucks joined the Wuzeerees to make common
cause of repelling any further advance or encroach-
ment upon their territories. Lieutenant Pollock was
at once dispatched with a reinforcement detached
from the Kohat garrison, for the purpose of relieving
the guard at the Khel salt works, when it was dis-
covered that the cause of disturbance was exclusively
attributable to our own irregulars, whose irregularity
had occasioned the demonstration on the part of the
mountaineers.

Lord Dalhousie (who has returned to Simlah from
his trans-Himalayan summer retreat of Konoor) was
about to repair to Lahore, ostensibly with a view to
survey the river at Peshawur, and to ascertain its ca-
pabilities for small steam navigation. A colour is
given to this statement in the appointment of Lieut.
Grounds, of the Indian navy, to assist in making the
survey; but I am not far wrong in surmising that the
Governor-General has another, and perhaps more im-
portant, work in hand, namely, to effect by his im-
posing interference that treaty with the Afreedees
which the military demonstrations have heretofore
utterly prevented them from entering into. This is
a wise and recommendable policy; for nothing short
of perfect abstinence from all acts of violence or at-
tempts at making reprisals will ever induce these in-
dependent and hardy tribes to refrain from their in-
roads and their constant watchings to cut off stray
sentinels or incautious travellers along the border.
I am sorry to notice the repeated reports of the ill
state of health of the force stationed at Lahore, where
a severe epidemic has beeen raging for some time.
Out of 8,000 men in cantonment, no less than 1,300
are in hospital, of whom from 25 to 30 are officers.
The return of the cold weather is anxiously looked
for to restore the sanitary state of the city to its
balance.

Sir Henry Lawrence has returned to Lahore from
his tour in Cashmere. He is preparing a report on
the resources and population of the " Happy Valley."
The currency of Runjeet Singh is bein.B fast called
in, and Company's coin is substituted ; a bulk of sil-
ver, valued at 35 Lacs of rupees, or 350,0001., weighing
upwards of seventy tons, is now on its way down to
Bombay for the purpose of being recoined in our
Mint; the treasure is guarded by the 52d regiment
Bengal Native Infantry. 1 am concerned to state
that some fresh evidences of bad conduct on the part
of the Bengal officers have been laid before the world.
(From the Bombay Times of Nov. 2.)
The first sod of the Great Indian Peninsula Rail-
way was turned on the 31st October, in presence of
the officials and a few gentlemen besides. The public
first became aware of the event by a notice in one of
the newspapers next day. The contract for the Sion
embankment has been given to Mr. J. Balston. The
line may probably be opened by the year 1854. The
Calcutta contract has been disposed of to an English
house ; the work there has not yet commenced. Ap-
prehensions were lately entertained of disturbances
along the Punjaub frontier, from Kohat southward.
Alarm appears to have been taken by the tribes at the
increase of the guard of irregulars at the Bahadur
Khel salt mine, when the Kbuttucks to the north
joined the Wuzeerees, with a view of preventing our
obtaining any further hold of their country. Lietee-
nant Pollock started with a portion of the Kohat
force for the relief of the detachment, when the up-
?,

_'oar fortunately subsided almost as quickly as it
arose, and seemed to hare been occasioned by
some acts of misconduct on the part of our troops.
By the latest advices the frontier was tranquil, and
the alarms of insurrection over. A severe epidemic,
occasioned as is supposed by the drought and heat of
September and October following on the excessive
falls of rain in June and July, prevails at Lahore.
Out of a force consisting of 415 officers and 7,550
men, 1,289 of the latter and twenty-three of the
former are in the hospital. The treasure which we
noticed in our last, to the amount of 350,0001., as
being about to be sent from Lahore and Ferozepore
to Bombay, to be recoined, left the last-named place
on the 11th ult., under charge of the 521. N. I.
They were to proceed down the river towards Moul-
tan, where supplies of money were being at the same
time conveyed ; that for Bombay is to be sent on by
steamer. Arrangements have been made at Lahore,
under the auspices of Sir H. Lawrence, for providing
occupation and amusement for the European troops.
Arrangements have been made, at the suggestion of
Sir Charles Napier, for the admission of officers of the
Queen's and Company's services to the Roorkee
College, Bengal, for the purpose of studying engi-
neering and surveying. The survey of the Nisam's
dominions bas been desired to be suspended for two
years, in consequence of the disturbed state of the
country. The trade from Candahar through Sinde
will, it is feared, this year be languid, though that in
the article of wool is said to be on the increase. After
some of the hottest weather ever experienced here in
October, we have for ten days past had constant
clouds and showers, with occasional squalls, and to
all appearance a cyclone has passed somewhat to the
S.E. of us about the 23d. We had last night one of
the sharpest squalls and dust storms we have encoun-
tered. At Madras, according to our latest advices of
the 20th, the monsoon seemed on the eve of setting
in. The Governor-General will by this time have
left his mountain retreat; the Commander-in-Chief
of India, it is once more said, proceeds by Sinde
and Bombay to Europe. The Governor of Bombay,
DOW completely recovered, is at Mahbulesh war,
the Commander-in-Chief at Poom. The Bishop
of Madras arrived here two days since by the
steamer Hugh Lindsay, on a tour of duty. He re-
sides at Government House, Malabar Point, during
his sojourn amongst us. Major-General Barr, long ,
military auditor-general, and latterly in command of
the suothern division, and Colonel Neil Campbell,
Quartermaster-General, leave us by this day's
steamer; the former for good, the latter on three
years' furlough. General orders, as complimentary
as deserved, have been published in reference to both
officers. The French frigate Poursuivante, Admiral
de Tromelin, left us for Europe on the 29th. The
Government of Bombay having been requested to
dispatch an officer of skill and experience in river
navigation to join the Governor-General at Lahore,
Lieut. Grounds has been selected, and proceeds with-
out delay up the Indus ; no better selection could have
been made. The Governor-General requires enlight-
enment on the extent to which river navigation by
steam is considered possible in the Punjaub. The
fine old East Indiaman, the Earl of Balcarres, arrived
here on the 25th ultimo, after a passage of seventy-
nine days from the Lizards, one of the quickest ever
made.

COMMERCIAL INTELL22 .IGENCE.
CALCUTTA, OCT.
When business closed on Wednesday before last, the
9th inst., our markets were characterised by consider-
able activity, and both the export and import depart-
ments exhibited more than the usual degree of life and
spirit. Operations from the commencement of the month
to the last working day were conducted on an extensive
scale, and a general desire was apparent to get through
as much business as possible in anticipation of the va-
cation. A good share of this feeling is attributable, as
well to the cheerful and encouraging tenor of last home
advices, and to the expectation that the ensuing ones
will be equally so, as to the desire to close all operations
In hand before our longest annual vacation came on.
In the export market transactions have been compa-
ratively heavy, although there were but ten days for
business. Th© most novel feature observable was the
spirit with which the Indigo market had opened, sales
to a considerable extent having taken place for arrival at
Rs. 30 per md. above last year's prices. Besides the ac-
tual transactions, which amount to about 20,0000 mds. at
175 to 180, contracts were about being closed for other
parcels on similar terms, and there is little doubt but
that very shortly a further advance than 30 Rs. will be
established, particularly as the crop is now generally
admitted to be as near 115,000 as possible. We
in our next, have a -most animated business to
report in this staple. It is said that already upwards
mds are settled for, which will not go through
:our )n,arket,,, stigp.,-he,vp shown much liveliness since
,the mail of the 2-lth August came to hand, but, as sup-
neheavy, we do not expect the deficency in
eXi4orti'of the r reit/ months will be made up by
:'what: goes forward dining th; next few. The twelve
inmate to end of last month shows a falling off in exports
-of this.article to the extent of nearly 18,000 tone. Salt-