The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-03 00:00:00

SOUTlir.4!.l' NIAIIRATTA COUNTRY.

We gave in our fast an account of the capture of the
fort of Samunghur, the 'dispersion of this portion'of. the
Kolapore insurgents, with the advance of our troops on
the capital, and the endeavours of Colonel Outram to
bring matters to as amicable conclusion. At this date
her ,Majesty's 22d, commanded by Colonel Poole, and a
squadron of her Majesty's 14th Dragoons, under com-
mand of Captain Shaw, were encamped at dattarah.
They moved for Kolapore on Oct. 30, and arrived at the
capital, without accident or obstruction, on November
5. The 3d Madras L. 1., which left Bellary on the 11th,
arrived at 13elgaum on the 24th, in great strength, and
in high spitits andeondition. They started, under the
command of Colonel. Williams, for the scene of action
on the 25th, mustering 15 officers and 900 men. Colonel
Wallace, now under the walls of Kolapore, contrived
meanwhile to gerthe young chief and his mother out of
the power of their turbulent subjects, in whose bands
they bad been in a state of virtual durance, though os-
tensibly unconstrained. One company of the 21st Bom-
bay N.L, with some artillery,' had been left in the
ruined fort of Sailaungbilr. The' malcontents, on our
advance, retired from Kolapore, and to the amount of
about 3,000 men, proceeded to join the insurgents, who
had, from the commencement of the outbreak; 'main-
tained themselves in Ba.durghur: A strong detachment
was sent out in quest of them. It consisted of
the 3d' and 20th, and one company of the 2sd
M.N.1., three companies of the 21st two of the
2d Bombay Europeans, two treOps 'of 'the sth 11.1-i.C.,
one troop of herse, and two companies of `European foot
artillety.' This detachment, amounting to about 3,400
men, was commanded by General Delainotte, It halted
five days within eight or ten miles of the position of the
• insurgents, while Colonel Outran Was endeavouring to
bring them to terms. On the 7th a detachment of the
21st 13.N.1., forming the advance of the force, on arriving
at a bill about four miles from their previous encamp-
ment, found a body of theenemy in an attitude of oppop
sition right on their line of march. About 400 men were
pushed forward to disperse them,' and haring advanced
without firing, a volley was poured in at the distance of
aboat 130 yards, when the enemy broke and fled down
the opposite side of the hill. They were pursued for
about a mile ands half, when the reef/UW/4 mended, and
the pursuers rejoined the column. From thirty to hyty
of the rebels are suppesedto have been killed or wounded,
On arriving at the new encamping ground the hills were
found 'to he covered with the enemy, who appeared in
numbers =not fewer than • 1,000 to 4,200. A. tom-
pany of the Madras 23d N.I. (Rifles) were sent ont
to dislodge them ; when some apprehensions beginning
to be entertained that they might be sur-
rounded and cut off,• a' company of the 21st Bombay
N. I. was ordered to Assist them. On arriving' at the
summit of the hill, both detachments speedily found
themselves engaged with the enemy. The insurgents
speedily gave way,. and were for naafi!, three miles pur-
sued through it genes of light breastworks and ENTeneh-
meno, till they took refuge under the walls of Badur-
gliur. The pursuing deta4broent• here established them-
selves under the last breastwork, and were next morning
joined eirmom itte
a d, us
6..p0u to eta inda. :
o),Qnel Wallace with the reseisitwiler of the
infantry.by
The ins:irgen 8 fire
tsihavingp
phliscedish ourselves,iaoneof
commence;
the bastions ; this was hotly returned,
and from sixty to seventy of the enemy WPM supposed
to have suffered. Our camp was after 04)-0 xaoypd pp
to the position just referred to, held by Captain Prior's
party, and' here it was intended they should remain
till the battering guns could be brought .up, provided
the enemy, in the mean time, should not have. eonsi.
dared it advisable to- surrender at discretion. The

! second day after this, befge our fire had opened, the
chiefs of the insurgents came into camp ; the tenor
, of the arrangements male with them did not tran-
spire but they left the sane evening (that of the I Oth),
attended by a company of the Madros Rifles, and two
of the 23d Madras N. 1., meant to occupy the fortress.
On arriving at the gate, our troops were kept waiting
for nearly four hours before admission could be ob-
tained. The delay appeirs to have been occaioned by
Babajee Wurrekur, the refractory Kolapore Sirdar, with
500 of his followers. A light detachment of cavalry
and infantry was sent it pursuit of the fugitives, but
apparently without effect, The fort was found to be of
great strength, the walls being built in a scarp rock,
varying in altitude from 30 to 60 feet. Nine guns and
two tumbrils, well stored with grape, were found in the
fort. t The rapid progress of our troops, connected with
the conciliatory system of Colonel Outram, are said to
have occasioned the surrender of the fort, which might,
with the ample resources the enemy had at hand, have
been maintained against u for a very considerable time.
It was of much greater strength than Samunghur, and
maintained by about 1,000 Ghudkurries, who had just
before been joined by about 3,000 of the malcontents,
who fled from Kolapore on our approach. Meanwhile
circumstances, the nature of which has not transpired,
occasioned the substitution of Colonel Ovens, resident at
Sattarah, for Colonel Outram, as political agent in the
Kolapore territory, which was, it is said, intended to be
placed permanently under the supervision of the Sat-
tara.h agency. Colonel Ovens, on ' proceeding to
the scene of his future exertions, was waylaid on
the 17th, and made prisoner by the insurgents. He
was conveyed to a very strong fort near Kolapore,
where he still remains, respectfully and kindly
treated, but in captivity. General Delamotte's force left
Batherghud on the 19th, on its way to Kolapore. A
light detachment was sent out towards Pannalgund,
with a view of obtaining the liberation of Colonel Ovans.
The Kolapore territory lies chiefly above the range of
hills which divide the Concan or lowlands along the sea
shore from the table land of the Deccan. It consists of
a great plain, skirted on the western side by the moun-
tains, and studded with hills of that singular character
which gives such picturesqueness to the western ghauts,
and such military strength to the countries where they
abound. They rise, in general, suddenly from the
plains, attaining an altitude of 400 or 500 feet : they
are precipitous towards the summit, only the base being
covered with debris or detritus, and sloping gradually.
At the top they are suddenly out off, and exhibit a large
expanse of perfectly smooth grass-covered summit, often
many square miles in extent. The view from one of
these plateaux presents the singular spectacle of a mul-
titude of islands sprung up from the plain, all similarly
sliced off, and presenting precisely the same appearance
'at nearly equal elevations. The lower rock, where this
exists, is for the most part trap, and the upper are in-
variably laterite—a formation little known to European
geologists—which overspreads the greater part of the
mountains from the extreme south-west of India for ten
degrees north.* Bordering with Kolapore on the west is
the small territory of Sawunt Warree, in the province of
Beejapore. It is about 40 miles in length, extending
from the Portuguese settlement at Goa, on the south, to
the British possessions of Malwan on the north, and in-
, land about '25 miles from the mountains. The general
appearance of its surface is rocky and barren. The
people are barbarous, fierce, and warlike, noted as rob-
bers and pirates from time immemorial. In 1838 we
,sound ourselves compelled, for the fourth time within
twenty years, to interfere in its affairs, so as to protect
the chief from the insubordination of his subjects. At
!this time some of the disappointed having found refuge
in the state of Gos, repeatedly made incursions into
their native territory, and at one time got possession of
the fort of Hunwuntghur, at another of Warree itself,
blockading the passes, plundering travellers, and raising
revenue on their own account. These disturbances were
got under by the temperate aid judicious management of
Mr. Spooner, whose removal was unfortunately brought
about in 1340 in consequence of some blundering in the
execution of his orders, which occasioned such a loss of lives
under such circumstances as to occasion a long and pain-
! ful inquiry, which not only caused the suepensien of the
political officer, but the dismissal of Lieutenant Gib-
' bard from the service. Since then Mr. Courtenay has
been resident—a man of ability, but less successful in
maintaining peace than his predecessor. Soon after the
'Kolapore insurrection came to a head, reports of dis-
contents in the Sawunt Warree country just described,
began to gain currency. There seems to have been little
in common betwixt the two countries further than this,
that rebellion is often infectious ; and the disappointed,
who may have few grievances to complain of, rise in
arms in one country when they find their neighbours
seeking redress in the field. But little cordiality ap-
pears to have existed between the occupant and heir of
,:the throne. Phonde Savant, a chief who had in 1833
occasioned us much annoyance, having received some
:affront, real or imaginary, and taken umbrage at the
,proceedings of the court, raised his followers, and pro-
ceeded to plunder the country. lie managed to get the
young Prince, who had also taken offence at something
or another, into his hands, wishing to make it appear
that he was acting with, and not against, the Govern-
ment, and merely wanted to get a larger share of the ad-
ministration for the ruler's son. The lad, it is said,
already heartily repents having given countenance to
treason, and would willingly come in and do penance,
hut that he is afraid of punishment. Intelligence of
these things having reached Bombay, a wing of the
Second Queen's Royals quartered at Colabah were
immediately dispatched for the scene of action on board
.he Akbar steamer. One half of them had, shortly
before, been in hospital : the moment it was an-
nounced to Colonel Carruthers that the wing was
about to proceed on service, every man able to quit his
cot volunteered. Many were found unfit—and some were
allowed to proceed who were scarcely able to bear arms,
in hopes that the sea air and change of scene might
revive them. They will probably be left behind on the
coast at Vingorla. Meanwhile, some small detachments
of Sepoys had been attacked and roughly handled by the
insurgents, some five or six having been killed and
fifteen or twenty wounded. A. treasure party about to
proceed from Vingorla to Belgaum was stopped, all the
escort that could be afforded being considered insufficient
for its protection. Some companies of the 23d Bengal
N. I. were directed to return from Belgaum to Vingorla ;
and Mr. Shaw, C. S., proceeded from Dharwar on pur-
pose to accompany the force. Major Benbow and Capt.
Price, with 350 men of the Sawunt Warree local corps,
made a forced march, with a view of surprising the in-
surgents—the result has not yet reached us. The 7th
Bombay N. I. reached Vingorla from the Presidency
on the 15th of November. There were now nearly
ttn
actuallyo
coif m'soccroasol nansmiitaodhptna
ihafnoednwwv of-innovation,
advantageous to them. The Raja
8,000 men of all arms in the disaffected country.; but
more troops were still considered to be required.
The Bombay army could supply no more ; her Ma-
jesty's 13th, on the eve of their departure for England,
were ordered from K.urrachee to do garrison duty at Fort
George. The Madras Government directed the 3d
cavalry and sth N.I. to move on Kolapore by Hurryhur
and Dharwar. The former left Bangalore on the 18th;
the latter started on the 25th. Unfortunately cholera
prevails in most• of the villages on their route. The
lines of the 35th M. N. I. are infested with it at Hurryhur,
and considerable loss has been sustained from it amongst
the European troops at Kolapore. Captain Mundell
et
that
ea t disturbances,tn e jnsnrgen ts
have
thanae
and Ensign Weld, of her Majesty's 22d, are the only
officers that have as yet been carried off. There is
ot scarcelyhne
rre more prospect atsi
npresent,
ehe
eds
exceedingly
case, fgal ry ai
defectiveas wefa e t canis see,aonnde
nnovation, not only well
inwruntiwtoiformed,
has throughout acted with the
of a speedy termination to these
grievances,
save those
hoes, loyalty was at one time questioned
utmostoboyffnintended,innovation,thincomplete. e
the
whichwp
sreajea Sattarah,sloslleb-t and fidelity in our cause.

SINDE.
Young Egypt continues this month, as last, to supply
a'very small amount of intelligence—the deficient au-
gurs well for the state of the country, Sir C. Napier
left liurrachee, with his staff, for the upper country, on
the 15th ; be was to take the sanatorium at Ahmed-
Ithan-ka-Tanda on his way, and hence to proceed to
Sukkur and Shikarpore. A kaffila of nearly 300 camels
was lately plundered near Sehwan. The troops at Kur-
rsatee and Hyderabad, with the adjoining minor rats;
are eminently kettitliy. At the former place public
im-
provements coutinui, to advance rapidly. Specimens of
baysalt and saltpetre have of We been sent from Sinde
to I3ombay, equal in quality to any whieh Gan, be pro-
duced ii India—saleable, it is said, at infinitely lower
prices: 'Sulphur Qres hare also been found, and glaaed
tiles and pottery are prom4ed to be furnished us, such
a;.; cannot be manufactured by tha win) potteries here.
The ii„Ft, vitreous glazing has been long prgcti3ed in
Sinde-; it is unknown to Western India, where they
paint or varnish their wanes, Orders have been received
fr,om home to detain her Majestyls j3th and 40th another
year iit India ; this ii very provoking to men who
looked forward to In immediate return home after 2u
years' seriice. The coigt-martial on Colonel Mosely,
of ,he 64th, had concluded its prgacedings ; its deci-
sion i;;k; mit been made known. bickneas to it 414c/ruble
extent prevailed nt Shikarpore and Sukkur. At Khatir
gur, near the Conner OR,rT, 100. men were ill of fever ;
the convalescents recovering =Lay )(:),,vly. Between 700
and 416 G men are in hOspital at S'hiicarpons, where the
whole force G,opg
isted of a cavalry and an infantry regir
inent, and a troop of lix•rip artillery ; the last of these
)5;11,5 hors de combat altogethey, Thp. 78th Highlanders,
at 6144k4Tt had only 70 men fit for duty; ahowi) 700 were
in hospital. Th'e fever was said to have been produced
b their marching up ar., country at an improper season.
her Majesty's 13th also suffersd pfferely from a similar
can.i, The accidents of climate seent:to bg defied—it is
a jpity they
not
be disarmed by the eiort4tioi',
The natives are hegui;;;;;E to suffer, though to an in-
gpitely less extent than the Europeans ; the officers bad
in a gr.c.;!: measure escaped. Dr. liy; of tyre Affidrag
service, at L-iiii‘s.rp.ore; Captain Browne, of her Majesty's
78th, at Sukkur ; Ihtrnes, of her Majesty's
troth, in charge of her Majesty's ISti,i• zt If-PFRCheel had
died 41 the course of the month. Much of the
position froro xihich the privates suffer, and officers are
exempted, must hi; a4Criksl tip the misplacement or bad
condition of the cantotaeuta.

ME PUNJAUB.
Something lik
-a," -0rp1:
t-r--klurholas at length made its 04
pearance in the Punjaub. The he4ds of the rival fez-
;ions have become permanently reconcile i Goolab
Singh, the Lord of Jumbo°, with eight millions sterling
of accumulated wealth it) hip treasury, is no longer the
opponent of Government. The country i$ golnaTativglY
'uiet, and though
as et no master-mind has appeare
iii ,• ,c,„yi,7o at will that fierce democracy," in case of
fresh discontents • • •
airwnrg, is not improbable that, with
•
it
yd

• The very name of this singular and verb 4.4mdsnt for-
ill
esc
aton s omitted in the indexes of Lyell, De la BeCbe, &c.
it
i
is minutely dribed in various papers by Dr. Clarke, Mr.
Cole, and others, in the Dladras Literary Transactions, as
also in the Asiatic bociety's Journal, &c. It is considered
the most important and- valuable -a our iron ores. It is
ochery brown, soft when first due, and full of hematite.