The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-05 00:00:00

STRAWBERRY HILL.

This sale will now begin to assume unusual interest, every
succeeding day puts forth additional claims. 'f he great guns
will fire a royal salute to-morrow, and the scene of excitement
and animation may be expected to progress interruptedly during
the next sixteen days. To-mor r o w 's sale will include the service
of gold and silver plate of elaborate workmanship, the celebrated
collection entitled the " Digby Miniatures." Some of
the fine pictures, and the Royal Sevres Porcelaine.
Friday is devoted to the matchless collection of rare and
curious china, of almost every age and country, and the ancient
Venetian glass; with some interesting specimens of Farenza
or Itaphaelt Ware.
Monday is devoted to the original collection of cabinet pic-
tures It includes the works of some of the best of the ancient
school—all undoubted; especially the Sir Joshua Reynolds',
both of which are matchless, with the splendid exhibition of
bronzes and other inimitable works of art.

Tuesday and Wednesday will bring to light a portion of the
incomparable contents of the Tribune, including the precious
enamels and minatures, by Pettitot, Zineke, Butt, &c. There
is no collection in England at. all comparable with this ; also
antique rings, cameos, and intaglios, with a variety of relicts
of singular interest.
On the latter day a magnificent treat is in store for those who
know how to appreciate the finest works of art in the creation.
We have not space to particularise except very slightly—all
are absolutely matchless—but we dare not overlook the magni
ficent missal by Raffaelle, superbly enriched by stones of im-
mense value—executed for Claude, Queen of France. Oh,
what a prize this will be 1 Then the celebrated silver bell re-
nowned throughout the globe as the finest effort of that unri-
valled artist Benevenuti Cellini—it is said that at least
four of the great Potentates in Europe will be com-
petitors by deputy. Then the matchless volume—the
incomparable missal, by Don Julio Clovio, pupil of Giulio
Romana, with the Psalms of David, written with a pen on fine
vellum. This magnificent gem, is considered the most perfect
of any of the works of the unrivalled Master. There are
tweutv-one illimitable Illuminations, all most vivid in colours
and effect. This is, indeed, a treasure; and it will approach
sacrilege, if it be allowed to adorn any other Court or coun-
try than Great Britain.

We will not exhaust our readers to-day by alluding to more
of the premus contents that have been cursorily and hastily
remarked upon, only observing that throughout the succeed-
ing nine (la) s there is a never-ceasing combination of all that is
cla.sical and rare ; the ensemble presenting a proud record
of the imperishable fame of Horace Walpole.
The public view, it has been wisely arranged, is to continue
uninterruptedly during the entire progress of the auction.
Yesterday the first portion of Horace Walpole's numismatic
collections were sold, and produced the very moderate suet of
444/. The following are the only lots worth notice:—
Lot 4. Fifty-one Greek brass coins, Philip and Alexander
of Macedon, Antiochus, Alexander Bala; and others, sold for
thirteen shillings; yet the same parcel was purchased by Wal-
pole, at the sale of the Harleian Cabinet, in March, 1742, for
two pounds.
The Greek gold consisted of but five specimens—Philip of
Macedon, which sn'.d for U. 15s. ; Agathocles, King of Syria,
reverse a thunderbolt, fine and rare, :3/. 10s. ; Hiero, King of
Sicily, fine and scarce, 21. Ss. ; Syracuse, reverse a figure in
car, tine, 2/. 2s. ; and a Panormus, reverse a hone, fine, 1/. 2s.
Lot 105. The Penny of Offa, Kin; of Mercia, fine, and ex-
tremely rare, was purchased for the British Museum, at 11/. ss.
Lot 107. A Penny of William the Conqueror, canopy type,
on reverse monever's name " Liofwine on Stamford," fine and
very rare, 3/. 16s.
Lot 108. A penny of Henry 1., head turned to the right, with
ceptr ; reverse, m meyer's name, " Osvlf on Welliol," figured
in Snelling, pl. 1, No. 22, with some error in the legend on
reverse, was purchased for the British Museum for 9/. Walpole
obtained it for a guinea and a half at the sale of the Harleian
Collection, in March, 1742._ _ _ .

I.ct 112. A shilling of Henrf VIII., Mint mark a flour-de-
[is, with eight groats of that King and his predecessor, sod

for 2/. 14s.

Lot 120. The crown and shilling of 1658, with the head of
Oli'.er, Lord Protector, bath by Thomas Simon, fine, 3/. 7s. 6d.
Lot 136. A noble of Henry VI., with fleur-de-lis on the
stein of the ship, sold for 31. ss. ; the half angel of Henry
VIII., and the half sovereigns of Edward VI., the head
crowned, fine, sold for 1/. 19s. ; and the sovereign of Queen
Mary, 1553, a scarce piece, purchased from the harleian Col-
lection for 21. 18s., sold yesterday for 2/. 15s.
Lot 139. The thiity-snilling piece of Queen Elizabeth, mint
mark an escalop shell, fine, sold for three guineas.

GREAT NORTH OF ENGLAND RAILWAY.
Traffic returns for the week ending April 30, 1842:
Passengers
Merchandise

£1,168 4 0
W. O'BRIEN, Secretary.

INDIA AND

An extraordinary express enable) us yesterday afternoon to
supply the general features of the intelligence from the East,
and we now lay before our readers all the details contained in
the Indian papers. ,
(From the Bombay Times, April 1.) -
LATEST DATES.

Men
Agra
Alexandria February 17.
Australia-Adelaide January 3.
ditto Sydney
Burmah—Moulmein ... March 7.
ditto Rangoon March 2.
Caübul
Cairo
Calcutta March 21.
Candahar
Ceylon
China—Macao
ditto Chusan January 17.
Cutchee ...
Delhi
Herat ...
Lahore
Afadras
Manilla ... February 8.
Mauritius .,. January 25.
Penang—Malacca ...... ..... ...... March 1.
Persian Gulf . ... February 26.
Quetta—Caubul ... .. ... March 13.
Scim'e
Singapore ...

The following passengers take their departure for Suez this
(lay, per the Cleopatra steamer :-11rs. Montgomery, Mrs.
Colonel Manson, Mrs. Captain Parsons and child, Mr. and
Mrs. H. Forbes, Captain and Mrs. Ord and two children,
Miss Richards, Mrs. Colonel Osborne and three children,
Major H. C. Cotton, Madras army ; Mrs. Carpenter and
child, Captain and Mrs. Claude Roberts, 29th Madras Native
Infantry ; Lieutenant-Colonel Osborne, Mrs. and Miss Hoarier'
and child, Miss Llewelyn, J. Llewelyn. Esq. ; Captain and
Mrs. George Mansel, of her Majesty's 16th Lancers; Captain
Young, Madras army ; Capt. Rutherford, Bengal Cavalry ;
Mr. S. Brooking, Major H. Taylor, 2d Madras Cavalry; Mr.
Gouger, Colonel rate, of her Majesty's 94th Regiment; a
child of Mr. Harrison, Mrs. Goodall, Cartain Larkins, Captain
Rees, E. Blackall, C. Campbell, E. H. Dallas, A. Mackin-
tosh, and A. Montgomery, Esqrs. ; Major Carpenter, Cap-
tains Owen, Ist Lancers, Thornhill and Allen ; Mr. J. Catt-
rill, Mrs. Prescott, (Captain Prescott died on the 29th of
March), and child; and Captain Peto ; three European and
two native servants. Second class passengers :—Mr. Chad-
wick, Mr. E. A. Webster, and Mr. Joaquim Manoel de
Mello Mendacoa.

For Mocha :—Budroodeen Shaik Ally and Jumaloodeen Fa-
zoodeen.

The following passengers have taken berths by the steamer
of May :.—Major-General and Mrs. Brooks, Captain Leeson,
Rev. A. Goude, Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Wyllie, Mrs. Es-
combe, Mrs. Warburton, Professor 011ebar, lady, and child,
and Mrs. E. E. Elliot and child.
CAUBUL.

Our cares for the concerns at Caubul, in a great measure
ceased with the intelligence of the destruction of our army in
the second week of January. Save in the interest felt in the
hostages or captives which still remain in it, it is no more to us
than it was before the Affghan troubles began. The officers who
remain there, together with the sick, wounded, and prisoners,
seem to have been from the beginning well, or even kindly,
treated. The " good Nawaub Jubbur Khan" has taken the
missing child of Mrs. Anderson under his charge ; and with
" the Feringhees' friend," as lie was called before adversity
fell upon him, it is as safe, and as secure of kindness, as if
under its parents' charge. The tales of the sepoys being sold
into slavery to the Ooabrgs—highly improbable as they were
from the beginning—remain wholly unconfirmed, and we be-
lieve them to be entirely fabulous. There are considerable
numbers, both of i fficers and men, of whose fate we have now
learned particulars; the former have been detained as pri-
soners, but complain of no harshness or severity; but, on the
contrary, speak very warmly of the kindness they have expe-
rienced; the latter have been dismissed without ransom, and
have, in many cases, received small sums of money to carry
them on their way. The Shah Soojah continues to main-
tain himself at Caubul. The chiefs, indeed, are said to have
been unanimous in offering allegiance to him ; and tran-
quillity in and around the city is said once more to be
entirely restored. It is reported that he has written to Go-
vernment, requesting to be supplied with 200,0001. or
300,000/. of money; but declining military aid for the pre-
sent. A letter is said to have been intercepted, sent by him to
the ruler of the Punjaub, requesting him to w iishhold his aid
from us, so ti at the " Feringees " might be exterminated.
We give these on imperfect evidence—evidence which, how-
ever, has been considered sufficient by most of the journalists
of India strongly to implicate the Shah in the proceedings of
the insurgents from the commencement. On the 2Sth Jan. a
letter was received from him at Jellalabad, requiring Sir
Robert Sale 'o retire, and to give hostages for our abandon-
ment of Affghanistan. This was declined to becomplied with.
It may be, however, that after all the Shah is in the hands of
the chiefs, and that he is only playing the game a better man
would think permissible when his personal safety was so imme-
diately concerned. We hive much reason to suspect his ho.
nesty, but we have no direct proof of treachery to adduce
against him.
Amongst the escapes of the individuals who have now re-
appeared is that of the Sergeant-Major of the 37th Native In-
fantry, and of a grass-cutter, who in an agony of fear entreated
Uichbar Khan that he might not be sold as a slave (though this
did not appear to have been contemplated), and was ordered to
go about his business. One of the men who was with Capt.
Woodburn, when he was killed, and his little band of 150 sepoy
invalids cut to pieces near Ghumee, on the 2d of November,
had, after three months wanderings, made his escape to the
plains. Seven sepoys, who had been allowed to depart, em-
barked on inflated water-skins, and descended the Cabool river
to Peshawur ; it is not precisely stated where they got afloat,
but as it must have been above Jellalabad, this perilous
voyage had exceeded a hundred and twenty miles in length.
They were half famished, and starved with cold, and in a
very miserable plight on their arrival—their toes and
fingers having been frost-bitten by the snow. We have not
only heard no more tales worthy of being listened to as to
the cruelty and treachery of the Affghans, but those formerly
considered credible have now for the most part been contra-
dicted. On the other hand, as each successive unfortunate
makes his appearance, sonic new instance of their humanity or
attention is revealed. We are still entirely in the dark as to
the share likhbar Khan may have had in our misfortunes ; but
the proofs of the truth of the charges against him have cer-
tainly not increased in weight. Every fresh revelation is con-
firmative of the rumour prevalent since the beginning—that to
the miserable imbecility of our military authorities, and the
misconduct and despondency of our soldiers, we owe the hea-
viest of our disasters. The contents of various communications
from Sir W. Macnaghtee, who throughout comported himself
in a manner becoming the position he occupied, and the nation
he represented, describing himself as "surrounded by cowards,
amongst whom there was neither energy nor spirit," have been
published. The Affghan war has dispirited and disorganised
the army, and brought it into a condition from which it will
require many years of good treatment to remove it.
JELLALABAD.

Our former intelligence from the brigade shat up under
Sir Robert Sale at Jellalabad came down to the 2d of February
—it now extends to the 4th of March. Nothing of any very
particular note appears to have occurred in the garrison, save
the earthquake of the 19th of February, since the former
of these dates. We now learn, however, a fact of some in-
terest, with which we were not formerly acquainted. On the
28th of January a Council of War had been held, to de-
liberate on a proposition, then just received from the Shah
Soojah at Caubul, to the effect that we should give further
hostages, and make other arrangements for the immediate
and entire abandonment of the country. The proposition
was declined to be complied with, though not till after a
considerable debate on the subject had occurred. On the
morning of the 14th of February, Ukhbar Khan, with a
ragged force of 800 cavalry and 1,200 infantry, encamped on
the opposite side of the river under English tents ; it was re-
ported that he had attacked the garrison, and been defeated by
them four days afterwards—but this proves to be incorrect.
Any force be call muster can occasion them no annoyance, un.
less accompanied by guns, or in cutting off supplies. Colonel
Dennie gave an account of 10,(;00 Affghans at Baineean with
halt the present force. On the 19th a severe shock of an earth-
quake, which visited Peshawur, Ferozepore, Meerut, and Delhi,
and extended as far westward as Quetta, shook down many of
the houses and some part of the fortifications at Jellalabad,
which it cost considerable trouble to repair. No advantage,
however, had been taken of the accident by the enemy, and
the garrison is now as able to protect itself as ever, unless that
their supplies of all kinds are once more running short on
them. Some dissensions amongst the chiefs had excited the
hope that they would shortly be enabled to purchase their way
to the plains : it was said that the Affreedis at the Peshawur
end Of the passes were willing to treat for Sir R. Sale's re-
treat, but would hear of no terms whatever for General Pol-
lock's advance. The latter officer was prepared, apparently, to
attempt an advance at all events, should there be any grounds
for serious apprehension of Sir Robert Sale's immediate safety.
300/. of money had been sent to him from Peshawur, and re-
ceived in safety; the men who conveyed it got an equal suns
for their pains—a fair illustration of the dangers of the passes.
The garrison had heard very regularly from the prisoners in the
Lughman country. They continue to report themselves well
and kindly treated. The contents .of their letters were re-
stricted to their own personal affairs, and we have hitherto de-
rived from them scarcely any particulars of the Caubul disasters.
PESHAWUR.
The enormous and sudden sickness which had overtaken our
troops at Peshawur, confining upwards of two thousand fight-
ing men at one time to the hospital, had in a great mea-
sure disappeared at our latest dates. It had confined itselt
to the four regiments which had been in the pass, and
might probably he accounted for from the effects of the
notoriously pestilential atmosphere
around ; thus furnish-
ing us an alarming consideration in case the troops should
again catch disease in passing through the malarious re-
gion of the pass, in which the line of the advancing column
would probably be detained from the narrowness of some 'tor.•
lions at the chasm, not less than three days. Considerable
down
escapes were made, many buildings near
falls of snow on the hills, and almost ineessaut rain about the
camp, seem to have prevailed till near the end of March, occa-
sioning extreme discomfort to the men.
On the 19th of
Febiliary an earthquake
Peshawar,
no other mischief was occasioned. On
the 28th the alarm wa,
sounded that some of the camels who were
eatrhtohuggui aik n
grazing closebsy had
been carried away. A detachment, consisting of a troop of the
10th Light Cavalry, and some irregulars, was immediately
ieai shookv very
narrow
dispatched. They overtook the mountaineers, and slew
them all, four in number, as it proved ; but not till
three troopers and two officers (Cornet Vibart and Ensign
Taylor) had been severely wounded. The rumour of an
engagement created a sensation in camp,
and fresh troops
of cavalry, artillery, and infantry were already on the start,
when the troopers just returned with the heads of all their
enemies (four) at their saddle bows. On the 25th, General
Pollock had ordered his force to hold themselves in readiness
to move up the pass in the lightest marching order, and at
the shortest notice ; it was, indeed, reported that they had
already moved on tl4e 4th; and again that they were about to
do so on the lath ; the one statement has proved incorrect.
and we doubt not but tile other will do so likewise. He seemed
to have adhered to his primary resolution of not moving,
unless in case of extreme ernergenep till the arrival of the
last brigade from Ferczepere. 'his crossed the Sut-
ledge on the 13th of March, and could not have reached
Peshawur till the 20th of April. It consists of her Ma-
_ _

jesty's 31st, the 6th Native Infantry, with artillery and irre-
gular cavalry—A.'ajor De Le Fosse, with the Horse Artillery
started four days after. It was said that General Po!lock was
anxious that this force should leave all its heavy baggage to
tbheehrtoitung,olistt uppossbibyletheceiSeetiiktyli. and push on with
Accompanying the detach-
ment were 900 camels loaded with treasure and ammuni-
tion.on Attock to assist General A letter from one of the"Entuir:Peneatti officers, in the ser-
vice 6f Shure Sing, mentions that a force of from eight to nine
thousand Seikhs were moving
Pol-
lock. The Maharajah Shen! Sing himself had gone to Lahore
to hasten and facilitate our movements by every means in his
power. The sepoys began to desert from the b3d and 60th
Native Infantry in particular, at the rate of twenty a day—a
state of matters more likely to become aggravated than im-
proved as dangers and hardships multiply around them,
and the few stragglers come in to tell the frightful tales of
their sufferings at Caubul and iu the passes, which are once

mere threatened to be traversed. The European soldiers, on
the other hand, were conducting themselves with the utmost
order, and manifesting the greatest gallantry whenever op-
portunities occurred for its display. The brigade iminc-
diately ahead of this entered the Punjaub on the ifist of Feb-
ruary, and is said by our latest accounts, dated the 9th ult., to
have got 150 miles on their way. It consists of her Majesty's
3d Dragoons, Ist Light Cavalry, 33d, and two companies 6th
Native Infantry, with artillery, and 3,000 camels. They had
been in various ways unfortunate in their movements ; the
pontoon bridge over the Sutledge came down with them at the
commencement •of their march. On arriving at the river
Ravee, fifty miles in advance, they found it fourteen feet deep
at the ford, with only a single beat. They had to search about
for a more favourable crossing place, and at length found one
where five boats were procurable. Seven days were consumed,
in getting over the Ravee. On the Bth of March, the Chenaub,
60 miles farther on, and by consequence one-third of the way
to Peshawur, was reached. The river was wide and deep,
and rapidl increasing from the melting snows of the
Himalayas—the sources of all the chief streams in the Pun-
jaub. It was considered impossible that, by any effort,
they could reach General Pollock before the Ist of April. A
letter received last night from Kurnaul, of the 19th, intimates
that an express had reached the camp of Colonel White, or-
dering him to proceed with all dispatch with the dragoons and
artillery, leaving the 33d and tith Native Infantry to follow as
they could. This looks as if sonic emergency had arisen, and
requiring the pass to be forced. The writer states that the
Khyberres had refused longer to treat for the advance. Sitme
of the sepoy regiments are said to be averse to move towards
Jellalabad.

We have stated that the detachment which quitted Feroze-
pore on the 13th ult. was the last to proceed at present to Pe-
slia,vur ; but there seems to be strong surmises that numerous
other reinforcements will still be pushed on—for what service-
able purpose we cannot certainly divine. On the 19th a com-
pany of Sappers and Miners, with tools complete, were or-
dered, under the charge of Lieutenants Goodwyn and Irwin,
to proceed to Ferozepore, and thence to Peshawur.
The 3d Light Infantry Battalion left Meerut on the
18th, with every prospect of being pushed on in the same di-
rection. We should infer that it was expected that these would
reach General Pollock before his advance into the passes.
From Delhi or Meerut to Ferozepore is 25() miles ; from this
last to Peshawur, 350—a march, over,such a country, of sixty
days at least. This would require till the 20th of May—the
middle of the hot season, when the streams are all in flood, to
take them to their ultimate destination. We confess, in fact,
that the assemblage of so enormous a force as that at Peshawur
is a mystery to us. We shall speedily have 15,000 British
troops, with 8,000 Seikh allies, making 23,000 men in all,
with as many camp followers at least—that is nearly fifty
thousand to feed from our commissariat. This would re-
quire one thousand
.camel loads of victuals a day, or near
2,000, if we take forage for the horses or cattle besides into
account—a very considerable portion of which must be
brought from the banks of the Sutledge, 350 miles in our rear.
This distance, the whole of our treasure and amunition must
be carried. During the months of Afar, June, July, and
August, the five great branches of the Indus, which require to
be crossed, are swollen by the melting snows, so as to be
nearly impassable. Any one of a hundred accidents, which arc
within the compass of extreme probability, would starve
General Pollock's force into a retreat. On Caubul it is impos-
sible for such a body of men to advance through the passes
without almost certain destruction : a move on Jellalabad
would be accompanied with the eatremest danger. A military
correspondent of the Delhi Gazette, of the 19th March, states,
that it is computed that they will require 30,000 camels for their
baggage train—we elsewhere have set them down at 10,000
on the very lowest estimate, but consider our contemporary
more likely than we to be right. Moving in single
file —and this way only could they advance through many of the
passes both b-low and above Jellalabad—this would form a line
of 66 miles, without the possibility of a single company of men
attending them. This, at the rate of ten miles a day, would
take them a week to pass the defiles of Ali Musjid or Khoord
Caubul ; the atmosphere near the former of these being so
malarious, that out of four regiments formerly exposed for a few
days to its influence, two thousand men were immediately after-
wards laid up in hospital. The bulk of these arrangements
were made before the arrival of Lord Ellenborough, and we
sincerely hope that Robert Sale may shortly be able to
purchase a safe retreat, and the whole army, as soon as he joins
them, may retire on India with all convenient speed. Deser-
tions amongst the camp followers of the troops last dispatched,
begin to be annoying to the last degree. This renders an army
in India almost useless, as will be seen when it is considered how
far the division of labour in the wrong sense is carried. A
camel-man could not, and would not on any account, take
charge of horses ; nor a horse-keeper act as a grass-cutter, or a
body servant as cook, almost to save his life. Servants of all
work are unknown in India.