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

wvERLAND MAIL.

NDIA AND CHINA.

(From the Morning Herald.)
We have received by special express the Overland
Mail from Bombay, and are enabled to publish the fol-
lowing intelligence. Our dates are, Bombay, Dec. 2 ;
Calcutta, Nov. 23; China, Oct. 12. :
(FROM PRIVATE CORNESPONDINT.)

BOMBAY, DEC. 1.

The intelligence of this month is, in the main, un-
important ; the chief interest attaches to the affairs of
the Southern Mahratta country, which still continue
much disturbed. The second of the two principal
forts, for some time besieged, has fallen to our hands
by surrender, but the country continues full of
troops. Colonel Ovans, the newly-appointed resi-
dent, has fallen into the enemy's hands, and is kept
by them a prisoner. An insurrection has broken
out in the Sowunt Warree country; and in the two
together an army of nearly 8,000 men is occupied
in quelling disturbance. Everything .continues
tranquil in Sinde. The health of the troops
in the lower country is good. At Shikarpore and
Sukkur sickness prevails to a very alarming extent.
Her Majesty's 78th Regiment, with the exception of
about 100 men, is wholly in hospital ; out of about
1,000 Cavalry and Native Infantry at Shikarpore,
between 700 and 800 are in hospital. The Punjaub
chiefs have become reconciled to each other, and
comparative tranquillity reigns in the country of the
Five Rivers. There seem to be some slight discon-
tents in Gwalior, but not such as to occasion alarm.
Peace and prosperity prevail throughout India _at
large. Sir Henry Hardinge has continued since his
arrival constantly at Calcutta, and seems to tare
been gaining golden opinions of all sorts of people.
His administration promises to be a plain, practical,
and peaceful one. The state of education amongst the
natives was the first thing to receive his attention,
and seems to occupy a most prominent place in his
mind. The encouragement of science, and the pro-
motion of domestic improvement—the improvement
of agriculture—the opening up of fresh roads—and
the construction of bridges, have all received more
or less attention. The most peace-loving suffer from
go fears ; the most war-loving entertain no hopes of
conquest or invasion under the present rule. A
twelvemonth of such management will get rid of
the excess of expenditure over income, lately amount-
ing to about a million and a half sterling. A twelve-
month more may bring back the auspicious state of
rnotters which prevailed in the earlier part of Lord
Aucldand's administration, when we had two millions
a year of surplus revonue. News from China ex-
tend to the 10th of October, but it is entirely com-
mercial, and not very important. So extensive has
adulteration been practised at Bombay• that Malwa
opium is quoted at .50 dolls. to 750 dolls., and is get-
ting rapidly out of repute, so that the swindlers have
heir reward in a ruined market.

cisis sit
.2'.

The Ist of the month falling on Sunday post-
pones by s day the dispatch of the steamer; but, in
fact, a single paper in former days was wont to
contain more intelligence of interest than a whole
month in these piping times of peace can supply.
Curiously enough this insignificant insurrection
in the southern Mahratta country engages more of
our troops than Lord Keane had with him at Ghuz•
nee or Canbul in the year 1889—nearly twice as
many as Sir Charles Napier had under his command
at Nleanee or Dubba. When I last wrote you the
Fort of Samunghur had been captured, and the army
of General Delamotte had marched from Kolapore.
As• ie approached the capital the malcontents, to the
81110031'
of about 3,000 men, retired on Bathudghur, a
hill fort`,- considerably stronger than that previously
captured, ,vthich was held by about 1,000 Gudkurries,
men holding 'their lands on military tenure, the inter-
ference with wi,ich is said to have given rise to the
insurrection. A w,;ag, of the 2d Queen's Royal Regi-
ment with the 14th Light Dragoons and her Ma-
jesty's 22d Regiment, hav;og proceeded directly from
Poonah t Kolapore, were le:`f. there while General
Delamotte proceeded with about 2,000 men, in quest
of the insurgents. He arrived before the fort on the
Bth, having experienced some skirmishing on the way.
While waiting under the walls until the battering guns
could be brought up, the chiefs came into camp and
made submission on the 10th. A light detachment
haying been sent out to take possession of the fort,
now promised to be made over to them, was detained -
for four hours before the gate. Treachery had
turned out to have been practised, and while we were
waiting without the whole of the Kolapore malcon-
tents were making their escape by the other side of
the fortress. A. light detachment having been sent
after them, under the cotrunand:of Col. Wallace, was
too late in starting to make up with them, so that
while the fortress was made over to us, the garrison
escaped us. having left the light detachment to
occupy Bathudghur, General Delamotte, on the
19th, broke up his camp, and prepared for a re-
turn to Kolapore. Colonel Outram, in the mean-
while, having either resigned hi 5 appointment or
been superseded (for it does Dot appear whether
the act was his own or that of Government), Co•
lonel Ovans, resident of Sattarah, was or-
dered to proceed to , Kolapore in political
charge. On his way from the one place to the
other he was waylaid and made prisoner on the 17th
and is now detained by the enemy in one of their hill
forts. He has been treated with every kindness and
attention by his captors, and is permitted to corre-
spond with his friends ; but the, untoward circum-
stance of his detention in the hands of the rebels has
occasioned much delay and embarrassment in the
prosecution of further arrangements. Meanwhile an
insurrection has broken out in the Sawunt Warree
country, adjoining Kolapore, which, though insigni•
scant in itself, is a source of great annoyance to us,
as it compels us to have a considerable force in the
country. The light Mahratta troops flit about with
such celerity, and are so skilful in taking advan-
tage of the strong positions with which the Ghauts
abound, that to send out very light detachments in
quest of them is unsafe, and to have heavy ones
requires a large military establishment. What
may be the nature of the grievances of the many
malcontents does not at all appear. A chief, who
gave us much annoyance in' 1838, appears to have
considered himself affronted in some way or other,
and to have taken to plundering the country as the
means of avenging himself --on Government; Unfor-
tunately he managed to prevail on the young Prince
of Warree to join him, and by this means to give a
colour of right to the insurrection, as if the malcon-
tents were supporting native authority in opposition
to English interests. The'youth is happily ashamed
et his own conduct already, and his friends are now
interceding for him that he may be allowed terms
should he come in. The whole of this quarter of
India, front the Konkon to the Mysore country, seems
to be iu a very disaffected state, greatly discontented
with their own Government, and not very well pleased
at our.iaterference. So soon as the intelligence of the
Wanes insurrection reached Bombay, a wing of the
Queen's Royals quartered at Colaba, and which
had been suffering excessively from sickness,
was dispatched by steam to Vingola, in the neigh-
bourhood• of which some skirmishing shad taken
place, and a Sepoy detachment had been very roughly
handled. This nearly stripped the Bombay garrison
of troops, and her Majesty's 13th, which had come
down the Indus to Kurrachee, .with a view of em-
barking for England, were directed to take shipping
fbr Bombay, and there for the present to remain. A
wing .of 'her :Majesty's 17th Regiment, on its way
from Alunednugger to Aden, was also arrested oa its
way,,aud will remain here till the arrival of the 13th
Regiment, or return of the 2d Queen's. The news-
papers seem very indifferently informed with respect
to the causes or origin of these disturbances, and the
Government itself not very clear as to the best
remedy to be provided for them. I suspect the only
one is for us to take the whole country into our own
hands ; and for this I have no doubt we shall shortly
find a very sufficient justification. ,We cannot afford
to troop off 8,000 or 10,000 men when our hands
may be full enough, at any rate to assist the foolish
chief in keeping his subjects in order. Our troops
are meanwhile scattered in large detachments through
the country—the principal force by this time being
before or in possession of a couple of forts, which till
lately held out, and in one of which Colonel Ovens
continues captive.
SH4D.C.—There are still occasional robberies and