The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-07 00:00:00

•

OVERLAND MAIL

-'••045..--•

IN DIA AND C A.

The intelligence; from Boinhity is of three days' later (bite
than usual, the mail having been detained :Anti' the 4th of M iy,
to wait fur the Govern.,r-General's deliatehes. Our ilati:s
from Calcutta are to the 24th of Aril, and froM China to the
10th of March.

The British Indian troops have re-eiitered lingnanistan,
and have ained higher honours and m .re glory than err.
They have forced, with very little los,, the dreaded pass of the
Khyber. The redoubted leader of the Affghans,
Khan. with 6,000 niel, has been r anted by the garrison which
he profr•sed to blockade. As if to serve as a foil to these
successes, there hate been two partial reverses, one of which
had during some time been expected, vihtle the other is compa-
ratively triftrg, and can b- easily retrieved.
The Bri' jab Indian armies to the west of the Indus during
the. months of Nlarch and April may be classed under five dis-
iinct heads, viz., those of—

Ist. Ihe Bengal civision undo!. General rollocit, which has
entered the Khyber pas, from the neighbourhood c,f Peshawar.
2d. The tioops forming the g wrison eoinmaitded by Genera
Sale at Jell alabld..
3d. '1 be Bombay detachment, under the orders o f General
England, which having gone through the celebrated pass of
Bolan, had, after some fighting, taken its station at Quetta.
4th. The garrison at Candahar, under the command of
General Nott ; and
sth.. The surrender of Ghuznee.

The division under General Pollock have gained the renown
of open ng a pass which even Nadir Shah was obliged to pur-
chase. Having taken due precaut tons, this division, consisting
of her Majesty'. 9th regiment of Infantry, ant sue 26th, 30th,
33d, 53d, and 64th Bengal Native Infantry, and a regiment of
Jezailehees. with artil ery, in three columns, on the sth of
April, forced the difficult pas. of the Khyber, and, notwith-
standing the determined resistance of the Afreedees tribe, suc-
ceed d in reaching Ali Musjeed, with the loss of only one
officer (Lieutenant Cumming, of the 9th, and 13 rank anti file
killed, and 104 wounded. On the 9th of April the division
was at Lundee Khan, whence to the point of junction with the
garrison of Jellalabad. nothing like effectual opposition was to
be expected. The Sikh troops, who on the occasion attacked
another part of the pass, co-operated cordially with the British,
and behaved with great gallantry.
During the period of theattaci on the Khyber, Akhbar Khan,
who with 6,000 Affghans had inkes,ed Jellalabad, exhibited
great eagerness, as if to aid the tribes around the pass in'de-
fending it. On the eveni;.g el the 6th he caused a feu de joie
to be tired in honour, as he said, of the repulse white the Br:-
thh troops had met at the entrance of the pass near Jumrocel.
But the gallant and experienced warrior, General Sale, was not
to be deceived; he resolved to anticipate what he considered to
be an intended retreat of the Sirdar, anti on the morning of the
7th sallied forth to attack the Affghan camp. Three. cllumns,
composed of her Majesty's 13th Infantry, and 35th Bengal
Native Infantry, with a detachment of the Saepers and Miners.
supported by a light field battery and a small cavalry force,
issued from the •' blockaded" town,. and completely routed
Akhbar Khan and his 6,000 men, burned their camp, and
retook four guns of these seized at the massacre of Khouril
Caubul in January last, er the restoration of which is. regarded
by the troops with much honest exultation.." . This victory,
glorious as it. is, has been dearly purchased by the fall of Col.
Detirsie, whose death, even upon the field of honour, will be
regarded as a great calamity, while his memory will he always
held sacred, as a brave and worthy officer.
The reverse already mentioned as comparatively trilling, was
experienced by General Englatid at the pass of Kojuck, 63
miles from Quetta, on the march to Candahar. His force was
composed of 5 companies ot her Majesty's 41st Regiment, 6 com-
panies of the light ba.talon of Native Infantry, 1 troop of light
cavalry, 4 guns of Leslie's horse brigade, and 50 Poonah horse,
having to charge a cenvoy, consistieg of treasure, medical
stores, and ammunition, together with 1,500 e.'meles .ecee de-
stined for thereliel of the troops at Candahar. The convoy pro-
ceeded, without encountering- any great obstacles, and without
receiv 'ng notice froth the inhabitants of ;my contemplated plan
of resistance, to the pass, where it, on the 2sth of March, found
that some field-works had been erected. An attempt. was made,
by sending 200 men to attack awe works, to dislodge the
enemy, when they showed a strong force of infantry anti c.Ralrv.
Capt. May, of the 41st, was shot. dead, as well as several of his
men. Major Abthorp. of the 30th Native Infantry, was cut down
(he died of his wounds on the folowing day), when the Gene-
ral resolved not to risk the loss of the convoy, and matte a
skilful retreat to a ,neighbouring village which lie defended.
and thence withdrew to Quetta, where he entrenched himself
and waited for more troops, then on the march from Daflue
and Sukkur, to jo n him. The loss on this occasion, be-ides
the officers mentioned, was 2 sergeants, 1 corporal, and 14
privates of the 41st killed, ana:l sergeant, 1 corporal, and 50
privates wounded of the halt. battalion. . Of the 20th,
and 6th Regiments Btrnbay. ,Native Infantry there were 9
killed and 1$ wounded. *1 he great difficulty of the Ifosition at.
Quetta has been the want of forage. for the camels, and the
efforts of the Government are directed towards enabling the
troops to proceed onwards as speedily as possible.
As a centrsst to ti is reverse, a force from Catv!ahar, which
was sent by General Nott to meet General England, having
been attacked after two day's march, by a large body of
Atlghans, gave the assailants such a .reeeptien, as obliged them
to take to flight. :They are described as fighting with reckless
braver,, and charging up to the bayonet's point; they there-
fore suffered a great slaughter, particularly as they were
charged by_ the British cavalry during their flight. About. 300
are said to have fallen, ineluding five of their chiefs. The loss
on the side of the Brit..sh was five killed and 25 wounded The
Commander of the British force was Col. W krner. Candahar
is stated to have abundant provisions, but the-re is want of am -
munition. '1 he pass of Kojuck can, as it is now affirmed, be
easily turned.

Of the event calculated to produce the most striking impres-
sion we have already been enabled to inform the public. It is
the surrender, rai the fat of March, by Col. Palmer, of the
celebrated fortress of Ghuznee. The letter of the Colonel,
who.e regiment, the 27th riengal Native Infantry, formed the
garrison, will be fouu4 in another column. Attempts have
been made in India to excuse his condu'A on the
ground of the difficulties with which he had to contend, but it
certainly does appear strange that a commandant shou'd ven-
ture to surrender such a fortress upon the authority of a letter
received, as it were, from .his superior by the hands of an
enemy, and that he notifies that surrender not to that superior,
but to another officer placed also in command of a distant
garrison, and which latter officer has immortalized himself by
his gallant defence.
The opinion which we have always maintained that the
disastrous occurrences at Caubul (and now at Ghunzee, the
garrison of which place is described as having in March suf-
fered the same fate as the troops of Caubul in January, the
soldiers being massacred by the Ghazees, or dispersed, and
the officers being prisoners for the sake of their ransom), are
to be ascribed to the want of efficient military arrangements
and proper precaution, and not to the prowess of the Aghans,
has been confirmed by the publication of several orders in
Council. These orders were published on the receipt of the
news of the fall of Ghuznee, and are as follow :
" The Governor-General in Council has directed• that the
Commander-in-Chief will submit. the conduct Qf Lieutt nant-
Colonel Palmer. in surrendering the citadel of Ghtiznee, to the
judgment .of a Court-martial, at the earliest period at which
such Court can be duly assembled.
The Governor-General in. Council has a'ready (on the
281 h of Janu ry last) directed that a full military inquiry shall
to• made into all the circumstances c,nnected with the direc-
tion and conduct of the troops at Caubul, at the earliest. period
at which such an inquiry may be practicable.
" The Governor-General in Council has now directed that
the conduct of Major- General Elphinstone in Affghanittan
shall be submitted to the judgment of a Court-m.rtial, at the
earliest peri.d at which tuch Court can be duly assembled.
" The Governor-General in Council will further direct that
a full inquiry shad likewise be mane into all the political func-
tionaries employed at Caubul, at the earliest possible period
atter he shall be in possession of certain material documents, of
which he has already ordered the immediate transmission to
Government.

" By order of the Right Hon. the Governor-General of India
in Council, " 'l'. H. MADDOCK,
" Secretes.), to the Government of India."
The fate of Affghanistatt forms now a curious problem.
Shah Soojah, who by temporising and truckling to his enemi-s,
and by many other manoeuvres available amongst the Affghans,
bad contrived to secure himself a precarious existence in the
Bala Hissar at Caubul, has at length, as it is now stated, been
murdered. His sons have, as it appears, taken different parties,
one or two being favourable to the British alliance, while two
or three are opposed to it. Various factions are described as at
present contending for the lion's sha e of influence and power,
and general confusion, uproar, and bloodshed prevail in Caubul.
Shah Kamram, of Herat, nephew of Shah Soojah, atter a
long contest will his Vizier, Yar Mahomed, is also stated to be
dead ; so that Affghanf-tan, from the frontiers of Persia to the-
mountains west of the Lulus, may be regarded as in perfect
anarchy.
In the mean time Lord Ellenhorough, accompanied by two
or three secretaries, had set out from Calcutta. to the upper
provinees of Bengal. His object in this journey is stated to
be twofold—that, to be enabled to communicate w;thout delay
with the Generals of the army west of the Indus, and the offi-
cers commissioned with the management of those provinces;
and n xt, to tut!nduce some reforms there. His Lordship,
whose decision and iiromp.itude are hishly praised. has, it is
asserted, required that the Commander-in-Chief of the Army
should quit his cool retreats at Simla in order to join him at a
more central position. The want of vigour, which was much
telt tram the beginning of November I,st, when the Caubul
imurrestion b:oke forth, for Lord Auckland hesitated to com-
promise his successor by any active measures, is no longer coin-
plaii.ed or.
In the interior of India general tranquillity prevails, except
tnat in Bundelcund a movement, which is more particularly
noticed in our Private Correspondence, had taken place. '1 he
Governor of the Maims Presidency had published stringent
orders respecting the late insubordinate proceedings of some
native troops at. Secunderabad. Subscriptions to a considerable
amount had been entered into all over the country in favour of
the widows and orphans (unprovided for by the regulations of
the Government.) of those who fell during the recent disasters
at Caubul. A coprmercial crisis has taken place at Calcutta;
but confidence was beginning to return. A large sale of opium
was effected there on the 18th, which produced the Govern-
ment upwards et 300,000 t. The steamer India arrived in Cal.
cotta on the 9th of. April, after a voyage of 28 days, from
Suez, having been delayed 11 days at different places, chiefly
by taking in coal. She went into dock immediately, and was
advertised for another voyage to Egypt about the 28th ult.
The cholera has committed frightful ravages at Kurachee.
Her Majesty's 22d Regiment had lo,t 98 men in six weeks up
to the 24th of April. The ship Harriet, bound for London,
took lire and blew up at Calcutta. There is a rumour of Lord
Ellenborough's intentitra to reduce the great salaries of the
higher branches of the civil servants, particularly in Bengal.
Tharawaddie, King of Burmah, whose movement. towards
Rangoon produced "a sensation" souse time back, was occu-
pied at home in suppressing a rebellion. The liritish troops
sent to Moulmein, is order to keep him in check, are therefore at
liberty to he removed to other places.
The Chinese soldiers who drove the Sikhs out of Thibet ap-
peared disposed to revenge themselves upon the invaders by
attacking some of the frontier garrisons of the province of
Cashmere. This attempt is important, as it may lead the. Bri-
tish Generals, on terminating the campaigns in Caubul, to
turn their arms against the Chinese in Thibet, and }produce,
by the defence of the country, the cession of Cashmere and 4-if
the Puisjaub, by the present weak Government, to the rulers
I of India.

(From the Bombay Times.)
We have received the; following letter from Macao, dated
March• 3, 1842 :—" We have little to communicate On the
state of our market since the 7th ult., the date of our last cir-
cular. Trade at Canton continues f ee from interrupOon, but
owing to the Chinese holidays, there has been little done either
in exports or imports. It is difficult to give any quotations for
raw coiton,, Mr nritish manufactures, prices rem tiring corn
nally the same; but as the dealers are now beginning to re••
turn to business we hope shortly to be able.to report some ac-
tivity in our market at former prices. Shipments of tea con-
tinue to be made on a limited scale. Low Cougeus may be
quoted at 25 to 23 taels ; Twankays, Recording to quality, at
24 tails and upwards.. The season's export of tea from Nov. 1
to Feb. 2t3 amounts to—Black, 17,065,16b1b5. ; Green,
3,502.9851b5.—t0ta1, 20,5651,1531b1. Freight to England is
scarce. and may be quoted at 41. 10s. to Si. Exchange on
England has declined to 4s. 10d. .
" Sir Henry Pottinger is still at Hoag-Kong, and has issued'
the notification alluded to in our last circular, declaring Hong-

Kong and (Munn tree ports, and promising protection et
traders touching at Ant y. We have no recent nests from flee
tiorthwatd. No itnmediate interruption is anticipated to flit
t: use tots esitsti. g in this province, and our position in rele-
tiue to the Chinese Government remains unchanged.
Our opium market has been exceedingly dull since the
China. new year. .' f.:w chests of the nets Patna have bean
sold at 425 to 4eo, which price is not likely to be maintained
on the errival of the other Cloppers. Last year's Patna may be
quoted at 445 to 440 ; 'slalna at 310, at which there is co &-
maul Ihe Atdasee, from Singapore, with abont 900 chests,
has not yet arrived."
:BRITISH FLEET AT CHINA.
HER MAJESTY•S SQUADRON TO THE NottTawann.—At
Chtitan, Ciduliae, and Isliiigpo, the Cornwallis' 72, bearing
the flee of Rear-Admiral Sir W. Parker, K.C.8., Commands -
na.Cinef, Captain Richards; Blonde, 42, Captain T. Boor-
chier, C.B. ; Pelican, 18, Commodore Napier; t: yacinth, 18,
C. Goldsmith; Mudeste, Id, Watson ; Columbine, 18,
Morsted ; en°, 16, E. Troubridge ; Algeriee, 10, Lieute-
nant Maetiand ; Lady Bentinek, surveying vessel, Commander
it. Whitson ; tro,p- ship, Jupiter, R. Tutton ; Hon. Cann-
patty's ship Nemesis, Lieutenant W . Hall ; Queen, Com-
mander W . Warden ; Pelegetha, Lieut. M. Cleverly ; Se-
sostris, Commander Orinby, India navy. At Amoy, Druid,
44, Captain smith, C.B. ; Pylandes, 18, Commander Tindel
(abeent); Chameleon, 10, Licut. Hunter ; Starling, 6, Com-
mander H. Bettell. Squadron at the mouth of the Canton
river—Blenheim (72); • sir T. Herbert, K.C.8., Senior
Caminatiding Officer; Herald, 26, J. Nias ; Nimrod, 18, Com-
manuer Glasse ; Cruizer, 18, Commander J. Pearce ; Royalist,
Lieu:. abetwoo.. ; Young Heise, 4, Wood ; Hon, Compani's
ship Hoogly, Sir. Ross ; Ariadne, Roberts, India navy.
CellesESE PROCLAMATION.—(TRANSLATION.)
" The assistant Great Minister, She, and the awe-exciting
General Yik, proclaim to the inhabitants of the Lin district,
in the departmeet of Ningbo,. and of the districts of Tinghae
and Chinnas, for their full information.
" Since the rebellious barbarians caused trouble and con-
fusion, and usurped possession of the cities (Tinghre, &c. ),
the people have suffered great calamities, a fact deserving
of the most indignant. hatred Ye, people, that you blluu.d
have been exposed to and suffered the calamities of war, and
your families ue separated and scattered, has excited the su-
preme Ruler's commisseration, therefore he ordered his Ge-
nerals to lead forth the troops to rescue you from the midst of
water and fire; his favour has reached the extreme degree.
" In the first. instance the General Yik and the Minister She,
hat proclamations engraved, that the intense anxiety of the
supreme Ruler might be.universally known, and we suppose- it
is aired fully known. We have now heard that the rebellious
barbarians dwell in each of the cities, mixed with ye, people,
in mutual repose, without disturbance ; but do ye know why
the barbarians for awhile forbear to slaughter and involve ye in
calamities? Let the righteous people of the provinces of Fukien
and Canton be a Warning to you, who have been troubled an:l
attacked by the same enemy. We are apprehensive that you
have followed them, because a Jew cannot oppose the many,
anti, by a necessary consequence, all of you have been
thoroughly frightened; therefore their proclamations are little
to be trusted, or their favours, seeking to knit you in ad-
herence to them. But ye.do not seek for safety beyond the
present time, and certainly are ignorant that the grand army
is now on its march to exterminate the rebellious foreigners.
But they will. either place you in the van of the battle, ex-
posing your heads to the iiiehts of a. rows and stoises, or
will cause yea to make false reports-of the distresses and
sufferings of the people, in order to delay our attack. But if
the opportunity is lost, -again will come great contusion anti
carrying away into captivity, and they will satiate them-
seltes by spoiling you of your wealth ; yet you carelessly,
morning and eveeing, abandon yourselves to it pose, and soon
you will be involved in infinite trouble , hut, that you should
be dragged by and tied to them, is a circumstance much to
bts.pitted. We, the General and Minister, are apprehensive,
when the cities are-destroyed that the precious gems will not.
be distinguished from the worthless pebb:es, and that your lives
will be sacrificed. On this account, we proceed to issue secret
orders, directing that trom all your villages and neighbourhoods
they be secretly circulated And within the present month
redu atioes will be e,tabltrhed for you to secrete yourselves
either in distant villages, or on the borders, or in the recesses
of the hills anti banks of rivers, where for a while you must
mutually depend on your relations and friends; moreover, you
certaiely must not came in advance of, or before the army,
which will draw upon yon the suspicion of being traitors, and
when a clear diseriminrion is made deep calamities will alreaoy
have been suffered. The time of the plan of the grand army
for sweeping away the rebellious barbarians will not. be loeg ;
then you can retutn to your dwellings, and all enjoy the happi-
ness of supreme tranquillity. If when the grand army arrives,
and protection is sought at its camps, then if good and faithful
subjects, and traitors cannot he diais gui.hed, but through mis-
take, they chanced to be slanglite:ed, the anxious thoughts of
the Supreme-Rulers for the people's lives wi I meet with a most
ungrateful return. As to our intentims of exterminating the
barbarians, and tranquillizing the good. do you all take them ss
a warinng ; and the established regulation by flight to save
your lives, keeping the barleariang in ignorance, tnat your lives
may not he dragged in their chains, when you will not he able
to escape f:ora them. It is on this account that these secret-
orders are issued."

INDIA.
FALL OF GHUZNEE.
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.

This important. fortres,, the capture of which threw such
lustre on the British arms, has we regret to say, fallen into the
hands of the Affghtins. Colonel Palmer is safe in the town of
Cihuznee, but how long he will continue so is a serious ques-
tion. If he keeps kis arms in his hands and listens to no se-
cintdary treaties, he may, probably, reach Caudahar evert ually.
The Caubul treaty is a deep and impressive lesson, which he
cannot fail to benefit by.
Fort William, Secret Department, April 14, le+42.

- •
The following copy of a despatch from Lieut.-Colonel Pal-
mer, commanding at Ghuznee, to the officer commanding at
Jellalabad, is published for general information, by order of the
Governor—General in Council :

" Ghuznee, March 1. 1842.

Sir,—lt is with much concern I acquaint you that, from
want of water, and by an overpowering force, under cover and
within fifty yards of us in the city, I been compelled to
enter into terms to evacuate the citadel and fort within six days.
The garrison is to occupy the north-east corner of the town.
The garrison is exhausted by fatigue and constant duty, and the
men have suffered severely from cold, the thermometer having
been 14 below zero. The terms are honourable treatment and
safety whilst here and'on the march to Caubul, solemnly scorn
to by the Chiefs. In capitulating. I have only acted up to the
orders' f Major Pntringer and General Elphinstone, who directed
ma in an official letter to evacuate the city and citadeton the arrival
of Roohilia Khan, the Sudar of Logna. The chief arrived and
promised to escort usin safety to Caubul. Amour Shamsooder
Khan; nephew of Dost Mohammed Khan, has also arrived, as
Governor of Ghuznre and political agent. I received instruc-
tor's-vs march immediately on his arrival for Caubul, from the
late Sir W. Al'iNa.glaten,* Bart. Abandoned as this gal risort
has been in the very. centre of the enemy's country, cut off
from all communication with any quarter, and without a suffi-
cic ncy. of water even at this season, with 200 men detached to
hold an outpost which is destitute of water, and must have
fallen inforty-eight hours, .nothing but capitulation remained.
From the outpost falling into the' hands of the enemy, they
would command our •only well and commanding fort, and the
whole garrison world have been destroyed in a few days. The
bearer has received only subsistence on the road, and is to re-
ceive a Irmdsome reward on delivering this letter. We have
upwards of 100 sick and wounded, and 137 casualties. The
officers, includ:ng Captain Burnett, 54th, and Lieut. Crawford,
S. S. Force, are all well
• (signed)

" J. PALMER, Lieut.-Colonel."

G 14 111 ZNEE.
(From the Bombay Times.)
The insurrection which broke out at Caubul on the 2d of
November appears almost simultaneously to have manifested
itself at Ghuznee, 90 miles to the south:and thus much further
from the Peshawur frontier. On that day Captain Woodburn
and 151) men were cut to pieces 40 miles to the north. A few
days after this Lieut. Crawford, in charge of about 100 prisoners,
narrowly escaped ; his baggage fell into the enemy's ham's,
and the greater portinn•of his men were killed. From the 7th
of November to fife Ist of March, nothing definite or intelligible
was he.trd from Ghuznee. By the beginning of December the
country round was completely snowed up, arid though we from
time to time heard of the town being filled with insurgents, and
Colonel Palmer sorely pressed by the enemy, as his (tem-
missariat was believed to be well supplied, a hope was enter-
tained that he might. hold out till relieved by General Nott
from Caudahar ; or that he might, so soon as the country was
open, be able to retreat without assistance. About the end of
February water began to fail him, the. enemy appear to have
increased in audacity, and on one occa,ion they were driven
back by a gallant charge made on them by the Sepoys, who
bayoneted them in great numbers. A despatch front him,
of the Ist of March dispelled the allusion as to his safety.
His original forge, which consisted of the 27th Bengal
Native Infantry, with some artillery, was considerably
under 1.000 strong—latterly probably not more 700 ; of
these, 137 had fallen in the Coto se of the siege, and about 100
were sick or wounded; .200 men were detached holuing an
outpost, where water had become so scarce that, within 48
hours of the date of the despatch, it must have been abandoned.
The enemy was under cover in overpowering force within 50
yards of the garrison. The thermometer had, fur some time,
been 46, degrees below freezing. The garrison were exhausted
by the fatigue of incesFant duty, and disheartened by their
total isolation ; and, under these circumstances, there appeared
to be no ch,ice but capitulation: left to the commander. • He
states that, in consequence ot this deplorable pass, end of hav-
ing received orders trout Sir William M'Naughren to retire,
he had agreed to evacuate about•t.he 6th ot March. 'the city
was at this time filled with Ghaxeet, the religious Mus•ulmarr
fatiativs. who had worked so much w 0,.. at Caubul ; and these
were here, as they are everywhere, ar.d at all times, wholly
beyond the controul of the chiefs. The ground was thickly
covered with snow ; and Colonel Palmer, at the conclusion of
his despatch, expresses fears for the safety of the force. They
were to have proceeded immediately in the direction of Caubul,
on their way to Jellalabad, under a safe conduct from the
chiefs. Nothing whatever having since this period been
heard of them, there remains scarcely any reason to hope but
that they have all likewise perished. Accord,eg to a rumour
lately prevalent in Scinde, three or four'of the officers were in
the hands of the enemy as prisoners. Thus have the Ghazees
avenged the massacre of the prisoners under our authority
when Ghuznee was taken by Sir John Keane. On the 21st of
July, 1839, it was captured by us, with a sacrifice of 500 of the
enemy. It was surrendered by us -about the 6th-of March,
1842, with a loss, it is to. be feared, of the whole garrison and
camp followers, amounting to upwards of 1,000 men.