The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-29 00:00:00

SINDE.

The intelligence from this province Is comparatively
scanty, and discloses few points of interest to the home
reader. It would seem that Islam Khasi, a Boogtie chief,
who escaped to the northward on the discomfiture of Bejar
Khan and his associates, has at length consented to surren-
der himself to Captain Tabor at Shahpoor. The day ap-
pointed for this purpose was the 20th ult. ; but although he
had sent his seal to this officer as a pledge of his sincerity, it
was doubted by some whether he really intended to come in.
Good accounts are given of the health of the troops at Sukkur
and Shikarpore. A north-west Contemporary intimates that
General Hunter was expected at the latter place on the 10th
ultimo, and that it was supposed, from this movement, that
the General would remain an additional year in Sinde. Kur-
rachee, by the last accounts, continued perfectly healthy, and
the European denizens were looking forward with pleasure to
the setting-in of the cold weather. The station is a good deal
enlivened by amateur theatricals ; and the " Sinde Associa-
tion," the rules of which have just been published, bids fair to
become an object of interest both to the casual visitor and the
permanent resident at the seat of Government. This society,
if actively supported, will doubtless furnish the means of
elucidating much that remains obscure in the natural history
and antiquities of Sinde and Beloochistan. The 2d Cavalry
will return very shortly to the Presidency. The Meanee
medals were distributed to the Bth N. I. at a general parade
on the 20:h, and the regiment left on the following day for
Surat, en route for Ahmedabad, the subjoined complimentary
order being issued by Sir C. Napier, on the occasion of their
departure :
" Head-quarters, Kurrachee, Thursday, Nov. 20.
EXTRACTS FROM GENERAL ORDERS BY HIS EXCELLENCY
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR CHARLES NAPIER, G. C. B. , COM-
MANDING THE TROOPS IN SINDE.
" The Bth Regiment Native Infantry are ordered to the
Presidency.
" Few now remain in this country of those courageous
regiments which conquered Sinde, and Sir Charles Napier
cannot see the Bth depart without regret.
" For the troops which fought so bravely at Meanee and
Hyderabad the Major-General must ever feel a peculiar re-
gard : they gained for him a celebrity which it is his boast
that he owes to their gallantry, bat the word ' Sinde,' in-
scribed on their colours, and the medals on their breasts, are
the best records of their glory.
" In thus taking leave of the Bth Regiment N. L, Sir
Charles Napier wishes to the regiment, collectively and
individually, all success : they have served with honour in
Sinde.
(Signed) " C. J. NAPIER, Major-General."
Some discussion has taken place in military circles, owing
to the slight put on the 25th Regiment of Native Infantry by
the Government of Bombay, in receiving them, on their
return, a short time since, from service in Sinde, without
any mark of honour or distinction, such as those which
were paid to her Majesty's regiments on landing at Bom-
bay under similar circumstances. The course pursued
by Government is deemed invidious. The departure of the
Bth from Kurrachee leaves the station with only two regi-
ments of the line, and these, it is supposed, will be
heavily worked. The men of the " Belooch battalion,"
a Sindian levy, form a few of the petty guards. A wing of
the 2(1 Bengal European Regiment were under orders to
return to Sukkur on the 25th ult., marching to Kotree,
whence they would be conveyed to their destination by the
river steamers. The detacement of native infantry stationed
at Jerruck has been withdrawn; the duties of the post are
for the future to be performed by the Sinde baggage corps.
Lieut. 0. Hamilton, commissioner with the Belooch tribes on
the frontier, has obtained sick leave to Kurrachee, his duties
in the meantime devolving on the officer commanding the
outpost of Khangur. Lieut. Maclagan, of the Bengal Engi-
neers, has been ordered to take charge of the Executive
Engineer's department at Kurrachee. Lieut. Stanley re-
sumed his duties as treasurer on the 16th October. Lieut.
Harding, of her Mejesty's 22d Foot, has been appointed
assistant judge advocate; Ist Lieutenant Campbell, of the
I Bengal Engineers, to be assistant superintendent of canals

~~ /~~~ .
,-

and forests ; Mr. Williams, of the Indus flotilla, to be an
assistant surveyor. Assistant-SurgeonWard has been p ace
in permanent medical charge of the Sinde Belooch corps.
Committees haveibeen assembled at Kurrachee and Hyderabad
for the purpose of reporting on the number of tents in store
at these stations. The medical superintendence of the Bengal
troops serving in Upper Sinde, and the medical depot at
Sukkur, have been transferred from the superintending
surgeon of the Sirhind division of the Bengal army to the
superintending surgeon of the Bombay establishment in
Sinde. The following very high compliment has been paid
by Sir C. Napier to the gallant 86th Foot :
" Head-quarters, Kurrachee, Nov. 4, 1845.
" In consequence of the excellent behavior of the 86th Re-
giment, and at the request of Brigadier Douglas, Lieut.
Colonel Derinzy, and the captain of the company to which
private Arthur O'Neil belongs, the Major-General command-
ing remits the remainder of that soldier's punishment, who
is to return to his duty. This act of mercy the Major -Gene-
ral considers to be a great compliment to the 86th Regiment,
as he very much dislikes to pardon any man for a crime re-
sulting from intoxication."
The Delhi Gazette intimates that the Governor was to
leave Kurrachee on a tour of inspection the first week in
December.

We hear, by the way, that the proposition for an exchange
of territory with our ally, Meer Ali Moorad, is now before
Government. The Ameer, it is said, is to get Meerpore and
Oobaroh, which are on the east side of the Indus, and border
on the Bhawulpere state, and the British are to have Kus-
more and the Boordee country on the west. We are told
that the Muzzarees have been driving away the people front
the frontier, and if this be the case another " little war " may
perhaps be the consequence of the exchange.
The subjoined extract from a letter in the Friend of India
of the 6th ultimo affords some useful information relative to
the Shikargabs, or hunting-grounds, about which so much
was said at the time of our negotiations' with the Ameers
of Sinde, anterior to the deposal of those unfortunate
princes : _

" These Shikargahs are now under the coatrol of the
officer denominated superintendent of canals and forests, who
has a separate establishment for their conservance under a
ranger of forests. One of them, in the neighbourhood of
Hyderabad, has been, in the first place, as an experiment,
subjected to the treatment proposed to be adopted with re-
gard to all ; and this experiment has been eminently suc-
cessful, in so far as the return has more than covered the ex-
penditure. The sources of pecuniary return which these
forests supply are the large timber available for building
purposes ; small and fallen wood, useful as firewood for the
steamers as well as for the public; the gum afforded by the
several species of acacia, and the bark of the acacias and
mimosas, used for tanning, besides the excellent pasture, ob-
tained within the limits of the Shikargahs. The measures
pursued in their conservance consist chiefly in clearing away
the great amount of underwood, and fallen and decayed
timber, and removing trees from the more dense parts of the
Shikargah, with the regulation of the rented pasture lands,
and general superintendence of the forests, with a view to
their preservation from accidental or malicious injury, or un-
authorised destruction of timber. It is probable that the
benefits of the system, which has proved successful in the
experimental forest, will be extended to such of the others as
promise a similar measure of success, whilst the more worth•
-
less, which are scarcely deserving of a higher name than
jungle, may be restored to cultivation. It is also proposed to
attempt. the cultivation of other useful forest trees not indi-
genous to Sinde or already existing in the Shikargahs."