The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-21 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY. AUG 'ST 21

OVERLAND MAIL.

The f.llowing appeared in the second edition of the
Standard of last evening :

" We have just received by Extraorfiinary Expresc,
in anticipation' of the C?ibutia Overipnd Mail, the
following letters from our Calothta and Bombay cor-
respondents:— - -

CALCUTTA, JULY 3.
The lapse of three weeks since my last dispatch has not,
I fear, enabled me to collect materials tor a very interesting
epistle it this occasion. We complain here of the barren-
ness of the English mails, which bring nt little of exciting

intelligence, except such as relates to the murders which are
t,coming so fashionable among you. You, on the ether
hand, have some reason to retaliate in rem:irks upon ;he
dullness of the Indian news market, which supplies nothing
more interesting luau vague speculations on the next out-
breaks among the Seikhs, and di,.cussions on tariffs, anti. mis-
sionary movements and lawyers' bills, instead of announce-
ments of hattlps fought and victories won.
A native payr reports a most horrible case of dacoity, or
gang robbe►y, in a district near Calcutta. A band of dacoits
attacked and entered the house of a Brahmin, whose family
comprised an unusual number of women. These on the at-
tack retired to a room, locked themselves in, and from the

inside parleyed Kith the rubbers, offering them all their
jewels and um:la:veto if they might be spared from
insult : injury The ruffians, however, broke into
the rom. aof p'..ceeded to divest the poor women
of their and clothes; and, it is almost
ton monstrous fur belief, when the ring or bangle
from the arm or ancle did not come away easily,
they cut off the limb. After mutilating ten or twelve
women in this horrible manner, they retired with their
booty. Some of their victims have died from their wounds,
it is said. This tale may be true or it may be false ; it
seems incredible, but who shall assign a limit to the barba-
rity of lichen robbers ! ,What would you English papers
make of.uch an horror as this ? Here, even if the report be
coniii rind, a brief paragraph will be its only record.
The estate of the rajah of Berhampore, who committed
suicide last year, has lately been the subject of some sharp
practice between the Court of Wards and the Ecclesiastical
Registrar. The latter got hold of the property in Calcutta,
and sent an auctioneer to Berhampore to dispose of the pro.
perty there. The collector, acting as representative of the
Court of Wards, threatened the auctioneers with imprison-
ment, &c., if they appeared on the premises, so they were
obliged to return to Calcutta without effecting the
object of their mission. The Court of Wards then sent
up other auctioneers who • have sold the property,
and as it is said very well toe, but the Registrar threatens
them with pains and penalties, from which however they are
of course held harmless by the Court of Wards which em-
ployed them. The rajah's widow has given birth to a
daughter, and by the provisions of the will the bulk of the
property therefore goes to found a college at Berhampore.
The widow, however, it is said, is about to bring forward
another will, which if admitted, as.however it is hardly
likely to be, will alter the state of affairs considerably, by
giving her the power to adopt an heir.
A very annoying accident occurred near Calcutta lately.
A fine suspension bridge, the longest, it is said, in India, just
as it was completed, fell into the water. It was thrown over
the Buloo Khal, a creek a few miles up the river.
Letters have been received from the Punjaub, which state
that the recent tranquillity has been broken by a battle, or
skirmish, between Peshora Singh and the royal army, in
which the former had the advantage, but did not follow it up.

I have no recent news from China.
The English mail of the 7th May reached Calcutta on the
19th June, and the Precursor, with that of the 24th May, is
in the river, but, being linable to go into the City to-day, I
do not know if she is off town.

BOMBAY, JULY a

Very little news has transpired since my last. People
dsuallc• keep quiet during the rainy season in India, and the
country at present exhibits nought but the tintst gratifying
and exemplary tranquillity. That terrible scourge, cholera,
has made its appearance in almost every station in western
India, and has not only committed serious ravages amongst
,he native community, but has cut off a good many Eu-
ropeans. In the Yu. jail!), Peshaw;►r. &c., it has been fright-
fully prevalent, nod at one time, in the city of Lahore alone,
it was striking down five and six hundred daily : latterly the
deaths are reported at fifty and sixty, and the total number
that have fallen in the sickly capital and its environs since