Star.
London, England, 1807-03-30 00:00:00

MUT!Nr 47 YELLORE.

Although no detailed accounts have yet been re•
ceived, or at leaft made public, of the circumftances
which led to the melancholy catallrophe at Vellore,
fome part of the correfpondence which paired between
Gercral Craddock, the Madras Government, and the
principal officers of the General Staff in that eflablifh-

ment refpeßing the fuppofed origin of the mutiny, has
tranfpired.
From this it appears, that foon after the arrival of
General Craddock, at Madras, three fepoys of a bat•
talion commanoed by Major Bole, arrived at the
Prefidency from Arcot—wea. ing turbans, which had
been made up under the diretlion of that officer, and
which, in his opinion, were cheaper, more military,
and convenient than the turbans then worn through-
nut the army. Thefe men were.infpetled by General
Craddock, and their turbans approved of, and, in
confequence, turbans of this defcription were prepared
for all the native infantry in the foulice. It appears,
alto, that a general fpirit of averfion against the new
turban was manifefled by different corps of the army.
At Vellore, the fecond battalion of the 4th regiment

ohje.ted to the innovation at an early period—:--and as
they betrayed their feelings in a manner contrary to
military difcipline, the ringleaders were brought to
trial, two of the principals punifhed, and the others
pardoned. In Seringapatam, which contained a nu-
merous gartifon cf native troops, great diffatisfa4tion
prevailed ; and, as General Craddock Rates, it was
the clmmon cry, " that the next attempt would be to
make the Sepoys Chrillians."
The Commander in Chief, in confer-pence of the
general repugnance again(t this regulation, felt him-
fell placed in a fituation of peculiar difficulty, be-
tween his with not to wound the prejudices of the
Sepoys and his defire to maintain military difcipline.
" He was aware that force and punifhment might
overcome individual oppofition, but that the general
diflike to the meafure would not abate, and that the

frequent occurrence of feverity might produce bad
confequences." He therefore addreffed a letter to
the Governor in Council, requefiing the advice of
Government refpeeing the meafures to be purfued.
On the 7th of July laft he received an anfwer from
the Madras Government, in which it was acknow-
ledged "that from the difficulty which had occurred
in carrying into effect the late alteration in the drefs
of the Native Corps, the Government were led to
think that it might have been deferable to have avoided
the adoption of it ;" but concurring in opinion with
refpeet to the injury that might wife from receding
an Al which had received the confirmation of public
authority, and, at the fame time, wishing to tran-
quillize the minds of the Native Troops, they re•
commend to the General that an order Ihould be
immediately iffued, under the authority of Govern-
ment, conveying " a general affurance of there being
no intention to introduce any change incompatible
with the laws or ufages of the natives." This expe-
dient, however, does not appear to have been reforted
to ; but General Craddock, in one of his letters to
Lord W. Bentinck, acknowledges " that the order
was calculated to preferve jug authority, and to do
away any prejudices that might exift upon the im-
puted difregard to the right attached to Call or an-
cient cuflorn."
On the r6t h of July, previous to which the mutiny
occurred at Vellore, General Craddock, who had ar-
rived there, wrote to Colonel Agnew, the Adjutant-
General, Dating, " that perfons who have an intereft
on the occafion declare, that a very general diffatif-
faeion prevailed in the army at the peri.)d of the
dreadful occurrence at Vellore, on account of the
adoption of the turban, but more efpecially the late
order, that prohibited all marks in the face to denote
calls, or fees, and the injunaion to cut the feveral
mauftaches to a common pattern." The General alfo
appears to have entertained " the greateft inquietude,
that it was in the power of poffibility that infringement
of the Sepoys rights and prejudices, dear to them as
life ! Ihould originate with him, who as much as any
man inlnclia relpefted their immemorial ufages." The
General then calls upon Colonel Agnew and his De-
puty, Major Pearfe, to give every explanation on that
particular point—whether any innovation had been
introduced? or whether it was a cnrainuance of the
long practice of the army? The General Dated, that
is fuch it had been reprefented to him by thefe Of-
ficers, when the orders about to be publifhed were
read in their prefence, and in the prefence of Colonel
Orr, the Q!arter-Mafter General—the Commander
in Chief then obferves, that he had perufed there
orders in communication with the Officers lalt men-
tioned, that he might derive information from the
great experience which they pofTeffed on local points;
that he had particularly adverted to the order in
queflion, and was aff!rred by thefe Officers that it was
the eltablifhed military cultom.
A letter was all.) written to Major Pearfe,-in fub-
Dance the fame, from whole anfwer it appears, that
on the infpeeion of the books of native corps, it was
deemed neceffary to ettablifh a code of (landing or-
ders for all the regiments of native infantry, and that
Major Pearfe, by the define of General Craddock,
undertook to prepa:e it, and that it was accordingly
publifhed on the 13th of March, tBo6. The com-
pilation was principally founded upon ltanding orders
ellabliffied by the late General Braithwaite, when
Colonel of a regiment of European infantry, for that
corps," a; ith the requifite deviations to render it ap-
plicable to native troops—and in reference to Come of
the moll approved regulations formerly in force in
native battalions." Wt en this compilation was read,
Pearfe acknowledges that the loth paragraph
of the t nth feetion attraeled General Craddock's no•
tice, who inquired, " whether it would interfere with
the prejudices of the natives ?" That the Major
anfwered, under the fame impreffinn that had in-
duced him to infer[ it (as did the Adjutant General
to the fame effect) that it wouldnot, and that it was not
the custom in well regulated corps for native foldiers
to appear in the manner forbid by that paragraphs."
ni.:jor Pearfe then Oates, that during his military
fervice as the public Staff Officer of a nation (corn-
manded by an officer who enforced difcipline, but
attended to the prejudices of the foldiers), and as a
Brigade Major at Vellore, he considered it to be his
duty, when infpeeling Native Sepoys, to tut n them off
• Par. to, feet. t It is ordered by the Regulations, that a
Native Fal.:icr than not mark his faze, or denote his C.dt, or wear
car-rings when drrffcd i.l h.+ uniforms: and it is furthet directed,
that at ad parades and upon .1 duties every foldier of the battalion
(hall be clean glared on the chin. I: is directed “Ifo. th unifor-
mity mall, for far as it is pc be p-cferved, regard to the
quaatity and tisane of the hair upon the upper 16).”

the parade if they appeared with Marks on :heir faces,
or with rings in 'felr ears, in the fame manner as he
lkould have rcj .:1:d them if they had been dirty in
their ,'refs, or defective in their arms or appointments.
Major Pearfe denies that the -recent melancholy
event at Vellia-e was fairly imputable rr the orders in
'queflion, but obfcrves, "' th'at it night be traced to
that i:nptacable hoftile fpir it againfi Etitripean domi-
nion, that could transfirm a foid;.,'J turn firezu into
the iloy croft; .that could excite the ai .ifiCers at
Wallajabad to refute to work, after the arris al of the
news that Tippoo's fops were in p-ff: (lion of the fort
at Vellore ; and that could nccafi 'n the (licking up
of placards in the mi,lques about Madras, and calling
upon the peo-ple to rally in defence of the true faith;
a fpirit which, from report, a pears to have been very
generally diffafed, and to have been particularly in-
Rifled into the minds of the Native Troops at Vellore."
In the anfwer of CoL•nel Agnew, it is Rated, that
when the paragraph of the (landing orders refpeEling
the Mark of Cafl:, was read by Major Pearle to the
Commander in Chief, he (C.,lnnel Agnew) confider-
ed it as the mere recital of what had long been prac-
tifed in well.l egolated corps. under the received cuf-
tom.Of the fervice, although, like many other cuftoma,
not effiecially dire" ed by airy formal order, it was
not always rigidly enforced. That this opinion had
been by him expreffed to the Commander in Chief,
when his excellency Rated any date to touch in any
Drape on the culoms

111,1RKLAN E.

CORN EXCHANGE, MARCH 30.

The frefh fupply of Wheat to day is confiderable,
and good famples fetch 14 price, but other qualities
'are very dull in fale, at a (mall reduetion in prices.
Of Barley the arrivals are very confiderable, acd this
trade is lower—Malt likewife—White and Grey Seas
are at lets—Beans of each tort are rather cheaper—
There are many &At arrivals of Oats, and this article
is alfo fornewhat lower—Flour without alteration.

GENITAL CURRENCY Al UNDRR
Wheat. 483 651 Bos per qr. Orey Peale 43s 47s od
Fine Ditto, 841 86s od Beans, (old) 40s 468 od
Rye. 421 46. od Tick Ditto (old) 341 4os od
Barley, 361425 6d Oats, 225 265 SOS
Malt, 68s 75s Poland alto 31s 315 0..1
White Peafe,.(Boilers) 745 821 Rape Seed, 281 3tl —s
Fine Flour 653 to 70s. Seconds 6os to 655.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE, MARCH 28.
Average Price cf Corn in England and VI ales, from the Returns
ending March as, 11307.
Wheat. Rye. I Barley. Oats. Beans. Peak..
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d s. d
76 5 47 II 38 s s 6 9 43 a 48 0
The average Price of Sugar, computed frOm the Returns made in
the week ending March 25,11 345. told. per hundred weight.