Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-06-04
SACK OF THE BEGUM'S PALACE

The English correspondent of the London
Times gives detailed accounts of the fall Of
Lucknow. The following extract relating to
the sack Of the Begun Palace, is interesting
In the next court which was sheltered from
fire by the walls around it, our men had made
great seizure of plunder. They had burst
III o some of the state apartments, and they
were engaged in dividing the spoil of shawls
and lace, and embroidery Of gold and silver
and pearls. In Il nook OF this court where
there was u little shade, we retired to rest
ourselves, as there was no means of approach
ing the front, part Of the buildings being on
fire, and explosions of mines feared every mo-
mont. Two men of the goth were in before us,
and assisted la'er by some OF the 3oth, we
saw them appropriate moneys worth enough
to make them independent for life. Tie
rooms of this nook had been used as stores
by the King or some wealthy member of his
household, and each moment these men went
in only to emerge with richer trophy. In
one box they found diamond bracelets, eme-
raids, rubics, pearls and opals, all so lorge and
bright and badly set, that we believed at the
time they were glass. In another was pair
Of gold-mounted duelling pistols, Of English
max, and the bill stating that His Majesty,
the King of Dude, owed the maker 1880
then out they came with bundles of swords,
gold-mounted and jeweed, which they at
once knocked to pieces for the sake of the
mountings, leaving the blades behind them,
Next came out a huge chymical laboratory,
then gold saddle-cloth studded with pearls /,
then gold-handled riding g-canes; then cups
of agate and jade, gold-mounted and
jewelled then-but | must really stop this
brokers' inventory. The happy possessors
of these riches were quite mad with ex-
citement. /" Is this gold, sir? ?" sis that a
diamond?" sis your honor shure that's raal
! (parties) worth anything, gintlemen !" 1t
was great drawback to have conscience
under such circumstances greater not to
have penny in ones pockets, for in this
country no one except an old stager on the
lookout for loot carries tarthing about him =,
and, as one of the soldiers observed, "These
J here concerns only carries on the readymon-
| ey transactions :" He was an experienced
operator, that gentleman. If native soldier
came in and walked off with anything which
| he found in dark corner, out pounced our
friend upon him, rifle in hand, ''Leave that
there, | tell you. put that there myself
and there was something in his eye which
explained his meaning so clearly that the
article was at once abandoned, and if found
to be valuable was retained if not, was
"made a present Of" Close to us Were
large boxes of japanned work which contain
ed literally thousands of cups and vessels OF
jade, of crystal and of china, which the
soldiers were listlessly throwing on the ground
and breaking into atoms. Had the enemy
made strong attack on us as that moment,
not one-halt of our troops could have beer
collected to repel it, And such were tn,
scenes through every court of the many man
sions Of the Kaiserbagh, Meantime intelli
gence reached the Chief of the staff that th'
women of the Zenana were secreted in on
of the strongest parts of the kaiserbagh
Some engineer officers, whose names do no
know Captain Hope Johnstone, of Genera
Mansiield's staff; and Lieutenant Colone
johnson, B. A., with two companies of tn
38th, Immediately proceeded to the spot int
which some of our soldiers had already force
} an entrance, In doing So the son of one G
the Begums, deaf and dumb youth of ?
! years of age, and two or three Of the ladie
5 of the Zenana were unfortunately killed b
s a discharge of musketry when the 1oors Wei
burst in, before the soldiers saw that the
: were women. Il may be imagined what
s state of terror the Besums and their after
! dants Were in when our mon entered. The
: expected death every instant, aud their ag