The New York herald., 1869-06-07


FrcnchmaR-An Eastern Reform.
LUCKNOW, March 80, 1869.
Alahabad Cthe City OF God) Is located at the juno
ton OF the Jumna and the Ganges. 1t mas been
sidered stronghold In India ever since the Moham-
medan conquest, and Is now garrisoned by very
large force OF British troops. The rivers OF India
are subject to overflow when the rains fall as they
do In india the rainfall In some places reaching 800
inches per annum. The Jumna runs with q velocity
of nine miles per hour and has been known to rise
th!rty-six feet In three days The rivers being low
now, the vast expanse Of sand left the banks by
former freshets gave the junction desoate appear
ance. The Hindoo mythology teaches that three
rivers unite here, although only two are visible to
mortal eyes. The third is q celestial stream which
flows directly from heaven, and adds its purified
waters to those of the Ganges anu the Jumna The
junction is. therefore, very sacred pace of resort
ana thousands of Hindoos come here every year to
wash away their sins in the swift running current
When pilgrim arrives on the banks he sits down
and has his head and body shaved, that each hair
may fall into the sacred stream He is promised
million OF years enjoyment in heaven for every hair
that fails into the stream. This is good premium
on hair and II ~ possible that Allahabal would be
a good location for . fr!C class barber shop.
The railway bridge across the Jumna is u stupcn
dous work. Its enure length is 3,22i feet, with
fifteen openings of 2O5 feet clear The piers are
sunk dfy feet in the sand and are OF stone with a
supers,ruoon OF wrought iron grders, two for each
line of rails. The train passes over the top OF the
gIriers and public road is undernea h. A viaduct
OF twentyfour inches OF thirty feet each, is erected
ment reaches from the south. About E5OOO0 Of
British capital has been eXpende in these stupen-
dous works. TIE East India Railway has been con-
structed u government guarantee OF i've per
cent per annum.
The fort at the junction Of the Jumna and the
Ganges is one Of the strongholds OF India, and has
cost about 90, 900, 900.
If Allahabad was ever as it's name implies, "the
City of God," it has changed owners for the worse
for more dsagreeable pace can scarcely be found
even on the plains OF India. The confluence Of the
two great rivers and the extraordinary variations OF
rise and fail to which they subjected, has spread
waste OF sand over the adjoining country which
IN the dry season eddies and whrls in small simoons
very much to the annoyance OF the traveller. We
remained only long enough TO pay our respects to
his honor Sir William Muir, the Lieutenant Cover
nor OF the Northwest Provinces (of which Allaha-
bad Is the capiral. and pushed on to Cawnpore.
OF all ths terrible history OF the Sepoy mutiny in
1857 nothing Is sad the history OF Cawnpore In
the last month OF June that year the British garr
suddenly required by the mutny OF the native
PLAIN exposed TO the burning sum- ms a defence for
themselves and as q shelter for the womt n and chill
dren under taelr protection. Alter defence of
nearly month, vainy hoping for relief from Luck
now. the garrison, having been very much reduced,
agreed TO terms of surrender Ior the purpose OF
saving the lives of the women anu children. By the
terms OF the surrender they were 10 be furnished
with boats and allowed TO descend the Ganges, but
alas Tor Asi9tc ialth only two OF the men lived TO
tell the STORY or CawnpOre Mana Sahib, the chief
instgator OF the mutny, managed tins affair IN per-
As soon a. the garrison had surrendered their
p=T enT ms infr ftNA
embark in the boats they were fired upon IRON an
anbuscade, ana all but two captured and confined IN
prison. The Sepoys were commanded to fire upon
the prisoners, but the instinct they had acquired as
British soldiers prevented obed ence and they fired IN
the ar. oaiu OF assasslns We're then turned
IN with swords among tine wounded prisoners. help-
less women and innocent pratting children. Il was
the snort cleaning which precedes the sunset III
bindostan, Wben the SAND IN the atmosphere gives
tine sun the appearance OF molten copper 10 was
the last sunset Tor those unfortunate men, women
and children, so lar from England and so helpless
In the morning they were all dead, except a lew
moaning women and q lew prattng children who
had been concealed under piles or the slain In the
morning, before the sun could shed his burning rays
upon the mutlated bodies, they were all thrown
into we'll some of the women yet shriekng and
some OF the children yet alive. They very far
from home and very helpless in that remote part OF
India but they were fortunately, the subjects OF a
government which can revenge ali under lts care,
whether " be IN the Jungles OF India. the mountains
OF Abysalnla or the rivers OF CnIna.
1hat massacre at Cawnpore has fastened the yoke
on the HtndoO more securely now than ~ was
before, and for hundred years the SepOy, crouch.
ing by the camp fire, Will whisper 10 his
comrade OF the terrible retribution and warn him OF
the danger OF mutIny The grounds around the well
In which Inis great company OF Christian people,
chiefly women and children. " were butchered and
buried, have been enclosed and ornamented with
shrubbery and mowers over the grave mound
has been raised on which is enclosed circular
stone platform the celebrated statue designed by
Baron Marocnett has been placed upon it. The
statue represents an angel OF mercy win folded
wings looking mournfully over the earh The
grounds are under the protection Of the government
and no native OF india IL allowed 70 pollute the sa
cred enclosure by his presence.
This great tragedy, which closed the Infamous
career OF Mana SahD Is all that makes the name OF
Cawnpore a familiar word IN history. lt ls a
very quiet village Of fifty thousand native IN.
habitants, q military station and point OF diver
Rence to Lucknow on the East India Railway. As
we had nothing more to see at Cawnpore we crossed
the Gangps on bridge OF boats ard took the cars
for Lucknow, the ancient capital OF the kingdom OF
Hudb
The garrison at Lucknow endured one OF the most
formidable sleges Of modern times, against fearful
odds. From June tn November-all through that
frightful indian summer-tlnt little garrison pent
M in the Resldency 500 miles IRON Calcutta and
thousands of miles from England, defended them
selves against the hordes OF sepoys they had taught
TOO well the OF arms. The number OF enemies
this garrison had to contend against has never been
numDered-the whole country surrounded with mu-
tineers thousands and thousands OF whom gathered
around the little garrison keeping it under continual
ERE for Eve months. The buildings are preserved In
the same condition in which they remainei after the
siege was raised-rddled with shot from roof TO |
basement. The women and children were put In the |
cellar OF the building TO preserve them.
rhe sand wastes on the banks of the Ganges are |
something frightful-such as we have no specimen |
OF in Amerlca-not even on the Missouri, the |
Rio Grande. the Colorado or the Gila In fact |
the best way to improve your good opinion OF |
your country is TO travel IN another. The so.
called deserts between the Rio Grande and the Colo
RADIO are Infinitely richer than the famous East In
dies. They only lack the laboring population. IL |
was with great pleasure that found ourselves in
the ancient capital OF Dude, the beautiful city OF
Lucknow. We made o discovery here winch but |
few travellers can boast OF In India. We found an
actual living landlord attending TO his own hotel. IL
WA ImDeria 4
name but shall always remember his face.
Colonel Barron, the government commissioner OF |
Dude, did not leave us long 20 the mercy Of publ.
can but very kindly undertook TO accompany us to /
the principal places OF interest In LUCKNOW.
We had seen great many interesting places In /
India, but we were scarcely prepared TO fnd the |
largest room In the world IN Lucknow. The great /
lmambarra built by ono OF the kings OF Dude "a
q citadel, and one OF the rooms was set apart for
the most solemn ceremonies Of the Moslem worship.
The architects were required, IN presenting "prO- |