The Republican journal., 1877-05-24
True Story OF the Sepoy Rebellion.


February, 1857, at Berhamporc, succeed
ed during the month of May by the mu-
tiny and massacre at Mecrut, Delhi, and
Lucknow, and the proclamation of the
Mogul Empire Then, with appalling
sWlftness, followed the atrocities of Caun-
pore, Delhi and Lucknow, by which time
England, in the white heat Of her wrath
had thrown her legions into the Hindos-
stane lungles and the sWarthy devils
were sent hOWling to the mountains, or
distributed over the surrounding country
| from the throats of her cannon, while
Mana Sahib slipped across the northern
boundary into Thibet, where he seems to
| have vanished torevertro human pursuit
1t was during the early summer of
| 1887, when the lurid fires of insurrection
| famed for hundreds of miles along the
upper Ganges, that the banking firm of
Boreman & Brother, of Calcutta be
came much exercised over the nOn-arriyal
| OF messenger Of theirs that had started
| from Allahabad, i'll the month of May.
lhlS city lies on the Gangcs about five
hundred miles from Calcutta. in the very
| heart OF the mutinous district.
Boreman & Brother had purchased the
famous Singee diamond in Allahabad, at
an enormous price. the draft having been
| forwarded by their messenger. In the
early part of May, Il telegram WAS re-
ceived from the parties from whom the
gem was purchased, saying that the draft
was III their hands the diamond had been
turned over to Nuddec. the messenger,
who had started homcWa,l ON the day
| preceding
This was we'll enough, though their
man was fully Il fortnight late, due no
doubt to the disturbed state of the region
| through which he was travelling. just
! one week later, came a dispatch in cipher
from Nuddec, stating that lie had reached
Benares, and would leave again in the
course of a few hours, the diamond being
safely III his possession. This telegram
WAS delivered to Borcman & Brother so
| soon after being sent that they immedi-
atelN replied, advising their agent in ease
he found himself IN personal danger to
conceal the jewel i'll some secure place,
telegraphlng them ut the same time
cipher directions how they should find it.
This message was returned from the
Calcutta office, with the information that
it could not be forwarded, as the tee-
graph Wire had Just been cut east of Be
| tineers. In the expressive language of
one OF the telegraphists, '.lIell was to
pay up the Ganges, for all the devils
were loose Some months must yet
clapse before amy headWay could be made
against the Sepoys, during which it is
| we'll known they were guilty Of massacrcs
and atrocities unparalleled in savage wal
fare.
Boreman & Brother could only wait in
the hope that the shrewdncss and cum
ming Of their agent would bring him and
his jewel through in safety. There was
so much anguish and apprehension in
Calcutta, and indeed through all Eng
land, at that day, for the safety of the
thousands exposed to the fury of the mu-
tinecrs, that it is not likely the bankers
| would have received much sympathy,
great as was the financial stake involved.
Nuddee carried tWo-thrds of their en-
tire wealth about him in the shape of
that wonderful brilliant diamond. and it
was natural that they should feel solicit
GUS. There seemed to be good reason to
hope for the best. The agent was Il ma
tive, who had travelled up and down the
Gangcs for the preceding ten Years. in
the interest Of the bankers, and no one
could be more familiar than he with his
own country and people.
The peril lay perhaps in this Very fact.
Nuddcc had been in the business SO long
that there must be many who knew it,
aware too that he frequently carried the
most valuable kind Of property about
him. Beside this he was Il devout Hin
doc, wherein lay the unknown quantity
as it may be called. Ii was not at all im-
possible that he would be swept away bv
the rush and swirl of the insrrrection. in
which event the diamond would be sure
to go with him.
Ben;ues lies AGO miles northwest from
Calcutta, and in the state OF broken COM
municatiOn, and the rebellion suruund-
ing the city, the bankers concluded that
q fortnight at the utmost Ought to bring
him home, especially us fully half that
distance could he made 10y public con-
VeNance.
But three weeks had come and gone,
and not Il word had been heard from
Nuddee, who they began to SUSPECT was
robbed, killed or drawn into the ranks of
the mutlneers.
CASH, the splendid us the name Be
mares Signifies has been regarded for
the iIindoos, and its stationary popula-
ton twenty years ago was over half q
million. During certain festivals it is
three and four times us great. Here is
the famous temple, NisWesWar or Biscsar,
dedicated to silva. the destroyer, before
whom for ages the most bloody sacrifices
| of idolatry had been made. The Euro
pcan population mainly dwell in the
suburb Of Scroll. several miles FROM the
main city.
There was no trouble with the troops
of Benares through the month of May
Early in June, however, there was mutiny
| in the loodiana (Silh) regiment, which,
fortunately. was suppressed. About the
same time Il number of inccndiarV fires
| broke out in the cantonments, IL short
distance from the city. Colonel Ncill
attempted to disarm the nsubordnatc
Thirty seventh Regiment on the ith,
when bloody conflict occurred With
out attempting, however, to give an ac-
count OF the siege of Benares, we have
| only to say hat it was at the very gloom
| lest period that Nuddee, the messenger,
| made his way out the city and resumed
| his journey toward Calcutta.
AS Il matter Of precaution he assumed
| the character of a member of the Loo
diana Regiment, mounted on Il horse
stolen from 4 murdered English officer,
and carrying a secret message from Mana
Sahib to Patna, where he hoped to make
| trouble. He counted ON his intimate
| knowledge OF the country but he was Il
| little uneasy lest he should meet a party
who would recognize him and 90 for the
property he carried about his clothes
Nuddee debated the question more than
once Of burying the diamond, but after
the perfection of 4 little artificc of his he
was not convinced Of the necessity Just
yet and SO he pushed ahead, hopeful that
| if the worst should come he would be able
to hide the precious jewel somewhere
about his person where the prying fin
gers and eyes of his enemies would fail
to find it.
There must have been tumultuous
struggle in the heart of the swathy Hin