The Sun. — 1857-08-04 (London, England)

VITABLR FATE.  (From a Correspondent of the Morning Advertiser.) Delhi, OEC',' the capital of Hindostan, the boost of India, and the teat of the Great Mt gul, was captured in 1193 by the Mahommedans under Coott..obo.Tdeen Khan, wl,o fixed his residence there. In 1398, it Wes stormed, pillaged, and reduced to a heap of ruins by Tamerlane. In 1631 ShahJehan founded the new ci-y on the west bank of the Jumna. During the reign of his third son, the revenue amounted to 4,000,0001. sterling, and the population was estimated at 2,000,000. It continued to prosper until 1739, when Nadir Shah invaded it, massacred 100,000 inhalifants, and colletned 62,000,000/. sterling of plunder. It was again pillaged in 1756 by Ahmed Abdallah, and in 1788, Ghotam Kaudir, the Roh.ra, 'made himself master of this city, starved and tottured many of the nobles, and put out the eyes of the King, -0 compel him to a disclosure f supposed concealed treasure. Ile was at length forced to abandon the city, by Madhajee Sindia, and was himself put to death by the same kind of torture he had inflicted on others. In 1803 it came into possession of the British by the victories of Lord Lake, and has sines teen gradually recovering under our rule, from its former misfortunes.  As it is now again threatened with utter destruction by our besieging army, we will take a hasty glance at its position, and we'gh our chances of immediate success.  As has been mentioned before in the columns of your valuable journal, the ruins of ancient Delhi extend over many miles. Modern Delhi is built on two rockyeminencei, and contains many palaces and mosques. The present city is seven miles in circumference, and is surrounded on three sides by a high wall, while tae fourth, or eastern, side, is washed and protected by the river alumna. The city has seven principal gates, the Lahore, Ajmeer, Turcoman, Delhi, Mohur, Cabul, and Cashmere, all built of freestone. The latter has already been mentioned as the one by which probably our victorious troops will enter the city. The streets are narrow with the exception of two; the first leading from the palace, of which we shall presently speak, to the Delhi gate, and the second from the palace to the Lahore gate. The breadth (.f the first, called Chandnee-ceokee (Silversmithstreet), which was the scene of the late foul murders, is about equal to Pall-mall. The city contains a great number of mosques and -dilapidated palaces, all surrounded by high walls which will no doubt be defended after the entry of our troops, and give much trouble. Above all is seen the imperial palace, a very high and extensive cluster of gothic towers and battlements. It was built by Shah Jehan on the bank of the Jumna, and is surrounded on three sides by an embattled wall, 60 feet high, built of red granite, wi h Martel° towers, and two massive gateways, ' each defended by an outer barbican of l'ss height, and the whole surrounded by a wide moat. The palace is a strong fort in it,elf, the wails have been well kept in repair by ourselves, and furnished with au ample supplement of heavy guns. According to General Barnard's despatch of the B'h of June, the troops were occupying the cantonments outside the city. The distance is about a mile, and the elevated position of our force would enable General Barnard to open a destructive fire from the Siege Train, which had just come in when our last advises left the able and gallant general's head-guar ers. The destructirn and loss of life which our shot and shell will cause in the densely-populated city must be fesrful, as the population consists of about 150,000, to which we may add about 50,000 insurgents and plunderers. It is not impossible that General Barnard, after 48 hours of incesant bombardment, may have attacked the insurgents, who were opposing an advanced force of about 10,000 again-t us outside the walls of the city. Under the prestige of his repeated successes, and aided by one of those happy combinations which are not unprecedented in military history, he may have gained a gate simultaneously wih the flying rebels, and thus secured an entrance to the town.  While we play thit such a glorious achievement on the part of our brave troops may prove true, we must not forget that the consummation is as yet hardly more than a fond hope, although rumour. to the effect had reached the three main ports of the presidencies. We must not act on the assumption, but fully prepare for the most arduous'task which has ever been cut out for British troops in India.