INDIA. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 781, 26 January 1853, Page 3

INDIA. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

By the Chusan we received Bombay papers to the 2nd October. The latest news from the Barman expedition was to the 9th of September. At that time preparations were busily making for the advance of a strong force up the River Irawaddy, from Rangoon, on the 18th, to retake possession of Proroe, which it was understood was to be made the basis of future operations. It will be remembered that on the 9th July Captain Tarleton, who had been despatched with four steamers up the river to reconnoitre, made a bold dash at Protne, and took it without loss, having circumvented a strong entrenched force of Burmese assembled to defend it, by steaming up a shallow creek or channel, then deepened by the rains. Having no soldiers with him, Captain Tarleton, after despatching one of his steamers, the Proserpine, further up the river, in search of an alleged force of Burmese war-boats, returned to Rangoon, having first removed from the Burmese entrenched camp (the Burmese decamping on finding their position turned) above 20 guns. The Burmese it was ascertained subsequently returned to Prome, and put to death all the villagers who they could learn, assisted or gave information to the British. It is noticeable that the British forces found the villagers along the river everywhere friendly, and disposed to welcome them as deliverers from a hated yoke. The further operations of the British were stated to be complicated by the unwillingness of the commander of the land forces, Gen. Godwin, to prosecute the campaign by going up the river to the upper cities or the capital, Ava or

Umerapoora, in the steamers, as the steamers came in for the lion's share of the praise : and that his determination was to march up overland. This course was condemned as one of fatal promise, from the length of journey to be traversed in a sickly season, after heavy rains, through an enemy's country. Whether the visit to Rangoon of Lord Dalhousie, the Go-vernor-General, had any effect in restoring harmony or hastening the movements of the army is not stated, but the prudence and firmness of Lord Dalhousie are praised on all sides, and contrasted with the inglorious conduct of Sir William Goram, the Coramander-in- Chief, who was passing his time in the cool stations on the Himalayas, and in the Punjaub. The Burmese forces were not however disposed to allow the British to remain perfectly quiet at Rangoon, gathering in the neighbourhood and cutting off stragglers, and on one occasion venturing to construct a small battery, from which they unexpectedly firad right into the British position, but speedily abandoned their guns on a small detachment charging them. It was rumoured, but scarcely believed, that the Burmese intended to attack them at Rangoon in force, and it was believed that a strong entrenched camp had been formed by the Burmese so tie seven miles inland from Perth. Steam Via the Caps. — The screw- steamer Queen of the South had arrived at Calcutta after a passage of 72 days from Plymouth. She was in port 12 days and 5 hours at differ ent places on the route, so that she was actually under steam 59 days and 16 hours, giving an average speed something under 9 miles an hour. She only brought two passengers to Calcutta, and did not take away many more. Fearful Accident. — A fearful accident occurred about half past three o'clock in the afternoon of Monday, in the Company's yard at Kidderpore, by the fall of a shed, the end of the shed giving way first, and beam after beam, and truss after truss came down in succesion, till all was in ruins, not a stick having been left standing. As far as we can learn, there were upwards of 44 men at work, of whom 38 were more, or less wounded, out of which 1 1 have been sent to the hospital, all | very badly hurt, some with skulls fractured, others with broken legs and arms, and one poor fellow was supposed to have his back broken. Altogether, it was a most frightful sight, and how it happened that none were killed on the spot, it is difficult to conjecture ; there was not a moment's warning before all were buried beneath the ruins. The shed, it appears was a very old one, having been erected in the time of the late Mr. Kidd, long before the works became the property of the Government. It is supposed that the accident happened from the giving way of some of the tie rods, or the coming loose of some of the nuts at the ends, and the great additional weight of the falling trusses carried the rest before them. Had the accident happened two hours sooner, there would have been 100 men at work at the time. — Englishman, August 25.