INDIAN NEWS.

Colonist, Issue 54, 27 April 1858, Page 3

INDIAN NEWS.

TO THE 12th OF FEBI&ARY

Htfk' Majesty> steamship Magaera had arrived at Sydney for the purpose of conveying the 77th' Regiment and Artillery forces to India.

Although bringing nominally, almost, a month's later news, the papers contain little intelligence of interest.1 They confirm tho estimate we had already formed of the present condition of the mutiny, viz., that as a rebellion it was completely aridfirially extinguished, and that the only work remaining for the British arms is to put down the isolated bands of marruders" that continue to infest some portions of the country —arid for British statesmanship, to consolidate on a new and juster basis the future empire in the East. The most note-worthy event is the trial of the King of Delhi, which, although it had lasted five days, was still proceedingwhen the steamer sailed. It commenced on the 27th of January. \ '- : .The system of flying columns was working extremely well. Several strong bodies of insurgents had,been cut up or dispersed. Trie-troops o f> Jung Bahadoor, th#Ne■pauiSle had..gained a great victory over the Rajah of Gondah.

• Tlie;oaptaredmufcirieers were being tried by drum-head courtr-martial. .'••;; : • :

The. Governor-General has proceeded to the interior. > : ' ; .

H.M t S. Himalaya Had broken down; and been sent to England with invalids and ladies, and children, refugees from liucknow, as a sailing ship. . H.iVI. 18th Regiment had arrived at Kurracliee.

H.M, 85th Regiment; 60th Rifles, and 2nd Battalion H.M. 12th Regiment were expected from the Cape of Good Hope. The American ship Judith, with horses, had arrived from the Cape. Also a ship from Burmah with elephants.

. Disturbances had occurred in Burmah, and Captain B. Seymour, H.M.S. Pelorus, had been despatched there with a naval brigade of 200 men.

Ratgurh fort was evacuated during the night of 28th June.

A later despatch states that about the latter end of February a great blow was to be struck at Cawnpore. The Comrnander-in-Chief was getting an enormous number of guns together, that being the arm of the service upon which dependence must be placed in the coming struggle. Sir Colin Campbell arrived by train at Allahabad on the evening of the Bth February. He looked remarkably well and healthy, notwithstanding the sharp work he has lately had. - • It is stated from Cawnpore that some dread exists of a second attack on the part of the insurgents. The entrenched camp is being enlarged and improved. Fazel Mahomed Khan has been caught endeavouring to effect his escape. He was to be hung forthwith. ■ -Lucknow was to "be" attacked on the 16th February. It appears that there is a split in the rebel cabinet at Lucknow, and that the dissension is daily lessening the number of otir foes there.

So soon as ammunition enough can be procured, it is stated to be Sir Cohn'sintention, " to chase the'niggers out of Lucknow." The rebels are daily becoming more and more aware that the Avenger is drawing nearer to them.

A professional artist was in Court taking a sketch of the King of Delhi as he lay on his cough whilst his trial was proceeding.

We..have received (says the Bengal Hurjmru) the following for publication, from Government message received by electric telegraph, from Allahabad, Bth February (Monday.) The advanced Gborkhas attacked the onemy, 10,000 strong, under Eajalv of Gondah, and defeated them, killing fifty, and totally dispersing the remainder. One artillery wagon paptiired. Our loss, one killed, two .' wounded. The Goorkha force will commence crossing the Gogra, near Tanda, on the, 14th instant. ; We notice that the telegraphic communication between Shergolly and Benares is interrupted; there is little doubt but the mischief Jias been done, by the .rebels." A correspondent at Shergolly tells us!that Ummer-Sing is still at OhotasGhur," and consequently quite near enough to .the grand road to have it in his power to Indulge in annoyances of this description. A /letter from an officer in Jung-Baha-door'.s force mentions that a party' were to leave head-quarters immediately to attack a village held by the insurgents, in which, some, of our officers ,from Faizaniad. had beeri murdered in July. A 1 letter "dated Sehore, 14tfy' January, [ contains the following:—The Bohal con tini gent had been disarmed. Sir Hugh Rose, X.C.8., arrived here on the 10th instant, and took command of the second brigade. There were, a great many prisoners. Nearly 150 were shot by musketry on the 12th. Twelve were killed in an attempt to escape on Tuesday night. Ten more prisoners were executed yesterday. Drumhead court-martial is now sitting. There are some hundreds to try yet, all Indore ■mutineers. The following telegram had been received at Calcutta, from Sir Robert Hamilton,:— Fort of Raturgh was evacuated during the night of the 28th January. Fazel Mahomecl Khaji was taken prisoner trying to escape, and is now going to be hanged over the gateway. • The following is an extract from a private letter, dated Fattehpore, January 30th:—-" And now about the fight we had on the 27th. A lot of Mahomedan fanatics, with four guns, came and established themselves in" a' holy place afeout sixteen miles from this, up the river. Brigadier Hope, with ten guns, two thousand infantry, and some cavalry, were sent to wipe them awa} 7. We marched at ten o'clock at night from this', and arrived before the enemy's position at about eleven, as we had fo hal

Ho' wait the clearing up of a heavy fog. We found them in a very unmilitary position, from which, by a judicious application of cross fire, we soon dislodged them. Our cavalry pursued, and cut up a good number of them. We took their four guns, bivouacked for the night, and came back here on the 28th. Our loss would have been very small had it not been for the accidental explosions of captured am m unitiorf by which some twenty-four of our infantry men were very much injured." The following is from Bhaugulpore, dated the 31st January :—"Everything is quiet .here at present. Some disturbances, however, are said to have taken place in the Singbhoori district, but we have no cause for alarm- at this place. .Thejocal authorities, albeit, have recommended to the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, that the temporary entertainment of the extra police and treasury guards should be extended for. six months more."

The following is from a correspondent at Allahabad, dated February 8:—"Our gallant Commander-in-Chief, Sir Cplin Campbell, arrived by train this evening. His Excellency, notwithstanding the sharp work he has had since he was last here, is looking remarkakly well and hearty. The troops were ' drawn up at the stqiion' and the moment Sir Colin placed his foot oil the platform they came .to the ■ 'present arms.' The chief, however, seemed to think the parade unnecessary, for he trotted off, saying, ' That will do; don't mind me. Soldiers, you can go home; I know my \^ay well enough.'" It is not yet known how long he will remain here, but when he goes, it will, be to teach the p'andies that they require " a lang shankit spune to sup kail wi' the deil," as one of the Highlanders quaintly remarked. A letter from Allahabad, Bth February, states: — "The advanced Goorkhas attacked the enemy, ten thousand strong, under the' Rajah of Gondah, and defeated them, killing fifty, and totally dispersing the remainder. An artillery wagon captured : our loss one killed, and two wounded. The Goorka force will commence, crossing the Gogra, near Tanda, on the 14th instant. 5'

The following is an extract of a letter from Nevyra Grant, about 60 miles N.W. of .the station of Goruckpore. The Tigra alluded to there is a village 14 miles from the same and in the same direction:— " .Ere this you must have heard of the reoccupation of the Goruckpore by the JungBahadoor and his troops. We were then in Azimghur, but on hearing of it ei&ht of us made a start, and got in quite saTe via Gopalpore. The Nazim had not done much harm to the station, save making a sort of entrenchment round the magistrate's house, and unroofing a few bungalows. The church, hospitals, gaols, bath, and cut•cherries were as good as the day we. left them, minus panes of glass." A corrrespondent at Cawnpbre says: — "I think that about1 the latter end of this month you may look for the great blow to be struck. The chief is getting an enormous number of guns together, and rightly 1:00, for that arm must, chiefly be depended on in the coming struggle. From what I can learn it seems to me that ammunition cannot be obtained quite fast enough, and from experience Sir Colin knows, that to chase the niggers out of Lucknow a large supply will be needed, and is not disposed to risk the chance of running short. Although there is a ' split in the cabinet' at Lucknow; although dissension is lessening .the number of our foes daily, still there are quite enough sepoys left in Lucknow, and will be found there when we attack, to make it more than probable that we shall 'have some very heavy fighting. The case of the men now holding Lucknow is so desperate that it will be a second Secundra Bagh on a greater scale, and ' qiierra rt, la morte ' will be the motto of the belligerents. There can be but little doubt that every day the rebels feel that the avenger is drawing nearer still. With nothing in their rear but the Terai; and east, west, and south a circle of remorseless foes closing gradually but surely upon them, they know that but one fate awaits them—death. Desperation will add to their cowardice and cunning, and there is little doubt that the highways and by-ways of Lucknow will be studded with every offensive device that Oriental craft can bring against us, that every street will be barricaded, and every loopholed house or garden wall will swarm with hidden foes, and to oppose our unsheltered troops to their fire would be both useless and senseless. There is sound policy in Sir Colin's waiting until he shall have got such an artillery force together as will, from its very weight of fire, drive them from their ratholes. Once ..get them into the ' open,' and, although they should outnumber us tenfold; the British bayonet and the Sikh tulvvar: will make short work of them."

A letter from Cawnpore, dated 29th January, states that they are greatly improving and enlarging the entrenched camp there, as some dread exists of a second attack. The trees in the neighbourhood of the entrenchment are being cleared away—a very necessary measure, for it was principally under their cover, and that of the buildings, that the Grwalior rascals were enabled to creep in so close to our position. It seems that another attack is anticipated, but from what quarter our correspondent sayeth not.