THE SUEZ MAIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3787, 14 April 1875, Page 2

THE SUEZ MAIL.

INDIA AND THE EAST.

The trial of the Guicowar of Baroda absorbs public attention. Sir Richard Couch, Chief Justice of Bengal, is President of the commission, with Sir R, Gade, Chief Commissioner of Mysore; Mr Melville, Judge ef Bombay; the Maharajah Scindiah of Gwalior, and Sir Dinkur Rae as members. The Mahomedan population ef Baroda has expressed sympathy with the Guicowar. Sergeant'Ballantyne’s mode of conducting the defence has pleasingly surprised the on-lookers so far, although his cross-examining has been very severe. His son is his junior counsel.

The Burmah Chinese expedition left on 25th January for the Chinese frontier, under Colonel Brown, but was attacked by the nephew of the Chinese Governor of Momein, and forced to return to Burmah. Mr Margarey, who had crossed from Shanghai to Burmah, and who preceded the expedition, on going back was murdered, and Herr Elias, the well-known traveller, who went another way, has also, it is feared, been murdered.

A survey party on the Nagi-hills was suddenly and treacherously attacked by a hill tribe, and Lieutenant Holcombe and sixty-three men killed, while Captain Badgelley and fifty more were badly wounded. About 6 p.m. on the 13th February a terrible outbreak took place of sixty or seventy Chinese prisoners in the Singapore gaol, who rushed on the Superintendent, Captain Dent, and warders, and killed the former and several of the latter. The facts as near as can be ascertained are these:—The men were eating their evening meal in the centre yard of the prison, and Mr Dent was pacing up and down between the rows. A warder named Sandford was with Mr Dent. Suddenly some men jumped up and attacked Dent, striking him in the back with a carpenter’s chopper, knocking Trim down, andjinflicting several wounds on him. Sandford, the warder, in attempting to assist him, was knocked down, and severely wounded. The prisoners then made a rush to the gate of the carpenter’s yard,_ and knocking down the sentry, gained admission, and by means of a ladder got over the wall inte the compound of the Catholic church, and thence into the streets. In the meantime the disturbance in the gaol was going on. The prisoners were trying to force their way out, but a warder having released the European prisoners, and armed them with rifles, the riot by that means, and by the aid of the few policemen who arrived in the gaol, was suppressed, and the convicts secured by the time a reinforcement of the 10th regiment had arrived. One European and eleven Chinese warders wore wounded, and eleven Chinese prisoners wounded, besides fifteen killed. Of the prisoners escaped, all were recaptured but s/ven.