English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 569, 17 April 1858, Page 3

English and Foreign.

INDIA. Our advices-from India are to the following dates Feb,-, sth.; Bombay, Jan. 28th; Calcutta Jan,29th. Sir Colih Campbell,.with, about 10,000 men,, left Cawnpore on the S^h^pecemher and advanced westward through, Rohilcund. After, clearing the country as they advanced, our force was attacked on the 3rd January, at the bridge across the Kalee Nuddee, but the enemy were repulsed with loss. Lieutenant Younghusband, Punjaub Cavalry, land Captain Maxwell, Bengal;Artillery,.were severely wounded. On the night of the 2nd,, the rebels vacated Furruckabad, which was occupied, by our troops on the 4th, without. opposition.: Many guns were captured in the various affairs with the enemy, besides much valuable property. The Commander-in-Chief moved on the 14th January with the head:quarters, of his army to a position near Kanowj, occupied up to that time by Walpole's brigade. That corps had been previously thrown forward to the Ganges, for the purpose, of constructing a bridge,, at a point opposite, the confluence of that river with the Ramguriga; Brigadier Walpole completed the required bridge, and in obedience to orders crossed the Ganges by it into Rohilcund. The Commander-inTChief reviewed and inspected it. previously to his departure for Bareilly, whither it was to march, far; the purpose of clearing that city of the rebels under Khan B.ahadoor Khan. Sir Colin Campbell himself'did not intend to enter Rohilcund with the mairi, body, until he had received from Agra a siege train, to be escorted down by H.M;'s 38th. The '• Bombay Gazette/ of January 28, says.:~T»Sir Colin Campbell is encamped about three miles from Futteghur. According to a correspondent of the * Englishman,' whose letter is; dated the 20th January, a portion of the troops at Futteghur had crossed the river a few ! days previously, taking the road to Bareilly. When they had advanced two marches they were opposed by the rebels, arid very heavy firing: was kept up the entire day, but of the result, nothing was knowm. The Nawab of Futtegliur's brother, Sopkhawut Hoosain Khan, and a Subadar and Haviidar were strung up on the,l9th. Erom a correspondent at Allahabad our contemporary has the following account of a gallant affair which took place at Lahttnda, forty-three miles distant, on the 3lst Jan. :— " Major Ryves, a retired officer of the Madras army (and a chip of the old block, he having formerly belonged to .the. Ist Madras Fusiliers), and, employed by tthe Railway Company, who was stationed at Lahunda, was informed that a strong armed party of rebels bad crossed the line a quarter of a mile' from his camp, proceeding to Oude; he immediately turned out his Seikh Guard, arid went iin pursuit. The little party, consisting oif 8 Seikhs and . the Major, came ,up with the rebels,,6o in number, (armed to the teeth, with match-locks, swords and pistols) about a mile and a-half from Lahunda. Ori seeing themselves pursued, they divided, the strongest party going one way, and a smaller taking another. This party, consisting of 17 men, were immediately followed. On- their, perceiving .this,.they opened fire on Major Ryves and the Seikhs ;, the Major having shot one man was in ,the. act of reloading, when a yolley was.fired at him, and I am sorry to say a ball took effect in his right leg, severely shattering the. bone - just above the ancle. The gallant Seikhs, after the Major dropped, rushed on the rebels, when the Haviidar was also wounded through, the thigh,—thus reducing the party to seven. The-result has been four rebels prisoners, and. two killed, and seven match-locks and swords taken. The prisoners and arms were brought to Allahabad, and I had the pleasure of seeing them hung yesterday." The following extract from a message ; dated Camp Secundra, 26th January, from Brigadier Franks to Colonel Birch,, was supplied, to the Calcutta press on the 29th:—" On the afternoon of the 21st instant, the left column of the Field Force under ,my command, and numbering 1400 effective men and six guns, reached Secundra. The Nizam Fazel Azeem was, then at Darch (Qy. Sarch ?) seven miles distant; but having probably heard of the approach of a reinforcement, of two squadrons;of the Bays, and four horse artillery guns. from Allahabad, and dreading to wait in the more open neighbourhood of Sarch, he moved during the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd to Nusselpore, where ha joined Rani Bahadoor Sing, the Talpokdar; of [that .place. The position of Nusselpore is one, of the strongest and most diffi-, cult of approach imaginable. On the*^ morning of; the 23rd (my baggage having been, secured in a fortified enclosure, on the previous day), I moved out to attack the enemy. I need not further, remark on the conduct of the troops, than to say the enemy was driven out of this very strong position with: the loss of about 500 men killed and wounded, while the whole of his camp equipage, much ammunition, and: three guns fell into our hands. Our loss was only six men slightly wounded, three horses killed and wounded. The stronghold of Bani Bahadoor Sing wastaken possession of and destroyed. The enemy has retired across the frontier, "and those districts are now entirely cleared of rebels. Yesterday I moved to Sarch and found it completely deserted. It has been occupied by the civil powers. The perfect steadiness under the fire and,great intelligence of theNopalese Colonel Jadro Sing excited my warmest admiration. The rapid retreat of the enemy deprived them of an opportunity of closing with them. The enemy's camp was burnt, with the exception of the Nizam's tent, which was sent in to Allahabad."

General Outram, at the Alumbagh, continued to hold his position, notwithstanding repeated attacks from the enemy. On the 22nd December he attacked the enemy, about 5000 strong, who had taken up a formidable position on the right flank, and completely routed them, capturing four guns, and killing 250. On the 12th January, General Outram. was attacked by 30,000 of the rebels, who were repulsed with the loss of 400 men. The post of Alumbagh was again assailed on. the I.6fch,.and the attack lasted for eleven hours, the enemy being headed by a Hindoo fanatic, who was wounded and taken prisoner. The insurgents were driven back with severe loss. With the force at his disposal, about 4000 men, General Outram is fully able to maintain his position. The Naval Brigade, serving in the northwest, has been ordered to China, the reinforceinents of European troops rendering their aid no longer necessary. Letters from the camp of the Commander-in-Chief, says the 'Bengal Hurkaru' of the 23rd January, received in Calcutta yesterday, confirm to some extent a native rumour to which we gave circulation some days since. They state that the native chiefs at Lucknow had fairly lost heart, and had offered to surrender upon condition that their lives should be spared.. Sir Colin, however, would not listen to any terms, nor consent to purchase an advantage which he will so soon be able to gain for himself. ' The Governor-General and suite were to leave Calcutta by train and carriage dawk for Allahabad on the niorning of the 30th January. Referring to the report that the Oude chiefs have offered to surrender upon terms, the ' Englishman' observes that " the rumour is now strengthened by the Governor-General's intended journey. It is supposed that his presence in the neighbourhood may facilitate an arrangement, and a proposal could then be closed with or rejected at once. There is obviously a great distinction to be drawn between these men, who can scarcely be said to owe allegiance to the British Government, and the traitors and assassins of the army. Whatever maybe done, it is to be hoped that nothing may tempt Government to let these villains off unpunished. It is also to be hoped that no agreement may be entered into with the chiefs, which would prove an obstacle to the improve men t of the country, by a fair and encouraging settlement with the agricultural population, on whose good will alone can we depend for permanent tranquillity." From the published accounts of the Bank of Bengal for the past half-year, it appears that the loss sustained by the sale of unredeemed Company's paper amounts to nearly a lakh of rupees. Sir Jemsetijee has contributed five hundred rupees _to the Lawrence Memorial Fund, with the expression "of his cordial sympathy with a movement designed to do honour to the memory of one whose abilities as a public man were only equalled by the virtues of his private life." _ , 1..,. The Calcutta papers ofthe 20th mention that on the previous day a rumour was current to the effect that the Coles were up in the neigh- j bourhood of Chybassah, Cota Nagpore, and j that a small force which -was sent out against them a few days ago had been over-matched and compelled to retire with the loss of two killed and 22 wounded, the captain commanding—Hale or Dale, or some name of that sort —being among the latter. The killed and ♦wounded, it is said, were brought into Chy bassah, and that a larger force was being organised to proceed against the rebels—so far the 'Hurkaru.' The ' Englishman' has no particulars, but believes there is no doubt that the commissioner and three officers have been wounded by the arrows of the Coles. The Calpee rebels are still in force; some say that they are under the leadership of Nana Sahib, and this chief is threatening us in the direction of Nagode. If this be so the gradual concentration of columns from Jubbulpore, Rewa, and Sehore, will soon put an end to his resistances. The 'Madras Athensemn' says —The news that.Delhi is to be placed under the administration ofthe Punjaub has reached the city and has created great satisfaction among the Europeans. It is stated in a letter from Delhi that the country is being scoured in all directions 'for budm ashes, and that every village, near which the telegraph wires or posts have been injured, and where there are no rebels in force, has its headman hanged. The same writer makes the following statement :—" The old king has saved his own miserable life at the expense of his friends. I know from a source perfectly unimpeachable that, with the exception of the Putteeala Raja, the principal Seik Sirda, Holkar, and a few others whose existence depends on the stability of the British Empire in India, letters have been found from all the other princes, chiefs, zemindars, and native gentlemen of respectability, iv which they placed themselves, their followers, and their wealth at the disposal of the king, for the destruction of the Feringhees. The entire correspondence is now being carefully collated, land lists of the traitors made out. You will, in all probability, • hear shortly that a_ few of your Bombay friends are implicated with the Delhi rebels." Sir John Lawrence is just the man to unravel tho tangled web, and then, woe to the guilty ones." The only intelligence of any moment from the Bombay Presidency, was that, of an engagement between Captain Montgomery, the superintendent of police at Ahmednuggur, and a gang of Bhoels in the vicinity of Chandorc, on the road to Malligaum. Captain Montgomery, ; three officers, and' fifty men were wounded. Very great distress prevailed in Madras owing

to the dearness of rice. The ' Athenaom' ot February 4 says: "The same evil is, we tear, existing in a considerable portion of these territories; and we think that it cannot be assigned^ to any other cause but one, namely, tlie extensive purchases made by the Commissariat to supply the necessities' of our troops. Ail over the presidency, regiments have been set m motion. Bellary and Kurnool have been for many months the scenes of marches and counter-marches. A large column, as our readers are aware, has lately struck off northwards, through the Nizam's dominions to the Saucor and -Nerbudda districts. Transports from Madras have had to be provisioned. Indeed, the whole of the markets in the centre provinces of the presidency must have been considerably disturbed by the demands, which there was of course no resisting, of the Commissary-General for our troops on the march. Add 1071118 that the four last years have been periods of drought and short crops, and we cannot bo surprised at the result, which is now occasioning so much misery. To bring home the matter to our readers in the most familiar manner, we may state that the very coarsest quality of rice is now sold in the bazaar at the rate of seven seers the rupee, while the wages of a horse-keeper in the employ of a European are at most six, but mu-.:h more commonly five rupees a month. The smallest quantity that will suffice for a man and his wife, and a young family of children, is one seer of rice a-day, and this is totally inadequate to keep them in health and strength, unless there is added to it meat, vegetables, or the stuff with which poor people make curry. It is obvious, therefore, that the whole of the monthly pay of a horsekeeper on five rupees, except a few annas, is exhausted in procuring a single and sufficient article of food. There is nothing left for curry-stuff, for meat, for vegetables, or indeed for anything which makes palatable the insipid mess' of boiled rice." (From the ' Argus ' correspondent.) Point de Galle, Feb. 13,1858. By the last mail from India nothing is heard of the movements of the Commander-in-Chief. The previous mail brought intelligence that he had conquered the rebels at Furrackabad, and occupied that place. Sir Colin Campbell has with him, it is said, Kensington's troop horse artillery. Smith's battery, royal artillery, the naval brigade, with six twenty-four pounders, two eight-inch howitzers, and eight mortars; two companies sappers and miners, Bengal ditto, and two companies Punjaub ditto; the cavalry which went down with Grant's column, the Bth foot, and 23rd fusiliers, and 2nd highlanders, 53rd, 64th, and 82nd foot, and 93rd highlanders, with a regiment of Punjaub infantry. We have since received news by the Australian that Sir Colin Campbell is encamped about three miles from Futteghur. A correspondent of the ' Englishman"' writes that a portion of the troops had crossed the river, taking the road to Bareilly. When they had advanced two .marches, they were_QP_posed by the rebels, and very heavy firing was TEepFup £t O . whole day, but nothing was known of the result. Sir James Outram has had a severe contest at Alumbagh with a large force commanded by a Hindoo fanatic, who was taken prisoner, severely wounded. The attack lasted from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the loss on our side is trifling; the loss ofthe enemy very severe. A telegram I is published in the Bengal papers of the 16th January, dated Cawnpore, 14th January, that " authentic intelligence has just been received from General Sir James Outram, that he was attacked by a force of about 30,000 men on Tuesday morning, the 12th instant. The enemy were repulsed with a loss of 400 men. Our loss was six men wounded." The last news of the Chittagong mutineers was, that they were hunted into the jungles of Southern Cachur, by detachments of the Sylhet Light Infantry, under Captain Stevens and Lieutenant Rose, and that they were so surrounded that their escape was said to be impossible. The country above Allahabad is in a bad state of disorganization. It is infested by large gangs of robbers, who constantly attack travellers passing through the country. A gallant affair has taken place at Lahund, 43 miles from Allahabad. Major Ryves with eight Seikhs, having defeated 60 mutineers armed to the teeth. The gallant major was woundedyis well as the Haviidar, but they have taken 4 prisoners, and killed two. From the north-west we have intelligence that Bareilly insurgents, about 1,000 strong • with two very small guns, attacked Huldwanee. ; But the Goorkhas were at hand. The rebels ] drew up about 250 yards off, and fired four rounds from their guns. Capt. Baugh immediately let the Goorkhas loose at them, aud the Bareillv men fled in such haste that it was impossible to come up with them; twenty were, however, killed. On the 29th December Brigadier Walpole's column, which consists of two battalions of the Rifle Brigade, the 38th Foot, Boucher's Battery, Blunts Troop of Horse Artillery, Ist Punjaub Cavalry, and three Squadrons of the 9th Lancer?, occupied Ettewah. '• The rebel force, consisting of seven guns, 1,500 matchlock men, and 350 horses, some of whom were mutineers, hastily abandoned Euuw;di, under their leaders, Aladad Khan, Mewata, and Gunga Sing, Bhudoreea. But acme of them, with Taj Khan, McA'ata, a subordinate holder, were surrounded by Koour Zor Sing's in tho. Tehsoe!, where they were killed by a part of the column on the morning of the 29th. Everything has quite settled down at Agra, and people there are now thinking of leaving tho Fort. A return of the number of capital senI fences that have been passed at Agra from July Ito November has been published by the Govern-

ment. This shows a total of 78, 62 having been passed by Court martial, and 16 by Special Commissions ; four were sentenced to be blown away from -u.,s, but only two suffered the punishment, tlie sentences of the other two being commuted to transportation for life. Of the total number 42 were Mussulmans and 36 Hindoos; 17 were mutineers, 14 (6 Mussulmans and 8 Hindoos) engaged in the riots succeeding S? ? th J"ly ' and 47 (26 MusßUlmans and 21 Hindoos) m traitorous rebellious proceedings then or subsequently. At Delhi, on the 23rd December, the Nawab of Jhujjur was hanged in the presence of a large number of spectators principally Hindoos. Nothing has been heard of the trial of the king, whose life it is now asserted was guaranteed to him on the express authority of General Wilson The trial of the Rajah of Buleabghur has terminated. When the proceedings in this man's trial were drawing to an end, and it was obvious that his guilt was proved, he thus expressed himself—-"Before this evil and calamitous mutiny and rebellion, I was sitting on the pleasant branch of a strong and flourishing tree, until in a fatal moment I followed baneful advices and severed the prosperous bough that sustained me." He paused, looked gloomily round, and added, " And this is the result." "He was sentenced to be hung, and it was carried into effect on the 9th January. Disaffection prevails among the troops at Delhi, in consequence of the order which declared that the property in the city was not to Ibe sold as prize. The Europeans "at Delhi are greatly dissatisfied that the city i= to be placed under the administration ofthe Punjaub. Newspaper correspondents assert that Mohammedans are addmitted into the city without the least inquiry, and some go even so far as to say that some of those who have actually fought against us have been re-employed in their old places. It is reported that the Oude chiefs have offered to surrender upon terms, and the rumour is strengthened by thefact that the Governor-Gene-ral intended to proceed to Allahabad on the 30th. It is supposed that his presence might facilitate an arrangement. I have briefly mentioned in my last the assault and taking of Canton by the Allied forces, British and French, on the 29th December. Our soldiers still occupy the city. The resistance being feeble and ineffectual, our loss was small, but the destruction caused by a 24 hours' continuous bombardment has been considerable. Possession of the extensive city was entered upon by degrees, the native governor submitted and was dismissed, and after some days, Yeh, the Governor-General, to whose unbending obstinacy all the calamities entailed upon the province must be attributed, was fortunately discovered, and is now a prisoner on board a British vessel of war. The utter want of preparation for defence, or of plans for averting foreign hostility, which it really appears could i never have been seriously contemplated, renders I his policy more mysterious than ever. The only act of the plenipotentiaries as yet has been to "'•aranjsc a ./£r?tls«,.Sivil"and Military Government in the city, at tnelieaa or wmcu are cue Governor of the Province of Kwangfcung and the Tartar General acting, it is presumed, under the immediate control of the foreign authorities. Their future measures, of which no indication has as yet appeared, are constantly looked to with the greatest interest and anxiety. The Government of the United States, through the Plenipotentiaries, stands aloof from participation in the recent proceedings. Should the blockade be raised, there seems no reason to doubt that trade would be resumed at once, notwithstanding the military occupation of the city. These events have not yet had the effect of imparting any confidence or activity to business in imports. The transactions reported during the last month are without importance. Exchange in China, 4s. lOd. per dollar for bought bills on London, but little doing. Native coffee, 345. to 355. per cwt. Plantation coffee, 575. to 595. per cwt. Exchange on London, 7i per cent, discount bought on London purchasing. Ditto, 3 per cent, selling.