INDIA.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 94, 23 June 1843, Page 2

INDIA.

(From the Colonial Times.) . ... The Hindostan had arrived at the Cape, from India, on the 29th November. The GovernorGeneral, Lord Ellenborpugh, had issued several proclamations announcing, complete success of the British expedition upon Cabool, for the restoration of, the British captives, and the recovering the glory which the previous calamities had tarnished:. Three movements, it seems, had taken place: one upon Cabool, by the force commanded by General Pollock, having under him Sir Robert Sale—the second, a movement of the force under General Nott and Sir Richmond. Shakspeare, also upon Cabool, but through a different “ Pass”-— and the third under General England from Oandahar, and a corresponding; moyement of. Sir C.; Napier to effect the retreat .upon ; the Sutlege, a branch of the Indus running from. Fezeropore, the advanced north-western depot of the British in Hindostan. This movement was the most difficult of the three; the army had to ascendand

'descend a mountainous 1 aiid almost impassable ■country 14,000 feet above the' level of the sea —the country occupied by a barbarous and hostile people, of whose intentions, as to allowing the troops to pass, no accurate information was possessed. All those difficulties, great as they were, were successfully overcome by General England, who reached: the Sutlege in perfect safety, without the slightest loss, having effected the retreat in a manner which called forth the' highest eiilogitftn of the GovernorGeneral, Lord Ellenborpugh, who designated it in his proclamation as evidencing a consummate General.. Upon General Pollock’s corps reaching Cabool, after fighting" and beating Akhbar Khan, and razing GhuZrii' to the ground, the Khan (Sirdar , as he is called) determined upon removing his prisoners, into .Coordistan Tartary, and in charge of one of his chiefs who had formerly been an ally of the British, and a strong escort, the march actually commenced. A negociation was entered into with this chief, and for a sum of 100,000 rupees paid down or secured to him, and a pension of 1,000 rupees a month, which was guaranteed to hipi by all the prisoners in an instrument prepared in the most solemn form he. could; adopt, he agreed to desert the Sirdar, and convey his prisoners in security to Cabool. While this arrangement was in General Pollock, apprehensive that the prisoners might be removed, detached a strong force under Sir R. Sale in search of them, by whom Sir R. Shakspear was sent in advance, and his arrival was most opportune; for the flight of the prisoners having become known to Ackbar Khan, an active chief was sent in pursuit of them, and but for the arrival of Sir R> Shakspear, they would unquestionably have been retaken, and as the officers principally engaged in the negociation observed, they had so committed themselves by their flighty negociation, that they would have without doubt been every one sacrificed. These active measures of the British generals effected the great object, and on the 21st of September General Pollock had the satisfaction of receiving under the protection of the British arms, the whole of the prisoners, Captain Bygrave excepted, who had however, in the meantime, reached another British position. This gratifying event was announced by discharges of artib ‘ lery in all the British cantonments. The retreat was now commenced, and will no doubt be safely accomplished; in reference to which Lord Ellenborough‘s proclamatien to the Affghan chiefs inserted in our last was evidently addressed. . It will be recollected that the surrender of the Dost, his wives, and all the Affghan prisoners, was made contingent upon the safety of the British army during their retreat, in other words, . Lord Ellenborough made for them’ a golden 'bridge, ppon the intelligence of the safety of:,the captives reaching him, he issued a proclamation to the Affghans, announcing to them the intention to evacuate their country. It breathed a tone of bitter reproach to Lord Auckland, as the author of all the calamities attendant upon this unfortunate Affghan war; and an inferential severe censure upon Lord Keane (who instead of a peerage, certainly if Admiral Byng’s fate affords a precedent, ought to have been, shot) for having placed the British army in a false military position, distaut from its own frontier, and eloigrib from its resources. Lord Ellenborough refers to the cause of the war, which originated in the affording, an ally (Shah.So.ujah).of Britain protection against a usurper, which ally having been removed from his throne by assassination, the Affghan empire ‘ fell into that state of anarchy the consequence pf its own crimes. Britain now evacuates Afghanistan, retiring upon the. natural boundaries, of. Hindostan, the line of the Indus and the Punjaiib. Lord Ellenborough (in allusion to General England's able retreat) tells them that the, army, is withdrawn upon the Sutlege, and thus; an impenetrable barbarian barrier secures the British dominions from its foes, if-it has any. A reference to China is now made. The Duke of Wellington’s prophetic words (upon Lord Keane’s peerage and pension question) were, “ do not hollo till you are out of the wood.” Lord Ellenborough tells the Affghans that China as well as themselyes..has been made to feel the force of the British, arms, and as in future his chief desire will be to preserve the peace now so triumphantly Effected, that the whole force will be turned against any one who may seek to violate it.

In other proclamations, Lord Ellenberough awards the tribute of praise so justly due, to the whole army, for certainly never were military movements ’ more skilfully arranged, or more determinedly executed. Medals are given to every individual of the Indian, army, generals, officers, and soldiers. They bear upon the obverse the name of the expedition or particular engagement in which the individual served, and on the reverse, “ Victoria Vindex.” The officers, &c., of the royal army are of course to be presented with similar medals, but this, Lord EHenboroiigh says, will entirely depend upon the Queen’s pleasure. The ribbon by which they are'to be pendant is to be considered in future the Indian inilitary decoration.

Thus far the Affghan war (a greater or more lamentable instance of imbecility and ignorance never tarnished the British military history) has

I successfully terminated J It bairnot .be said io have totally closedimtil every British subject isi safe within the line of. the Indus. . The last in--telligence,. as we liaye was of .the 29 : th November. The next arrivals from .India will no doubt bring the gratifying, intelligence. We close the narrative with extracting, from the Indian Gazette, of the 21st November, a very feeling address presented to Sir Richmond - Shakspear by the British prisoners so promptly rescued by him from Affghan captivity, and the general’s reply thereto:— “ To Sir Richmond Shakspear, Military Secretary, &c. “ Dear Sir—Rescued as we have so lately been, .from a state of prolonged and cheerless captivity, which' threatened soon to terminate in 'hopeless slavery,' in a land where the laws of humanity are unknown or unac r knowledged; restored by a wonderful interposition of Providence, to country,. friends, and all that renders life desirable, it would ill become us, in the midst of our rejoicings, to forget those friends, through whose agency this happy change in our prospects, has been effected.

“ To you we are bound to express bur heartfelt thanks for the promptitude with which you led a body of Kuzzilbash horsemen to our assistance at a most critical period, to whose timely arrival amongst us at Kaloo, it may be chiefly attributed that our flight from Bameean was not intercepted. , ■ t ~r “ To thank you adequately in words for so signal a service, would be impossible, but we trusty you will accept of this as a token of the gratitude we feel, and with every good wish for your happiness and prosperity, we subscribe ourselves, yours, very faithfully, Fanny Macnaghten , C. Griffiths Florentia Sale T. Palmer Alexandrina Sturt J. S. Alston Jean Boyd T. Thomson F. Boyd ' J. M'Grath A. Waller J. Nicholson R. Waller Airey G. Mein Souter Emily Eyre John Shelton Vincent Eyre J. C. Hampton C. Mackenzie Evans Eldred Pottinger . T. P. Walsh Edward Webb . R. Warburton B. Melville H. Drummond Georgians Mainwaring R. L. Burnett H. Johnson H. M. Williams G. St. P. Lawrence A. Crawford.” Ci Harris Camp, Cabool, Sept. 24, 1842. “ To Lady Macnaghten, Lady Sale, &c,, Gen. Shelton and Major Pottinger. “ Dear Ladies and Gentlemen—l was- this morning greatly gratified by receiving a very kind and flattering letter, signed by the ladies dnd officers, who were lately prisoners at Bameeart, and I Hasten to request that you will express to them my sincere thanks for the very handsome terms in which they have spoken of my poor services.

“ I shall ever consider it one of the .happiest events of my life, that I should have had the good fortune to have been in any way 1 instrumental in effecting your escape from A Afghanistan.—l femain, dear Ladies and Gentlemen, your most obedient servant, i f > ■ . R. C. Shakesrear. Camp, Jellalabad, Oct. 26, 1842.

New Arrival.—-Bythe Hopghly, from Calcutta via Swan River, we are happy to state that Major Davidson has arrived, with the intention of settling in our beautiful province. Major Davidson has brought with hitti a number of Coolie servants, some Indian deeis, an Indian cow, and some Arabian horses and mares. Two of the horses were led through the town yesterday, and excited much admiration : although just' landed from the vessel they appear to have lost none of the high mettle and playful spirits pre-eminently possessed by the pure Arab horse. The cow, which was also exhibited to the wondering gaze of the townsfolksj does not exceed the size of a half-grown English heifer, but' is exceedingly well shaped. Both it and the horses are a pure white.— Port Phillip Patriot.