INDIAN NEWS. [From the Hobart Town Guardian. Feb. 2.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 800, 2 April 1853, Page 4

INDIAN NEWS. [From the Hobart Town Guardian. Feb. 2.]

Admiral Austen, C.8., Commander-in-Chief of H.M. ships of war in tbe Indian and China seat, was seized with the choiera, on board the steamer Pluto, at Prome, on the 7th of October, and died about 18 houri after the symptoms first appeared. Commodore Lambert was appointed Naval Comraander-in-Chief, in place of the late Admiral Austen. A forgery, amounting to £75,000, bad been committed at the bank of Bengal, Calcutta, of which tbe following are the particulars :-—Two cheques, one for £41,000, and tbe other one for £34,000, drawn in favour of a certain baboo were presented to Mr. Moultrie, junior accountant, having the two signatures, which the Bank forms rendered necessary, duly signed in initials: it was the eve of tbe holidays, there was a press of business, sod tbe cheques were honoured, 75 notes for £1,000 each. In the evening tbe forgery was discovered and steps taken, bat it was too late, for seventy of the notes bad been changed for gold mohurs at tbe Treasury just before it closed. , Tbe baboo appears to be & myth, but two men who accompanied tbe drawer of th« notes are in custody, they ire podars, and the notes received are duly entered in their books, but they disclaim all knowledge of their employer, who, with the gold mohurs connected with him, has hitherto successfully baffled the indefatigable exertions of Mr. Elliott and his subordinates. A reward of 5,000 rupees has been offered by the Bank for sucb information as ibill lead to the conviction of the forgers.

Burmah. —On the Bth October, the Honourable ComptaVa s 1 earner Pluto, left Shroe-dong Island (7 miles T>elow Prome.) About five miles, down the rivei she met the Flotilla, with the General, Commodore, and tbe troops on board for the attack on Prome. The force consisted of the Sesostris, Fire Queen, Enterprise, Phlegethon, Nemesis, Mahanuddie, and two small steamer* with the boats of H.M. ships Hastings, Fox, and Winchester, all filled with troops. The expedition had been delayed owing to the Fire Queen (with tbe General and the Commodore on bond) having been on shore 60 hours, and ft was for some time ieired that she would not be able to get off this year. The Pluto, went op off Prome to reconnoitre on the 4th October. She was fired upon by two gum well mounted on tbe crest of a hill, a few ginjalls and about 400 muskets. There was not above 500 troops in all at Prome. b** said there were 2,000 posted at Mhemew, 11 miles inland from Prome, where they resolved on making a stand, but they had no guns md not many ginjalls. Altogether the resistance to be offered at Prome and its vicinity was expected to be contemptible, and it may be confidently stated that it fell before our troops on the 9th of October. The Dacoits were very numerous on the Rangoon river, and the bodies of tbe harmless JPeguers were frequently to bo met floating down the river frightfully mutilated. Up to the 12th ultimo every thing was quiet at Rangoon. Dacoits in the Bassein river were also very numerous. On the 14th the Pluto came upon II large war boats in the act of burning Negrais village, but they succeeded in escaping the steamer. —Madras Athenaum, November 2nd.