OUTBREAK OF THE INDIAN MUTINY.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 8, Issue 27, 2 April 1907, Page 2

OUTBREAK OF THE INDIAN MUTINY.

A STRONG AND VIVID ACCOUNT AS TOLD BY A SURVIVOR. .j, The appalling circumstances of the very beginning of the terrible mutiny in India, which broke out in 1857 now nearly fifty years ago—are retold in the "Koyal Magazine," from the story of an old campaigner, Private Joseph Bowater, of the Gth Dragoon Guards, famous as the Carabineers. For fully twenty years he served in India, refusing promotion several times, and during the mutiny kept a diary of his thrilling experiences.

Private Bowater had just s-eftled down (o army lifu in Meorul, under the old .John Company, when the storm of mutiny burst. Natives and Europeans were nearly evenly match«d in the depot. On Sunday, May 12, during church parades, there was a sudden rising of the JJrd Bengal Cavalry who had refused to use the new cartridges. In the twinkling of an eye, Mcrrut had changed from the perfect, peace of a Sabbath evening to the noise and horror of a bloodv Hold.

Two hours later the British Cavalry rode quickly out of their lines to light tho first battle of thu mutiny They followed the mutineers along the Delhi-road, got, amongst them with their sabres when the "Halt" abruptly sounded, and they turned and rode back to Meerut just in

Unit,' to share in the last struggle in Mesrut itself, and to take a hand with the GOth and the Horsu Artillery in saving the few Europeans who luul nmnagud to escape. '"The first thing I saw" (says the narrator), "when 1 had tiniu to look about at all. wits a sight which sickened and unnuunied mo then, and which had never failed to till me with furious grief when 1 have recalled it, and that was the spec t ado of native bullock carts slowly coming up towards us bearing the mangled forms of our gen tie ladies and their children —ladies who wore laughing lightly but an hour or two before, children who were playing at their mother's knees as recently." Monday morning dawned at last, with Meeruf a heap of smouldering ruins and on other scenes of blood and devastation. Subsequently peace of a sort, fell upon the place, for the mutineers were already at Delhi, but. the depot was strengthened by the addition of about lout) Uhoorkua, and every eS'ort made to resist attack and assist in quelling tha mutiny. The mutineers who were still in the locality set to work to devise plot after plot to annihilate the Europeans. No sooner was one defeated than they tried anothu-r. On one occasion they determined to hamstring the horses, and all that night and many othor nights the troopers stood by to guard the animals. Of thoso mutineers who did come, some were dealt with on the spot and some were taken to the gallows or the gun.

Those were nccossarily the days of strong men, strong measures, and swift and stern retaliation. A terrible evil; had risen and only desperate remedies, ruthless retribution, could cure it. There were many things which, however, grim in themselves, did not depress the spirits of the brave Europeans. Mention lias been made of the Ghoorkas—terrible little bloodthirsty fellows, glorious lighters, and splendid allies so longas they are kept in their right places. Their weapon then, as now, was the dreaded "khookri," the big, curved knife which will slice off a limb as easily as you can slice a turnip with a cavalry .s-abro.

There had been a fight in a village (Bowater says) and the usual routing' of mutineers from all sorts of nooks and corners in mud huts and other buildings. One hut was passed by a couple of our infantrymen, and as they were going away a mutineer who had been hidden in a dark corner and had escaped unseen, thrust his head out of the window, which was only a few feet above the pavoment. lie was too much interested in chuckling and watching the men depart to turn his head, or he would have seen that two other infantrymen and a Ghoorka were just round the corner by the window. Like a flash the Ghoorka sprang silently forward seized the mutineer by the hair, whipped out his "khookri," and literally before the victim knew what was happening, his head was slashed off. The narrative also deals with the great day when the British troops finally assaulted and captured Delhi. Silently, and without so much as a bugle sound, the troops mustered soon after midnight. They bided their time till daybreak : then there was a desperate and prolonged attack, tha blowing up of the Cashmere Gato, the rushing in of the victorious and revengeful infantry, the the following of the calvary to crown the work of capture and retaliation. Delhi was taken at heavy cost, and with the capture of that great city, the stronghold of the natives, the mutiny may be said to have been practically over.

Terrible punishments were doubtless inflicted in very many cases, but as the narrator of this interesting perso»al narrative of a grave and trying time remarks at its close —"remember what the crimes have been.'-'