INDIA.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 17, 6 January 1863, Page 3

INDIA.

Munificent Gift to the Lvncushirc Relief Fund. Bombay Sept. 27. — A public meeting has been held in this city under the Presidency of the Governor, in aid of the Lancashire Relief Fund; £15,000 was subesribed on the spot. An address of confidence in Mr. Laing has been adopted at a public meeting in Calcutta. Rain has fallen plentifully in the Deccan, and there is no ./fear of a famine. According to news received here, Herat has been invested on all side by Dost Mohamed.

ROMANTIC PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF THE VILLAIN RAO SAUIB.

Xcna Sahib, I3ala Rao, and Rao Sahib were all concerned in the atrocities at Cawnpore. Nena Sahib and Bala Rao superintended the massacres in person; Rao Suhib, their nephew, remained at Bithoor, the family residence, in charge of the mansion ; but more than one cold-blooded murder was perpetrated by his orders, and a body of fugitives from Futtyghur, intercepted by his troops, were forwarded by him to Cawnpore to share the fato of the other victims. After the restoration of our ascendancy it was, of course, the anxious desiru of Government to capture these three assassins. Rao Sahib ha-s at last been delivered into our hands, and consigned to the gHlows. Jt appears tdat after escaping from the advance of our troops he joined Tantia Topee, the partison who so long eluded our Hying columns, and was only taken and hanged after two years' flight. After the dispersion of that chief's band he wandered about India in disguise, settling sometimes at one place of pilgrimage and sometimes at another, till afc length, about a year ago, he took up his abode at Chineanee, a small district in the territory of Juminoo,* lying between the northern irontier of the Punjaub, and the rugged hills of Cashmere. In this remote and secluded spot lie remained for twelve months unnoticed and unknown, till he was one day recognised by a Hindoo pilgrim, with whom ho had formerly had some cause of quarrel. The pilgrim immediately betook himself to Sealkote, the nearest station in the Punjaub, and communicated the intelligence to Mr Macnabb, Acting Deputy Commissioner. That, gentleman took his measures without an hour's delay. Rao Sahib was on his guard day and night. His servants and followers watched for him : the arrival of a British officer in those parts would bo instantly signalled, and at the lirst alarm the fugitive might plunge into a country through which it would be hopeless to follow him. It was necessary, therefore, that Mr Macnabb should succeed in getting to Chineanee, not only in person, but with such an escort as might be required for effecting the arrest, and yet excite no suspicion of his approaoh or his purpose. Such a problem was no easy one, nor was it facilitated by the circumstance that Mr Macnabb himself was so ill at the time as to be unable either to walk or ride. From Jummoo to Chineanee is a distance of 45 miles, through passes and over precipices of tho wildest character, and seldom traversed by Europeans. The following scheme was adopted:— A Tehsildcr, or revenue agent of the Maharajah's, stationed ft little oeyond Chineanee, cither was, or could very naturally bo supposed to be, a defaulter in his accounts, and the Maharajah, therefore, was to despatch a trusty secretary for the ostensible purpose of superseding him. That the secretary proceeding on such an errand should take an escort was reasonable, and this pretext provided for a guard of fifty soldiers. Finally, as the new agent might wish for his wife's company at the scene of his duties, a litter was provided for the conveyance of the lady, and this character and conveyance Mr Macnabb appropriated to himself. He next took the precaution of sending his own litter back to Sealkote with a little public demonstration, in order that he might be thought to have returned to his station, and that his name might pot by any chance be connected with the expedition to Chineanee. This done, tho littlo party started ; the secretary at the hoad of bis toldiers, and the British oiSeor representing the secretary's wife in the closed litter. Ninety hours of fatigue and peril hardly sufficed to bring the

party to Chincanee, when tho original informer, who had been taken into tho expedition, was sent forward, accompanied by a trusty messenger to see if the prize wus^still safe. Thejnessenger presently returned with the intelligence that the informer had found Rao Sahib, and had taken a seat by his side. The soldiers therefore marched on, and presently a cry of success roused Mr Macnnbb from his litter, to the astonishment not only of the villagers, but of the troops themselves, who had been kept in perfect ignorance of his presence. Rao Sahib could offer no resistance and make but little defence. He confessed at once, surrendered himself with about £4030 worth of jewels, which he still retained, and, after being duly tried, wns banged on the 21st of August at the scene of his c r imes.