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see how the call is answered . 2000 horsemen , formerly in my array at Mooltan , are now moving on different points , according to order , to help us in this difficulty , and every post brings me remonstrances from chiefs as to why they have been forgotten . "What fault have they committed that they are not sent for ? This is really gratifying . It is the lieart of a people . It does one good all through . The Peshawurees had often heard that I had been grateful in getting rewards for my followers after the Mooltan war ; but they were not prepared to see such a demonstration from the other end of the Soolimanee Mountains . It excites their better
feelings , and will do them good too . All yesterday was busy fitting' out 700 torse and foot levies ( Mooltanee ) to reinforce Nicholson at Jullundhur . How all the liberality sliown to these Mooltanees after the Tvai of 1848-9 is now repaid , in the alacrity with which they rush to our side again to help us ! They are now invaluable , and so glad to see ¦ me again ; it is quite a pleasure in the midst of this howling wilderness . " The Rev . H . S . Polehampton , chaplain at Lucknow , relates an anecdote showing the grave
apprehensions excited in the minds of the most experienced of our Indian officers at the very commencement of the mutiny . One day , after the mutiny of the 7 th Irregulars had been put down , early in May , Mr . Polehampton said laughingly to Sir Henry Lawrence , " Why , Sir Henry , you may have some work cut out for you now before you go home . " He answered very gravely , " I can assure you it is no laughing matter . " Colonel Inglis said the . same thing to a man . who was Inclined to be too jocular . A letter from Nagode says : —
Our Nowgong tale is this : —On the oth of June , our men volunteered , company "by company , to serve against the rebels , to revenge the Hon . Company upon them . They were 5 a the best possible spirits ; they were thanked and praised , and then told the Jhansi news at a parade at three p . m . They were unanimous and enthusiastic in declaration that they would stand b 3 ' us ; so were the Artillery . The Cavalry were cool , and . professed their allegiance , as if it were absurd to ask such a question of such honourable men . We were very glad to find the three arms show loyalty , and I thanked God , who disposes men's hearts . On the 8 th , > ve got news of ; poor Dunlop ' s death , and heard from 3 touraneepore that every European at Jhansi was murdered .
On the 9 tl » , the Artillery company said they were anxious to serve against the rebels . We had lieard about the 1 st of June of some plot being hatched in the company , had seized four of the most mischievous , dismissed them by a word , and walked them off insianter to Chutterpore as prisoners . We dared not hold a court-martial ; a sudden and successful blow was our only course , and this one told ; the company was quiet , and , rid of its worst , was well inclined . Our own men had all along shown us the utmost good-will , and it was unfeigned , with the exception of a few . On the 10 th , all was quiet till at sunset , when the six artillery guns were , as usual , brought on our parade , and our hew guards were being marched off" to
reguns with ,. Ewart , who joined me , but no one would move . They were panic-stricken or mutinous . At last , I got a bugler who was too nervous to sound . I blew the ' assembly' several times , but with no effect ; no more joined me than before . One gun loaded with grape had been fired over the lines , and I thought another would be fired at me for sounding the bugle . Perhaps they knew it was of little use . At any rate , they did not fire . I pushed across the lines with Ewart , the men trying to force us back ( to save our lives } . At last , as I saw none would accompany us , and that some of the men vrere against us , I made Ewart come back with me to the mess-house . More than one hundred men must have collected there .
" The Smalleys and Dr . and Mrs . Mawe had for some time occupied the two little sergeants' bungalows , which you may recollect stood on our parade at the left of the lines . The buggy road on to the parade passed between them . They thus got at once , with the two children and their two buggies , to the mess . " The Major and Jackson had mean-while done their best to get the men there to attack the mutineers . They would not budge . The Major would insist on our
holding the mess , occupying the top . Jackson reasoned him out of this before I got back . A 9-pounder that the rebels brought opposite the rness-house helped his arguments , and we all made off , the old camel carriage and two buggies with us . The fat sergeant-major broke Mr . Smalley ' s buggy in five minutes "by entering it . The camel carriage soon upset , and had to be left . The two ladies went on in Dr . Mawe's buggy . The Major called out to go to Chutterpore . Dr . Mawe providentially took a road at right angles to the one intended . "
They afterwards arrived at Chutterpore , but soon left it , and made their way across country , accompanied by some Seroys , who , however , showed themselves very lukewarm in their defence . They met with many perils on their journey , and had some encounters with armed natives , ending in the death of some of their party ; but ultimately the greater number got to various places of refuge . The letter describing this escape is o £ great length , but is somewhat incoherent , as if the writer had not fully recovered his calmness after the horrible events through which lie had passed . Meer Syed Mohummud , deputy collector and magistrate at Jubbulpore , says ia a letter to his son , Syed Abiloollah , now in England : —
" Should this be nay last letter , I beg you never to forget that India cannot have a better ruler than the British . Government , or be better . administered than by the East India Company . Faults undoubtedly have been committed , and abuses have existed and do still exist ; but what human institution can boast of being exempt from them ? One thing is certain , and that is the result of these disturbances will be an increased desire on the part of the authorities to remove every cause of complaint , and introduce all the reforms and improvements required by the present system , of government . "
lieve old ones , when a tall dare-devil Sikh and two others walked forward , loading his piece . He made for the Havildar-Major , a very nice , faithful man , and snot him dead . Mrs . Hawe , Mr . Smalley , and Jlr , Franks and others saw him shot . Ha foil deadl The three Sikhs then dashed to the guns . The Artillery sergeant made some attempt to defend thorn , and several muskets -were fired at him , he says . None of the gunners stood by him , and so he made off . One sergeantmajor , as big as FalstaflF , did so too . One Sepoy pushed aside a musket that was being fired at him . For some time we lw < l all dined at four , p . m ., as we went early to the lines und to guards , to prevent mischief . We had done dinner , and Dr . Mawe had been urging our malting a move , because it was impossible that our men would stand fast after their brothers at Jhansi had rebelled ,
arid were still so near . I had said that , great as the danger was , we could not abandon the station without orders ; we could not snove until carriage came , and it was almost certain that the first mention of collecting carriuge would precipitate a revolt . A few days before , I had sent for the Government camels , to see them . They were only eight oi ; nine , and those who wished to mutiny set abroad a story thut I had sent for the camels in order to remove the treasure ; it was our danger all along , and the rumour warned us tliat there wns a party who intended to mutiny , and to stimulate the courage of some and to quicken mutt era , gave out . that , if they delayed , the treasure would be gone . You may fancy how anxious we were from the 23 rd of April , when "the fires began , till now , one event after an other adding to the proof that mischief was being hntclicd , by sonic . . .
' Dr . Mnwo and I had hardly ended our conversation when wo liuurd several musket shots in the lines . There was no doubting what they mount . I went to the top of ihc nicss-hoiiao to reconnoitre uncl learn the- state oi things , uml form apian before Koing to tho lines . JHwurt and Townaend mounted and galloped straight to the lines . Franks had gone there some time before , rmd was Hpenking to Mr . Smalloy , and lie saw what Imppencd from the / irst , and rodo oil' to tell us all . Poor Townsend wiia only in time to see his guns in other bunds . I tr ied to got men to collect and to make a dash « t tho
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THE ORIENT . TEKSIA . The Shah has placed hia Mohamedan , Christian , and Jewish subjects on a footing of perfect equality . Persons of either religion will in future be permitted to serve the State- Herat is not yet evacuated . 50 , 000 men are assembled in Kliorasan . Mr . Murray was received by the Shah at his summer residence in the mountains . " Sir J . Outram and Staff , " says the Bushire correspondent of the Times . " rea-ched Bushire on tho 12 th of June from Bagdad , and , on the 14 th , Sheikh Mohsin Khan , Sirhang , deputed to visit him by the Serkeseekshy Baslii , waited on our General at tlie Kesidener . The
the boat fight in the Chinese waters on the 1 st of June . ¦\ VeTead : — " The shallow water obliged the Hong - Kong to ground , when she would otherwise have been in front of everything ; but when she grounded I led on the boats in my gig ; but , as the tide was rising , the Hong-Kong kept following us as fast as she could . The first division of the Chinese fleet were simultaneousl y attacked by about 1900 men , spread over a large surface , and soon gave way ; but I did not take up more than a quarter of that number to attack their second division , - which was three miles higher up the river , in a -well selected place , and evidently the elite of their fleet . They numbered exactly twenty in one compact row ; they mounted from
ten to fourteen guns each , two of them in stern and bow being heavy 32-pounders . I saw that I had all the Raleigh's boats well up , and determined to push on . They fired occasional shots , as if to ascertain our exact distance , but did not open their heaviest fire until we were within six hundred yards , and then I soon saw how impossible it would be to force our way until I had reinforcements . Nearly the first poor fellow whose head was knocked off was an amateur—Major Kearney . I had known him many years . We cheered , and I tried to get on , when a shot struck my boat Tight amidships , cut one man in two , and took off the arm of another . Prince Victor , who was -with me , jumped forward to bind the man's arm up with his neckcloth . "While he was doing so , another round shot passed through both sides of the boat , wounding two others of the crew . The boat was filling-with water , andl goton one of the seats
to keep my legs out of the water , and just as I stepped up a third round-shot went through both sides of the boat , not more than one inch below the seat on which I was standing . Many of our boats had now got huddled together , the oars of most being shot away . A boat of the Calcutta being nearest , we got in , pulling our wounded men with us . My dog ' Mike' refusing to leave the dead body of the man who had been his favourite , we were obliged . to leave him . I then gave the order to retire on the Hong-Kong , and reform abreast of her . While we were going down a shot cut away all the oars on one side . I called to Lieutenant Graham to get his boat ready , as I would hoist my broad pendant and lead the next attack in his boat . I had no sooner spoken than a shot disabled his boat , wounding- him and killing and wounding four others . I saw Graham one mass of blood , but it was from a marine who stood next to' him , and part of whose skull was forced tliree inches into another man ' s
shoulder , when I reached the Hong-Kong the whole of the enemy ' s fire appeared to be centred upon her . She was hulled twelve times in a few minutes ; her deck was covered with the wounded who had been brought on board from the boats . I was looking at them , when a round shot cut down a marine , and he fell among them . From the paddle-box I saw that our heavy firing waa now bringing up a strong reinforcement . The account of my having been obliged to retire had reached them , and they were pulling up like mad . The Hong-Kong had floated and grounded again . I ordered a bit of blue bunting to be got ready to represent my broad pendant ; I called out , ' Let us try the row-boats once more , boys , ' and went over the side into our cutter ( the Raleigh ' s ) " , in
which was Tumour , the faithful Spurrier bringing the bit of blue fkig . At this moment there arose from the boats , as if every man took it up at the same instant , one of those British cheers so full of meaning that I knew at once that it was all up -with John Chinaman . They might sink twenty boats , but there were thirty others who would go ahead all the faster . On we went . It was indeed a lovely and exciting sight . I saw the move among the junks . They were breaking ground and moving off , the outermost first . This manoeuvre they performed in beautiful order- They never ceased to fire .
Three more cheers , and then commenced an exciting chase for seven miles . As our shot told on them they ran on shore , an < l their crews forsook them . Seventeen were come up with and captured this way , three only escaped . It was in this last chase that my poor Spurrier was shot down by my side . I saw his bowels protrude as he lay in the bottom of the boat holding my hand . He asked mo if I thought there was any hope . I could only eay , 1 Where there is life there is hope ; ' but 1 had none . Strange to say , the good Crawford sowed him up , and the Admiral ' s liiBt letter from Hong-Kong states that Spurrier hoj > ed to return to his duty in a few days . "
day following , the Envoy was received with due honours at the camp , where he was introduced by Sir James to Brigadier-General Jacob , who succeeds him in command of the Persian expeditionary force . The greatest cordiality existed between all parties , and subsequently a return visit to the Persian camp at liorazgaun was despatched by General Jaeob , consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Trcvelyan , of the Bombay Artillery , and two or three other olliecrs . All was quiet at Mohammerah ; no Persian forces hud returned to that place , which was still held by the Chuah Chief on behalf of the Shah . Tho Hon . Company ' s sloop Falkland was anchored
abreast tho northern fort , but the Olive had moved lower down tho river for a change of air . The crew of the latter vessel had Hull ' ereil severely from fever , while that of tho former were comparatively healthy . This is attributable- rather to tlie wretched accommodation for tlio seamen on . board the Clivc than to any other apparent cause . Tho men of the Falkland were in the linbit of lauding every day , and seemed to bo on the best terms with tho Arabs . Sir Jjliuc . s was ordered to India immediately , owing to tho di .-sturbed state of the l $ engal Profiideucy , and was further directed to despatch as numy troops as possible to . liumbay ; General Jacob was nl . so directed to proceed to India without delay . " CHINA . A private letter from Commodore Kcppel to a friend ha » been published . It contains a capital account ol
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IRELAND . Riots at RicrKA . s'r . ~ The feuds of the Protestants an < J Itoman Catholics at Belfast , and tlie determination of the former to preach in tho streets , have led to some disgraceful riots , during which it was found necessary to lira on the people . On Sunday morning , a placard was posted in the principal thoroughfare ' s and conspicuous placed of tlie town , willing on the Papists to put down open-air preaching ; denouncing the- ' low und . rufthiuly fanaticism' ( if lh « Protestants , who wove ncctiHcdof provoking a quarrel for tho purpose ofoluxldin tf Koman Catholic blood ; ana exhorting tlie Papists to ' defend thoir rights tin loyal subjects and peaceable * citizens . ' The Komnii Catholic priests during the day requested their congregations to keep within doors : tliis request , however , woe not fulfilled . Largo crowds of men gathered hi front ol
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No . 390 , September 12 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 869
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 12, 1857, page 869, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2209/page/5/
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