On this page
-
Text (2)
-
Bqv4j3^;3<U2Je: 19^ 1858. ] T H E L E A ...
-
LETTERS FROM CHINA.. (From a Private Cor...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
T He; ' ; 11dia F R E V0 L T. Greater Ch...
up » nthe -walla of the place , and ; as it "was getting , late , ± o . > withdraw & omtth » nortlf side ,. and . commence operations , against the north-east , angle on . the folio-wing morning , which had-beea reconnoitred : by the Engineers , andL -where they thought it would be easier to effeot a-breaoh , as ; it could b » bettec seen , and . a more direct fii ^ oould . be bronghfc to bear . "Iituerefora directed * the 1 carap to be pitched on the sooth .- side ,, about a- mile from * the fort , and withdrew from , the north , side , where it would hav > e been , dangerous tor pasa-the night ,, as * it . was- surrounded by thick jungle . ¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦ ¦
, _ _ _ . _ " This- morning , at daylight ,. Major Brind , Beng-jd Artillery ^ , anel Captain Lennox , Royal Engineers ,, proceeded to again reconnoitre , the place , thoroughly before reoommencinjj . operations , and found , that the enemy had evacuated it ,, leaving , their guns behind them ( five in number ) , , ammunition , a large quantity of attar , and sonie tents . As some o f the . carriages were found witiiorut their guns , and the track of-a- gun- carriage could be traced , to a well } , where the water is very deep , thave no doubt other gnus have been throTva . down it ; I . had information . that there : were : more int-lie-pl ** . it is certain none were carried out .
" The-rep 6 » rtsas to the numbers-of . the enemy vary so much , that it ia- impossible to :- arrive at any certainty upon that point ; but I am inclined to think the ; number stated"in-my despatch yesterday ,, viz . about . 1500 ,. to be nearly correct . But the strength of the garrison consisted in the . nature and . situation of the fort , not in their numbers * . ' "Lregret ! . to say , that this operation . has : cost us atwrve iQ 9 'Onioera > and . men killed and . -wounded , and 1 have dcenljf to deplore-the ; loss of Brigadier . the : ITon . A . Hope , from whonv < I- hadt . received-the ; greatest assistance ..
" Thft-lcss ^ ofitlie enemy it is impossible to ascertain ; it * musk have been heavy from the-fire of our guns , and esneoially from * our , hqvyitzer & and mortars . A few bodies -which-seem , to bav « b * en » overlooked , and three large funeral-fires , with ; the remains of the bodies smouldering , -were all . that remained- of their- dead , oh our- entering tlie place this morning . " The . forty , whichi has- overawed this , part of tlie couaitry- for the last y « ar , is being destroyed , under tlie superintendeJice of Captain Lennox , Royal Engineers / and-1 * am in hopes that , its destruction will- be of tfce greatest ' advantage ;" . Ea , publishing , this despatch ,, the Governor-General expressed hia high admiration , of the . late Brigadier-Gcneral ' Hojje , and . his regret at his . death . MJBL . RUSSELL ' S UBTTERS-i
Mti . liuBsellv . the Ihme 3 correspondent ,, received ; a violent ; kick : on the leg . from Ms horse , which has completely lamed-him . Sinc & then ^ vve greatly regret to > liear , he ; lias becoine iU from the heat of theelinutte . and tlse fktigue attendant on his duties .. He is now recruiting among the hills , and sonae interruption . in > tlie : eerie » of hi * graphic letters-must necessnvdly tftkei place ; TJie- Times of .. Thursday contains the-latest of- them , coming ; down to May 1 st , and occupying nearly five columns . We pick , out tlie plains v—¦
u 'In going-out ,, about IT o ' clock : at night , to the tree under which L slept , oae-ofl those grand , spectacles which can .-only b » witnessed in Indian warfare met my view . r JJlie' moon , snone brightly on- the Ganges ^ and on tlie white sandy plains beyond'its waters ; it lighted up tlie brtdge ' ofboatsi . which trembled and : heaved and shrieked undfer the pressure of tv steady line of camels , elephant ^ niuLoxen ,. wiiioh went with soft , ttuunp across it ,. and ; ¦ wetoe lost , in the- distance in a small black-streak . ; , it brought out ini sharp outlines or cast into deep shade
tha-rnined' kousesvtlie fort , the mosques of the-city , tlio baeaar camp , the . figures- of the huge animals , which passed . us > softly-,. like blaok-clouds .-,, audit revealed the masses of baggage- animals- escorted ! by the wild . Sikh horsemen wliich wero stresming to . that narrow point whence they were to debouch upon Rohilound .. Allwsia lift * and motion ; without sound ,. excopt a hum of voices , the tumult on the bridge , and an occasional shrill ilonxisl * onr his fLexiblo horn by an elephant who was anxious tortell hia friendBi ho WQ 3 going to battle . . . .
"Wo- vruwjr still in a sandy plain , but : a . few miles more brought us to the sight of tho enemy ' s , camp , and ofl Wnlpolo'ag . andi soon wo came on- traces of the fight , hilfeous bodies-, bloated andi discoloured , lying all over theeplain ,. with , flocks of vultures pulling . out their 011-traila and dogs crunching their bone * . Sometimes these foui creatures crept inside the'hollowed corpse * to ' pick at tboir . leisure , and' by llioiu movements gav-e the dead a rovoltiug imitation of liCw . These menj lying : fur apart , lind fallen * linden tha mibi-es of . IlagartV cavalry and tliu firoof Hombfr ' s * and liemin ^ ton ' s guns , < md for two or thuoo mile * they , marked tho lino of . our . pursuit . .
"' Wohnvo just had our liret dust-storm- TJio . ovon . ingr wa »» suifcry and oppressive } , ami' on leaving : tho num- tonty about , eight o ' clock ^ to go tu bed ^ . I saw that n largei bank : oft cloud * luj « undar Uw inoon . A » -1 lo » lfod ; . & large globo . of tiro ; opened , out , us-, it \ yore , froim tlw olottd ,. and' seemed to > fivll to . the ground . I rotumedJ to > the < tent and < mentioned . what . 1 hail seen , butftiieasiwas no * need of . any telling- that a . storm . was brewings . iW * Lwilk « J to- my , tout , and just , aa I . wns witelii nct » niysttxU > o £ it y-kobaervod something liko . U ' WAll
of mud , ten or twelve feet high , advancing towards us-I an instant Iwas half smothered and quite blinded by a rush , of dust and fine pebbles , carried by a . strong . blast , above the noise of which rose the flapping of tents and the mutterings of thunder . I had to shout out for assistance , and my servants led me to the tent , which was intent on joining' the dust and pebble ?; but was coerced ; by ropes to desist ; The sky became pitch dark , in spite of the moon ; lig-htning flashed through the storm now and then , oiilyto showhow dense itwas ; the dust was irresistible and overpowering :- tents- were biovrn down and over ; thunder rolled and great drops of rain ; fell ; butj . long- after our tired soldiers were fast asleep , the storm-passed awav . . .. . ..
" Morning , after morning , as our . litters were :, laid down beside each other , he ( Captain Peel ) talked to me of the various news which came to us from home , and I well Temember the light which was-in . his eye as he said ; speaking of the division on the Conspiracy Billj ' I ant delighted at it , not from any sympathy with those rascally assassins who flock to England ) , or from ! any feeling ! against' France or the Emperor , whose- orders ~ b wear ; but because- my instinct tells ? me * , as ? its instinct told : the . House ,, that it was tlie right thing : for an English Parliament ta do , reason or no reason . "We must never take a step in that direction , even if one carnefrom the dead to tell us to do so . ' : " The enemy fled from Sliahjehanpore without fifing a sliot . The column lefttheincamp at 3 . 30 this morning ( April 30 th ) , and arrived outside- the town at 6 : 30 . Ft was found to be only partially inhabited . The Mbulyie went oif yesterday to Mohumdee- with a fewhundred followers- and four . guns :. Nana- Sahib was here ; with two ; hundred cavalry ,. till ; eight or ten' days ago * He went ofF tO'Bareilly , ¦ but . beforelie . did so > he gave dii-ectipnsthat the church , cantonments , and Government stations should ber destroyed ,, in order that our troops should get no cover , and his instructions hare been faithfully , executed . ....
• 'It is to be desired that Brigadier Walpoie ' s despatch respecting the * attack and check at Roerfort ( Rhada-. mo \ v ) raay be published , in justice to ' tliat officer , whose conduct is- loudly and unreservedly condemned' by the whole- of tho army .. Two officers , one atCawnpore and the * other herej . are now in command of troops : ;; but they are certainly not iu command , of the « onudenceof their soldiersi " PIDBL 1 TY . KEWA . KDED . Public notice has . been taken of the noble conduct , in June lust year , of Ress . oiaar Hidayut Ali , a , Piirbea-of Piirbeas , living in a village about twenty milesfrom Delhi . This gentleman , though a devout Mahometan ; protected ibr eight days , though- at great risk to himself a party of Enpflisli ofiicers and ladies- ; provided the latter with clothes ; anil-finally escorted tho : whole to the extreme limits- to which his jurisdiction extended , whence they were conveyed to- Agra in safety . He has recently been publicly addressed by the Commissioner at Delhi , andpresented with a-sword . valued at a 1000 rupees , and . also with asunnud signed by the Governor-General ,, conveying to liiin and his lieirs for ever liis native village of Mahonali , the annual revenue of which . is 5000 rupees , in free iaghire .
Bqv4j3^;3<U2je: 19^ 1858. ] T H E L E A ...
Bqv 4 j 3 ^; 3 < U 2 Je : 19 ^ 1858 . ] T H E L E A D E U ., & m
Letters From China.. (From A Private Cor...
LETTERS FROM CHINA .. ( From a Private Correspondent . ) Hongkong , 23 rd April , 1 S 58 . Hmnjj in Hongkong , we arc not in a . very , calm and sett / led state at the present , moment ; , for ooiir Hiding rumours arc oonstautly arriving i ' ronv the north and from eanton ; tlie clogs liavc taken it into their hcjids to go mad , and , for private ends xinlcnowiij to inflict liydrophol ) iu on several members of the human species ; the police have aLso gone mad , and" arc indiscriminately shooting in the
public stroets ,. and slightly to the publio nsk ,. all tho dogs which arc going about ut large ; and ( to crown all ) one of our local editors has gone mud with hatred : igainst Sir John Bowring ; ,. and has , in consequence , been sent to prison ibi < site months ; Whut ; with tlie groans of merchants who are utterly at ; a loss how to speculate , the report of muskets , the liowlings of dogs and tlio cui'ses ofthcirownei's , the siglungs of over-burdened officials , and . the Jh Pro /' iiudh of alarmed editors , this has bocoinc quite an island of tribulation .
The letter which I scut ; from -Canton by lust mail would inform youthat matters there were not in a satisfactory condition . The incro fact of a number of our coolie corps ( who , beinjjj the only iiaka Chinese in Canton , uiusi have been known uh in our emjiloy ) being seizud and tortured by Pihkwei , whh strongly indicative- of eyil dusigits , ami of the wretched working of the-double government . Since then , there have been numerous reports of intentions on the part ; of the Chinese to bum tholiirge puck-houses at ITonam , to assassinate tho police sentries , uud even to attack the : position of . our . trooija-.. One imporliuit item hi the ne \ v »*
which canie-dawnifroin Gantoaiyestecday morniugr is r that . tlie . Chiuese-. merchants—tha . meni whose in > terests ^ axe bound ' up wibU ours , and who bare-been eagerly looking , forward to . the-restoration ' of ti'adewwere iu a-state of tei * ror ,. aixd . were urging fareignens to leave the cityandi ^ eturu to Max 5 ao-or Honj ^ kong , Aaiother very important , fact is , that , a prockuhettion has appearea in the cityi , offering , a gradaafedi scale of rewards tor live auAdeadforeignersj and-of compensation for deatli . or wouuds met with by Chinese- in the patriotic work of . cutting off . the barbariane * These things ¦ prove that the iuhabitauts of < the province of Kwangtung have uot yet received a suflicient lessou : and may yet ffive much trouble : -
Hie proceedings' of tlie plenipotentiaries-iu the north ; have boeuuiuch discussed , and not always to a favourable conclusion . Rumour has-it that Lord Elgin , aud ; Baron > Gros-received a letter -froin Bekin , directing , theiu ; to return ^ southwards , in order- to settle ali ' aii's with the Higii Gominissionei ' , who ; lias : been gi-aciously deputed- to meet with fchenv at Canton ; andtbat they have . been told ; no alteration will , be made hi existing treaties .-. Until his pelioy be played out , it would , be uufair to judge the .- pror priety of Lord . Elgin ' s conduct , but . his- present movement bears much appearance of rashness * As
a demonstmtion it is futile ; and likely to be- iheffectual ; . for he has no force , to speak-of available in the north ; he cannot -well- withdraw- the- troops from Gautoiij or . the guuboats from the Pearl river . ; and-the .-Chinese have intelligence sufficient to know exactly how-he , stands-. This-is not the moment to press extensive demands- upon them . -After more thaix a year ' s-delay , only a very small force lias been brought against , them ;; lience , very naturallyy , however erroneously , they may conclude that we' hatve made our utmost effort , and' that , they now see the full measure : of our strength . In these : circunu stances it . would-not be surprising if the Mandarins came to the conclusion thai ^ by a- sudden aauVvigoiious- effort ,, they- might sweep us away
altosjetherrif the l-esult of the demajids on 3 ? ekin were an ord * break- at Cautonj and the resumption of kidnapping and . assassination at Hongkong . , On the otheK baud . it may be said that . l ? ekiu is-- the place where our : influence must be directly- "felt ,, in , order ta elt ' eot any lasting , settlement in the state of affairs * The feeling . of anxiety regaiiding the future courseof . trade extends over all . the five ports- ; and . at Shanghai especially there is a great disinclination : to enter on new connnercial opemtions-i The export of silk from that place was 2 4- ^ 000 bales uudeu that at the same period of last year . At Canton ,, thera have been some extensive purohases of teas * The following important circular will , exercise great influence upon the traffic in opium , and is > a distinct recognitionj on the part of the Chinese auihoritiesj , of- the . legality of that bcanch of trade : ^—
CIRCULAR . No ; 7 .. Britisli Consulate , Amoy > 10 th April , 1858 . Hi 3 Excellency the Taoutae of Amoy , liaviag- notified ofiioially tlmt a tax . of 48 dols . per . chest , viz .: 40 dola * as duty , and 8 dols . for expenses of ,. collection ,. is < now levied on each chest of opium , and collected from the native purchaser , the undersigned Legs to notify , that questions connected with tliat article will stniid in tlie same category as those connected with . any other imr ported nrticle .
II . M . Acting Consul further notifies to British' merchants and ship * masters , that , for the future , wlieivhanding in Manifests to tho'conaular office , tlie quantity of opium imported -will be required to Uo given iu common with other merchandise . W . Ha-kmono GuroGiua .. To the British . Mercantile Community , Amo 3 r . The local politics of this colony arc not likely to excite muoh interest at ; home ,, but perhaps- you will like to know that Sir John Bowring , and hia Legislative Gonncil at'o trying to iucreaso the rovenue of Hong .-lCong by farming , out the privilege of . preparing ! aiuL selling prepared , opium—as has been done , with good results , at Singapore and
elsewhere . As an experiment m > one could object to tliisoxpedicnt , for tlie liconso system has failed altogether , owing to the unwillingness of the licensed Chinese shops to uphold their own rights > , and avail themselves of Government protection , against illicit ; sale ; but two or three little things connected with the nuitl / cu have oaused much iuv digiiulion . Did ; you over hoar of tenders being , received and adjudicated upon , for a monopoly ot thia kind boforcv the power of granting it had boou obtainod ,, or tdio conditioms- had he « n dotcrnuued- on which itwosito be grunted ? Such was the course
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), June 19, 1858, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19061858/page/7/
-