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THE GREAT MUTINY.

The crisis is past, were the words of assurance and consolation with which we were greeted by the Calcutta correspondent of the first newspaper in the world, on the arrival in London of the last mail, viâ Marseilles, from India. It is not our present intention to inquire into the precise aim and object of this design to allay the intense anxiety felt regarding the progress of the great Sepoy mutiny, or to question its propriety or utility; but, prepared as we were for the exhibition of a large stock of gullibility, arising from the customary apathy of the public to India and its welfare, thus forcibly described by Mr. Thornton,"Men who contended in blood against the separation from Great Britain of her transatlantic possessions, have been willing to leave British India a prey to either native adventurers or European enemies; men who would rather have seen Britain engulfed in the ocean which surrounds her than yield her claim to the rock of Gibraltar, have deemed the most magnificent empire ever held in dependence as scarcely worth the keeping. It would be tedious to discuss at length the causes of these hallucinations. They exist, and all statesmen whose views have been free from such delusions, have received very annoying evidence of their existence," we plead guilty to our utter amazement at constantly hearing the above assurance complacently re-echoed in all directions. For it had hardly come under our observation, when incident after incident, each succeeding one contributing a stronger denial to the correctness of the impression intended to be conveyed, attracted our notice.

That which a few weeks since was merely designated a mutiny among the Sepoys of the regular army of Bengal, might now be more correctly called, thanks to past and present want of firmness, the rebellion or insurrection of Hindoostan, and the events of one month have exposed the miserable internal weakness of our boasted empire in the East as clearly and incontestably as the retreat of the ten thousand did that of ancient Persia in fifteen. May the future prove that the comparison ends here!

However desirous we may be to avoid earning the title of the alarmist, or being stigmatized with the opprobrious name of the pessimist, it is impossible, after a careful, unbiassed, and unprejudiced perusal of the latest intelligence from the scene of disturbance, to write in a different strain.

The nearest descendant of the Great Mogul has been proclaimed king of Hindoostan in the old capital of the Mohammedan conquerors. The mutineers, to the number of 26,000 or thereabouts, rich with plundered wealth, well supplied with ammunition, and joined by a multitude of vagabonds and bad characters from the bazaars and surrounding villages, have entire possession of the city. So far from there being a probability of immediate dissensions among the actors, the principal element of debility to be looked for in movements of this description, when conflicting interests and rival religions decide upon making common cause, we learn that Lal Khan, a Mussulman Subahdar of 3rd Cavalry, has been elected generalissimo, and Bulcho Sing, a Hindoo Subahdar of 20th Foot, second in command. Upwards of thirty regiU.S. MAG., No. 345, AUG., 1857.

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ments of infantry and cavalry, with a large body of sappers and miners, and some artillery, are in a state of open mutiny, with every prospect of adding to their number. A considerable portion of the population, urban and rural, fascinated no doubt for the most part by the opportunities presented for looting, are emulating the example set by the soldiery. Telegraph wires have been cut, and the means of communication between many of the stations are so precarious, that large sums have been offered for the conveyance of letters. And, lastly, the present time of the year is the commencement of the season most trying and injurious to British constitutions.

Even Bombay has not escaped the contagion; but happily it has not extended to its army, which we rank as the least discontented, the most obedient, and the best.* There is news of a show of resistance to our supremacy on the part of the Guicowar, the most powerful dependent sovereign in that Presidency, at Baroda; also that Broach is in a state of ferment; and serious fears are entertained of a rising at Ahmedabad of the warlike Rajpoot tribe of Grassias, assisted by Bheels and Kolies. It is useless to urge that there is little real danger, because the ostensible cause of one misunderstanding is the interference of the resident with the management of the prince's household troops, and of another the choice of a Moslem Musjid (place of worship) by a fire-worshipper, as the building best adapted for the prosecution of his amours; since there is now small doubt greased or ungreased cartridges have, beyond performing the part of a pretext, very little to do with the matter. A state of agitation, from whatever cause, or in whatever town or district of India, always unwelcome, is a thousandfold more so at the present critical period.

Besides the news of the

With reference to the Madras Presidency. sitting of a court of inquiry into an act of insubordination, amounting to a direct refusal to obey orders, perpetrated by the 1st Foot, there is a report, which requires confirmation, however, that the men of the 10th regiment of infantry quartered in Pegu have positively refused to use the cartridges.

Before the transfer of a single British soldier from Madras into Bengal, in addition to the mutinous reputation acquired by the Madras troops, the existence of the tribe or sect of Moplahs on the Malabar coast should have been taken into consideration. They are the most fanatical of all the professors of that religion of lust, intolerance, and the sword, the religion of Mohammed. On more than one occasion a band of these miscreants, consisting of not more than twenty men, having sworn on the Koran to become Ghazees, that is, champions or rather murderers for the faith, have carried fire and sword through the province, slaying every Kaffir (unbeliever) they came across, without respect to age or sex, neither giving or accepting quarter. In their wild career, without fire-arms, they put to flight some companies of Sepoys, and shut up others commanded by a British officer in a kutcherry (a hall of justice), to which they had fled for refuge; and at last met with the death they courted at the hands of a combined British and native force, the former of whom it was found absolutely necessary for

* While we write, a rumour, the authenticity of which is denied by Government, is in circulation, that the Bombay troops have mutined—if true, eheu !

the achievement of success to order up by forced marches from a long distance. These zealots died triumphantly, singing hymns of rapturous joy, and are at this moment objects of envy to their less ardent fellowreligionists, whose glowing imaginations depict them in a highly coloured style, in company with their revered Prophet, enjoying the society and receiving the attentions of the lovely Houris of Paradise. Having paid considerable attention to the dark and gloomy side of the picture, let us bestow a similar favour on the light side.

Among the few scraps of cheering intelligence, the communication from the agent of the lieutenant-governor of the north-western provinces, that the insurgents had been driven, with the loss of a large number of men and twenty-six guns, within the wall of Delhi, and our forces were occupying a commanding position between the city and the cantonments, and were about to make an assault, may be classed as the most important.

It is gratifying, and at the same time humiliating, to hear of the valuable assistance and support rendered by Sindiah, and the Rajahs of Bhurtpore and Putteealah, especially the latter; how long it will continue is quite another question. We read with infinite pleasure of the noble conduct of the 1st Bombay Lancers, 10th Light Cavalry, some of the irregular horse, and the faithful few of the 3rd Cavalry and 9th Foot. We rejoice too that we have heard not a whisper of a traitorous act on the part of a servant towards his master, while acts of generous magnanimity by a fakeer and others are recorded.

As for the reports that one regiment is loyal and staunch; a second virtuously indignant at a withdrawal of confidence; a third clamouring to be led against the mutineers, the less reliance placed on such tales, and the more doubt felt as to the sincerity of such demonstrations of feeling, the better. Why, are we not informed that certificates of the fidelity of the 11th and 20th regiments had been forwarded by their respective commanding officers to head-quarters only a week before they joined in the outbreak and massacre at Meerut; that at Agra it has been found requisite to disarm those very two regiments, the 44th and 67th, which, but a short time before, had received the lieutenant-governor's conciliating address with loud and prolonged applause?-the greater portion of the former, and some of the latter, have left the station, to increase, we presume, the garrison of Delhi, or to sow the seed and encourage the growth of rebellion in regiments hitherto peaceful and submissive. The remainder, probably, are biding their time. And, to crown all, the 9th regiment, which had evinced such loyalty in destroying and delivering up to justice some of the blood-thirsty and atrocity-stained demons of 3rd Cavalry who had come to corrupt them, were, in consequence of their disapproval of the suspension by the neck of a spy (which spy was a Brahmin), unable to resist the torrent any longer, and set off to join the rebels, enjoying the recreation of plundering and burning on the march.

Enough has happened, we should have thought, to cause the Governor-General to regard with the greatest distrust the petition of the 70th Native Infantry, and to hesitate ere he acceded to their request to be led against the traitors and scoundrels, as they term (probably facetiously) the mutinous troops. It would not excite our wonderment if subse

quent occurrences should prove it to be a wily ruse, truly Asiatic and Brahminical, to effect a junction with their bhaees (comrades) at the expense of the Sirkur (Government); and perhaps our troops may, in the thick of an engagement, suddenly find any doubts as to the issue of the combat summarily and effectually set at rest by the discharge into their flank or rear of a murderous volley from the muskets of the demonstratively loyal 70th Native Infantry. We do hope this regiment, more particularly if there be many Brahmins in it, has been placed under an unapparent, but close surveillance.

Every demonstration of a friendly disposition should be looked upon with the greatest suspicion. Falsehood and dissimulation are very strong points in the Hindoo character. Indeed, there is extant a wellknown piece of proverbial advice, that to tell the truth is the surest way to deceive a native; for, judging by himself as a standard, he seldom credits what is told him. And probably there is no country in the world where witnesses ready to perjure themselves to any extent can be procured for so small an outlay or so little trouble as Hin

doostan.

The conduct of the officer commanding at Meerut, and the manifesto issued by Mr. Colvin, have been the subjects of much animadversion and complaint. But the account of what occurred at Ferozepore on the 13th and 14th May, as detailed in the Lahore Chronicle, appears to us so extraordinary that we feel bound to discredit it, or at least to suppose it highly exaggerated.

The force stationed at Ferozepore at the time of the Meerut massacre consisted of her Majesty's 61st Foot, 10th Bengal Light Cavalry, some artillery, and 45th and 57th regiments of Native Infantry. The two regiments last named mutinied. It is natural to suppose they were almost exterminated in a very short time by the force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, particularly as it was known they were in a state of excitement some time before they committed any overt act of resistance. It was otherwise. They burnt down a church, a chapel, two hospitals, the 61st officers' mess-house, and numbers of divers bungalows, and committed various depredations and robberies for some time with impunity. It was even thought advisable to blow up two powder-magazines, to prevent them falling into their possession.

A report is current that the 15th of May was fixed upon by the mild Gentoos as the day on which every Feringhee was to be sacrificed, but that the troopers of the 3rd Cavalry, by their precipitancy, involuntarily rendered us an invaluable service. Voluminous folds of dark mystery envelope the whole affair. The rapid circulation of the chupattees (dried cakes) all over the country, reported by many officers employed in civil capacities, it is reasonable now to suppose, were closely connected with it. Though strenuous efforts were made to divine or discover the origin and intent of the novel proceeding at the period of its taking place, no satisfactory conclusion was arrived at. The movement has been called by some one the development of the great Brahmin confederacy, and we feel an inclination to endorse the epithet. The ringleaders who have been detected have almost invariably been found to belong to the priestly caste.

The regular infantry is composed almost entirely of Brahmins, Raj

poots, and Kshatriyas, the three highest castes. The Mussulmans are not very partial to serving as foot soldiers, but enlist in large numbers for the cavalry; their higher classes, who appear as yet to have preserved their fidelity, are to be found chiefly in the irregular regiments. Consequently the majority of the mutineers are men of high caste, and, as far as the Hindoos are concerned, the case resolves itself into this -High caste v. the British power. What can be the cause of this hostility? Not tyranny, for it is not possible to imagine a native of a conquered country more pampered by his masters than the high-caste soldier of Bengal has been by the East-India Company. His pay has been high, and most regularly issued-a practice directly at variance with that pursued by all Asiatic potentates; his low-caste countrymen have been hindered from polluting him by their proximity; and in most cases where he has shown his teeth, the utmost deference has been paid to his wishes. Instead of striving to diminish the strength of that huge polyarchy under the yoke of which the lower classes suffered from a date long anterior to Porus's struggle with Alexander on the banks of the Hydaspes or Jhelum, we have laboured, and only too effectually, to consolidate and strengthen the power which is now exerting itself to get rid of its benefactors. We admit the inferiority of many, but not all of the lowest castes, but what have we done to ameliorate their condition or the condition of the poor ryot? As for debarring castes from the army, we believe that a very large proportion of native princes' armies is composed of the middle castes, which, though not positively excluded from the Company's army, yet have a considerable quantity of dirt thrown on them.

The question may be put, How do you account for the union apparently subsisting between professors of two religions so diametrically opposed? We answer: a common hatred of the European, and a desire to free themselves from his obnoxious presence. Though feuds of fearful animosity, caused by the variance of their creeds, are of frequent occurrence, especially during religious festivals (a remarkable instance of which took place very lately in the then kingdom of Oude, when the Hindoos received the support of Government), still all seems forgotten. Fond as the Mussulmans appear to be of exasperating Hindoos by the slaughter of bulls and Brahmins in their temples, and great as is their abhorrence of idols, they-particularly the women and lower rankscannot refrain, in moments of superstitious dread and apprehension, from consulting and making offerings to Mahadeo or Kalee, or some other stone or mud male or female deity-acts which it is to be inferred would rather shock the followers of the Prophet in Constantinople or Mecca. The doctrine of caste likewise has entangled them closely in its meshes. Indeed, to our ideas, every European who has lived long in the upper provinces of Bengal seems to be more or less imbued with its tenets. It was our lot to meet with one who reckoned it an offence contra bonos mores-in fact, decidedly low caste-to talk of a leech, because that little animal, so useful to man, is only applied to the suffering patient in India by beings of the lowest caste, as its touch would pollute the loftier specimens of humanity.

Beyond the proclamation of a Mohammedan as king, and the mutiny of the three or four regiments of cavalry, the Mohammedans do not seem