men were cut to pieces before we could come to help
them, from their guns being upset. Never did I feel so
much the horrors of death as I did at that moment.
Poor Sitwell had passed through the bloodiest battle
ever fought in India—viz., Chillianwallah, and then to
be killed in a skrimmage like this, where there was no
glory or honour, except that he was nobly doing his
duty! Hilliard was only married the day before he
went out on the expedition. We had got up a very
large ball at this station to be given to the Commander-
in-Chief, but it is needless to say it has not come off.
The doctors have so fully shown to Sir Charles Napier
the unhealthiness of Peshawur, that we are ordered to
march next week to Subacto, a two months' march,
at the bottom of the hills, near Simla, and, I hear, a
pleasant cool station."
The Court of Inquiry into the mutiny in the 66th
Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry had closed its
proceedings on the 7th of March. 60 privates were
dismissed from the service, 30 sentenced to imprisonment
for six months, 21 to imprisonment for seven years,
and 5 were condemned to fourteen years' labour on the
roads. This sentence being regarded by the Commander
-in-Chief to be too lenient, he directed its revisal,
and the five greatest criminals were condemned to
death; but the Commander-in-Chief commuted this
sentence to transportation for life. To make the example
more impressive. Sir Charles Napier resolved to
disband the regiment.
An uneasy feeling is represented as still prevalent in
the Punjaub. At Lahore further conspiracies of the
Sikhs were apprehended. The operation of razing the
walls of that city was begun on the 1st of February.
The Governor-General arrived at Point-de-Galle, in
Ceylon, on the 7th of February, and left that place on
the 9th for Singapore.
There are advices from Hong-kong to the 27th of
February, but they contain no intelligence of public
interest. Trade is stated to be pretty brisk. The
coasting trade between Hong-kong and Shanghai is
about to be taken up by the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamers, Canton and Lady Mary Wood; so
that the intercourse of Hong-kong with the northern
ports will be more regular than it has been. M. Reynvan,
the French Consul at Canton, had been nearly
murdered by one of his domestics, a Chinese. While he
was reading a newspaper, the man, stealthily coming
behind him, attempted to cleave his skull with a chopper,
inflicting a serious though not a fatal wound. The
assailant was quickly pursued, but managed to escape.
Plunder is supposed to have been his object.
Great excitement has been caused at Malta by the recent
proceedings of the Council, declaring that the Roman
Catholic religion is the dominant religion of the island,
and that all others are only tolerated. Besides a
protest from Bishop Tomlinson, officially lodged with
the Governor, petitions were pouring in from all sects
addressed to Earl Grey, beseeching him to intercede
with Her Majesty to withhold her sanction to these
proceedings. It must here be noted, that in the House
of Commons Mr. Hawes declared that no such discrimination
between any religions would be sanctioned.
The West India mail arrived on the 22nd. The
weather was generally favourable, and the islands healthy.
The Cultivation of Cotton in Jamaica was attracting
increased attention; some very superior specimens had
been grown, and it was deemed probable that this article
might become one of the principal staple products of
the island.
At a Court of Admiralty Sessions recently held in
Spanish-town a case was tried which excited a good deal
of interest. An aged woman named Klaber was charged
with taking to Cuba with her, upwards of twenty-five
years ago, and Selling a Black Woman as a Slave. The
charge was fully substantiated, and the prisoner sentenced
to three years' imprisonment in the Penitentiary.
A quick Succession of Fires in Barbados, amongst the
sugar estates, had excited much uneasiness. Some of
these were said to be occasioned by incendiaries; others
by the long drought which had prevailed. These
fires continued of frequent occurrence up to the sailing
of the packet. With reference to the Crop of this island
it is stated that hitherto the yield of the canes had
exceeded expectations, and although in one or two
districts they suffered from drought last year, yet there
was reason to expect that the present year's crop will
not fall far short of that of 1849, which amounted to
33,000 hhds.
At St.Thomas a desperate act of piracy had been
committed. The American schooner J. B. Lindsey left
Port of Spain, Trinidad, on or about the 1st of February.
While yet in sight of that place, at night, the mate and
a passenger were murdered and thrown overboard by the
crew. The captain was severely wounded, but contrived
to secure the cabin-door against the murderers,
and for some days kept them at bay. After ransacking
the vessel for money, the miscreants took to the schooner's
boat, and with an axe attempted to scuttle the vessel,
but their design was defeated by the cook, who cut the
boat's painter and set them adrift. The captain then
managed to crawl upon deck, and by threatening to fire
on the boat prevented the murderers from returning on
board. The boat then made for the Spanish Main, and
the captain managed to reach St. Thomas in the schooner,
where he was taken care of by the American Consul,
who has circulated handbills throughout the West Indies,
offering a reward of 200 dollars for the capture of the
murderers.
A Tornado of terrific violence passed over the town
and harbour of Nassau (Bahamas) on the 30th March.
About fifty houses were destroyed, many of them being
actually smashed to atoms; trees of immense size were
torn up by the roots; several small vessels in the harbour
were sunk, and others dismasted. The squall in its
course passed over a ship yard, and a large schooner on
the stocks was blown over. Eight persons were killed,
and several badly wounded. The tornado lasted not
more than one minute. It happened about noon. A fire
took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on the 7th ult.,
which destroyed property to the amount of £12,000
sterling. The lower orders behaved nobly in rendering
assistance; even women were seen working like the
men. Many of those engaged in the Trinidad riots, six
months ago, were seen labouring disinterestedly in
removing and guarding furniture and stores, and though
they had an opportunity of purloining to an immense
amount, nothing was lost.
The Australian intelligence that has arrived during
the month relates chiefly to the sensation produced by
the Colonies Bill now under discussion in the Imperial
Parliament.
The Sydney papers, which brought dates to the 20th
December, mention a public meeting on the subject of
the proposed New Constitution for the Colonies, which
had separated without passing any resolution A
University is to be established at Sydney, and a
£30,000 has been voted for the building, and £5,000 for
its fittings-up. It will contain at first chairs of the
Classical Languages, Mathematics, Chemistry, Natural
History, Natural Philosophy, Mechanics, Physiology,
and the Medical Sciences; and professorships of History,
Philosophy, and Political Economy, are to be hereafter
added. There is to be no faculty of Theology, and,
apparently, no religious tests. The Professor of Classics
will be Rector of the University, with an endowment of
£800 a-year. The appointments of the other professors
will range from £300 to £400 a-year; and to each will
be given £100 a-year for lodgings until rooms shall be
ready for his residence in the projected building.
Professors coming from Europe will have £100 each towards
the expenses of the voyage.
In the Adelaide papers is printed a remarkable
document, and which has been taken notice of in
parliament. It is a draft of resolutions to be
submitted to the legislative council, by a member of it,
Mr. John Morphet. The document was published
by order of Sir Henry Young, the governor of South
Australia, and was sent home, it appears, by him,
to the Colonial Office, as an official paper. The resolutions
declare it to be the opinion of the council, that
a constitution for South Australia should be based
on the principle of municipal government, after the
model of Great Britain; that affairs of local concern
should be left to local jurisdiction; that the legislature
Dickens Journals Online