INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE FROM THE deep. The body of the place itself is about five hundred by four hundred yards. In some places the scarp is perpendicular; and in others it has been excavated, so as to form extensive BRITISH SETTLEMENTS IN INDIA. subterraneous dwellings, with windows opening CALCUTTA. The apprehensions entertained of a protracted Mahratta war in India, are now completely removed. By intelligence received up to the 11th of June we learn, that the seizure of the PEISHWA had pre vented him from doing any further mischief. TRIMBUKJEE was expected to be brought in, in consequence of the reward offered; and SCINDIA and HOLKAR, so far from taking part against us, had given the Marquis of Hastings assurances of support in crushing the Pindarrees. The proceedings against the Insurgents in the Cuttack were expected to be very soon at an end. From Calcutta papers lately received, we learn that the affairs of Holkar continued to be almost desperate; the main army under Guffoor Khan were plundering the provinces. The Domestic Troops sitting in Dhurna, and Scindia and Ameer Khan amusing the Bhae with unmeaning promises. Runjeet Singh was at Lahore, Dewan Chund, with a body of chosen troops, was near Noorpoor. His progress had been unsuccessfully opposed by Muluck Mahomed Khan, the Zemindar of Bavannah. About seventy men of the Seik army were killed and wounded. A few Seik horsemen had approached Moltan, but were repulsed with considerable loss. Repeated applications had been made by the Nabob of Moltan to the King for assistance in repelling the Seik invasion; but his Majesty and his Vizier had not attended to the solicitations. In the mean time, Moltan was suffering all the miseries of indiscriminate plunder. An army of Belochees had attacked and defeated Nabob Abdul Sumud Khawn, the Governor of Derah Gauzic Khawn, with considerable loss. Capture of the Fort at Hattras. March 15, 1817.-The fortis in form almost an oblong; its long diameter running nearly from west to east ; it measures sixteen hundred yards round the glacis. The ditch is a bundred and twenty feet wide, and eighty-five feet into the body of the ditch; thither the Rajah's family frequently retire during the hot season to avoid the inclemencies of the weather. There are twenty circular bastions in the square. Outside the ditch the ground is irregular, with here and there deep excavations; and is interspersed with lime kilns, villages, and topes. The Kuttru lies west and by north of the fort; about seven hundred and teu yards distant. It is an oblong square, five hunded by four hundred and eighty, with nine circular bastions. Previously to the opening of the batteries, the line was encamped about one mile west of the Kuttru. The troops were so disposed as to invest the fort by a cordon of nearly eight miles. His Majesty's 8th Dragoons occupied a position to the southward of the Kuttru, and the Horse Artillery a post considerably in advance in the same line. His Majesty's 24th Dragoons were placed on the north side, about midway between the fort and Kuttru. The 7th Native Cavalry were encamped at some distance east of the fort; and the irregular horse in two bodies to their right and left. The batteries which had been constructed during the 21st, opened at eleven A. M. of the 22d on the right and left bastions of the western face of the Kuttru; whilst a mortar battery and the rocket north-west battery of three 18-pounders, the brigade began to play upon its centre. The western of three 18-pounders, to which two 24-pounders were added during the following night; and the southwest of three 24-pounders, distant from three hundred to three hundred and fifty yards from the wall. Further Particulars. About 5 o'clock on the 2d March, the ground surrounding the fort was dreadfully shaken by the tremendous explosion of the enemy's maga zine, said to contain several thousand maunds of gunpowder; blowing into the air two hundred buildings. The clouds of dust and smoke inmen, eighty horses, and a great number of tercepted the sight for some minutes, yet notwithstanding the occurrence of this dreadful The mortars kept up an incessant bombardevent, the people in the fort continued the fire. ment, the trenches being carried within about fifty paces of the crest of the ditch. It was 12 o'clock at night, when Dyaram, with a few chosen horsemen, sallied out from the fort, without intimating his resolution to the garri dragoons, and the enemy fought with such In his flight he was opposed by the 8th fury and desperation, that in the skirmish one of our men was killed, one officer and several privates wounded. In the mean time, our Se. poys stormed the gate, and many of Dyaram's people were killed, in attempting to force their way through our troops. The absence of Dyaram had proved a signal to the garrison to plunder the wealth and property of the Chief, and they had loaded themselves with abou fifty thousand rupees, which were taken from the prisoners, on our getting possession. The sceues which the fort presented the following morning are stated to be of the most dreadful description. The ground was covered with the dying and the dead,-dissevered limbs of horses and men were found sticking through the ruined heaps, which had been occasioned by the explosion of the magazine. There was not a building in the fort that had not been perforated by the shells. Another magazine had been struck, but did not explode. It is fired during the bombardment, which lasted said that two thousand rounds of shells were fifteen hours. The manner in which it was conducted, reflects the highest credit on our engineer officers. No money had yet been found in the fort, probably the whole had been buried. There was gunpowder, and also grain in abundance. The fort is considered to be stronger than that of Bhurtpore; the explosion has done very little damage to the out-works. The Dewan has been taken prisoner, and according to his account there were on the morning of the 2d not more than one thousand four hundred and fifty persous in the fort, all of whom, with the exception of one hundred, were fighting men. Dyaram, his two sons, and about forty of the horsemen, who escaped with him, were so completely clothed in armour, that our troops could make no impression on them. Loss of the Union. The account of the loss of the Union, Captain Barker, which vessel has been missing for near sixteen months, may be found to possess some interest from the distress it details. This unfortunate ship sailed from Calcutta, bound to Batavia, in the month of December, 1815, and it was never discovered what had become of her, until the escape of Solomon, one of her crew, from Engano, an island a little to the southward of Bencoolen, on which she was wrecked. Many of the crew, it appears, were lost by remaining with the wreck, and the survivors, consisting of the captain, three officers, two gunners, one European passenger, and several of the people, having succeeded in reaching the shore, were stripped naked by the natives, divided into three parties, and employed in the most laborious work. The sufferings they experienced were of the severest nature, but we are also very happy to learn that the ship Good Hope, with a surgeon and a party of troops on board, has been despatched from Fort Marlborough, to bring the survivors from the island of Engano. The natives of this and the neighbouring islands have been hitherto stigmatised as cannibals, but the occurrence of the shipwreck of the Union will rescue them from so horrible a calumny. Alarming Fire. Au alarming fire broke out in Calcutta in Jan Bazar on the 17th March, which was not extinguished until a very great number of huts had been destroyed. Owing to the indifference of the natives, the ravages of the flames would have been much more extensive, but for the interference of two gentlemen, who perceiving the apathy of the inhabitants under the calamity, made the greatest exertions by example and by threats, to pull down some huts which were in immediate danger, and which precaution ultimately stopped the progress of the flames. Death of Gen. Sir John Horsferd. Extract of a Letter dated Calcutta, May, 1817.-I have just had the melancholy intelligence of the death of General Horsford. He died early in the morning of the 20th April. The General had long been unwell, but not seriously ill, till a few days before his death. His medical attendant had long anticipated the result of his complaint, which it is believed was an ossification of the heart. He had only returned ten days from the command of the artillery, so gloriously employed at the siege of Hattrass. He was one of the number of ludian officers selected for the honours of the Bath, and Field Army at Cawnpore. also commanded the first division of the BOMBAY. The following are extracts from despatches, received at the India House, on the 5th Nov, from the Governor in Council at Bombay; they relate to the measures adopted for suppressing the insurrections raised in the dominions of the PEISHWA, by TRIMBUCKJEE DAINGLIA. The details are too interesting not to be given at length. Camp, April 21, 1817. SIR-I have the honour to report, that in pursuance of the intention expressed in my letter to your address of the 19th instant, I put the infantry in motion for the Gootalla Ghaut, at three o'clock that afternoon, following myself with about six hundred horse, at belonging to Moorteza Yor Jung, about six four o'clock, and reached Saegaon, a village miles from the foot of the Ghaut, at ten o'clock at night, where I waited one hour to collect the men, who had scattered, owing to the badness of the Ghaut. By the Patell* of this village I was informed, that the enemy had stationed mounted videttes at every village between that place and their camp, which village, who collects the rents, and has the geThe Patell or Potail is the head man of a neral superintendence of its concerns. I mounted, and collecting as many of the horse as I could, advanced with the infantry in column left in front, and the horse formed in line on the left of the infantry, about five miles, when I found Risaldar Alum Alie Khan, and first Jemedar Meer Suffdeer Ali, had collected about two hundred men on the banks of a nullah, with whom they kept the enemy in check, by a fire from their matchlocks: the instant they saw our line advancing they went off at speed in a north-westerly direction; and our horses being completely jaded, by the length of the march and pursuit, 1 considered it useless to follow them. Dainglia, and that Trimbuckjee himself was was about twelve coss distant, but that there was a road leading to it through the jungle, frequented only by Brinjarries*, by which I might advance unobserved, and he offered to conduct me: I accordingly mounted him on a horse, and proceeded by the route he pointed out, arrived at the village they were reported to be encamped at, ten coss distaut, a little after day-break, when I found that they had marched from thence the evening before to I advanced Gunnaispoor, about two coss. with five or six horsemen to reconnoitre, leaving orders with Captain Pedlar, to bring up the horse, and desiring Captain Pedlar to leave A few prisoners were taken, from whom I the knapsacks of the infantry in a ravine, and to follow with the utmost expedition: I had learnt that the body of horse collected, which advanced about a mile, when I discovered one they stated to be two thousand, was commandof the patroles of the enemy, whom I immedi-ed by Godajee Row, a nephew of Trimbuckjee ately pursued, and took two of them prisoners; a third man escaped through the jungle to the left; from the two prisoners I ascertained that the enemy had their horses ready saddled, but had not received any information of our approach. I sent back to desire Captain Pedlar to advance at a brisk pace: he overtook me in a short time, and we pushed on at a smart canter, and in ascending a rising ground perceived the enemy drawn up to receive us, their right flank protected by a strong gurhee +, into which they had thrown some infantry, and their front covered by a nullah with steep banks. As they considerably outnumbered us, being about two thousand strong, and chiefly armed with matchlocks, I determined upon iustantly charging them with the sabre, and accordingly ordered the men to sling their matchlocks, and advance in as compact a body as the nature of the ground, which was covered with low jungle, would admit of; on receiving this order our line advanced at full speed, every man endeavouring to be first on the enemy: they fired a few I cannot close this dispatch without expresshots from their matchlocks as we were crossing the nullah, which fortunately passed over sing the high sense I entertain of the assistance I received from Captain Pedlar and Lieuus without doing any injury. The instant we tenant Rind, who joined me as a volunteer on got over the nullah the enemy broke and fled in all directions, and were pursued upwards of this occasion; the former of whom had three coss, sustaining a loss of above two hun-charge of the right, and the latter of the left dred men killed, besides a great number of wounded; amongst the latter was a person who appeared to be a Chief of consequence, called by his own men Appa Saheb, and who when wounded threw down his spear, and being well mounted, made his escape. Finding the enemy by this time completely dispersed, I ordered the pursuit to cease, and the men to return to the enemy's camp. Having been wounded during the pursuit, I had dismounted to tie up my arm, when 1 was informed that a fresh body of the enemy was coming down on our right; I ordered Captain Robinson, who had arrived with the infantry during the pursuit, to fall in his men. Brinjarries collect grain for the Army. + Gurhees are mud forts; some of them are surrounded with ditches. A rivulet. I am happy to say the loss on our part was as little as can be expected; and, I should imagine, it cannot exceed ten men killed, and twenty or twenty-five wounded; amongst the latter, 1 regret to state, is Captain Pedlar, severely. I shall have the honour to forward a return of the killed and wounded as soon as it can be prepared. wing. I have much pleasure in assuring you, that although we had marched upwards of fifty miles before the attack commenced, not a man of the infantry had fallen in the rear ; and I feel convinced, from the eagerness they displayed, that if an opportunity had offered, they would have afforded me every assistance. The behaviour of both officers and men, composing the detachment of reformed horse with me in this affair, exceeded my most sanguine expectations. There was not a single officer who did not distinguish himself, and they were most gallantly supported by their ground. They were pursued for some distance, when the exhausted state of the men, and the scattered order which they were necessarily obliged to assume for a pursuit, induced me to concentrate my little force; and I was the more persuaded of the propriety of this measure from observing considerable bodies of horse, apparently well organised, in commanding situations on our flanks. This arrangement I presume induced them to draw off, nor did I deem it right or expedient to continue a pursuit after a fresh body of horse, with infantry jaded and exhausted from our long marches, continued for five successive days and nights. on the evening of the 12th instant, in pursuit clearly discernible, upon which the column of a body of horse of suspicious character, moved forward with a hastened step, and which by report amounted to five thousand, I shortly before day-light entered the enclosures proceed to detail my movements accordingly. of the village. It was then that we plainly After marching the greater part of that perceived that the Mahratta or Pindarree night, I reached Cambergaun on the Beemah horse were either mounted or mounting for a on the morning of the 13th, when I fortunately march. Under these circumstances no time succeeded in falling into the track of the fugi was to be lost; and being then only a few tives, who had taken the direction of the Car- paces, as I supposed, from their rear picquet, I rungee Ghaut, east of Nugger. On my arri directed Lieutenant Beach to give them a volval at the top of the pass, at eight p. m. on the ley from the front rank of the leading division, evening of the 15th, I found the party had having previously ordered the front ranks only gone down it in the evening before, and though of the leading divisions of the 3d and 14th to I was not disposed to relax for a moment in load. This was accordingly done, and the cothe pursuit, yet the difficulties I had to sur- lumn immediately after rushed forward to the mount, from the extreme bad state of the charge. The horse filed in all directions, leavroads, winding over hills, and through stonying fifty or sixty killed and wounded on the by-paths, induced me to halt, for a few hours, to refresh the men, who appeared much fatigued. At two a. m. however, of the 16th, I descended the Ghaut, and did not reach the village of Susee, which lies at the bottom, until broad day-break; there I gained information of their having struck into the great road to Toka, though I was previously assured that they were directing their course to Pictim, on the Goodavery, with the intention of crossing at that place. I halted again at Moaz, on the Toka road, to give the detach ment rest, with a determination to make a final effort to overtake the fugitives, if possible, before they crossed the river: while here, I received information of their having again deviated from their route, and gone to Gareeagaum, due west of that place, and eight coss from Moaz; we were again in motion at five p. m.; and on my arrival at Gareeagaum I learnt that they had halted there the night before. Having satisfied myself of the correctness of this information, I continued my route to the westward; and although nearly two hours were lost by our guides taking the detachment a wrong road, yet I conceived that there was still a possibility of coming up to the pursued before day-break of the 17th. In this supposition, I am happy to say, I was not deceived, for at three o'clock I instructed two of my commissioned and non-commissioned confidential officers to enter a village in disguise, who seized upon a man, whom I afterwards compelled, by threats, to conduct us to the Mahratta camp, which I had reason to suppose was about four or five miles off. During the time we were going this distance, I made the necessary arrangements for an attack in three divisions, by the two in front, consisting of the flank companies of the 14th Madras, and two companies of the 3d Bombay N. 1. under Captains Smyth and Deschamps, diverging from the head of the column to the right and left on entering the encampment, and by directing the 3d division, two companies of the 2d Bombay N. I. under Captain Spears, to move steadily into its centre without breaking, with a view to this division becoming a point upon which the others might rally in case of necessity. On coming within two miles of the village of Pattre, the forces of the encampment were At ten or eleven, a. m. we were called to arms by the re-appearance of a body of about two hundred well mounted horse, in promiscuous order, who after firing a few shots from their matchlocks at the party brought out to keep them in check, retired. I omitted to mention before, that this body of horse, which could not have been less than Madras artillery, and his sepoy guard, at the four thousand, murdered Lieut. Warre, of the village of Soonie, on the evening of the 16th, and that they plundered all the smaller una few hours prior to my passing through it; protected villages on their route from the southward to Pattre. Some baggage, a quantity of arms and from 100 to 150 horses of different descriptions, were left on the ground; the greatest part of which were pillaged by the villagers in the neighbourhood during the pursuit, &c. I am happy to add, that we met with no casualties, with the exception of one non-commissioned officer of the 2d Bombay N. I. wounded. Had we not unfortunately been led out of the route by the guides, as before mentioned, we should in all probability have found the enemy less prepared for flight, and consequently have been enabled to give a better account of them; as it is, however, I hope you will give me credit when I assure you, that every exertion was made by both officers and men for the public service; and I feel great pleasure in having this opportunity of bearing testimony to the cheerfulness with which they bore the fatigues, and the zeal and alacrity with which the officers performed their several duties. I estimate the distance traversed by the detachment, to be about 150 miles including the morning it marched with the camp, and during the last 24 hours, it actually marched 41 miles, not including the pursuit. In concluding, I beg you will excuse the prolixity of this report, and have the honour to remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, H. SMITH, a young kid that was presented to him, tore open the jugular veins with his teeth, and, like a monster, sucked the blood while the little This sacrifice animal was struggling in death being made, a procession then formed, and marched a number of times round the car. They at length stopped, and a mau, about 30 years of age, was quickly suspended on the hooks, and the car was then drawn by the people a number of times round the yard, attended by tomtoms and shoutings of the multitude. After being drawn around about ten minutes, he was let down, and a woman suspended in the Chase Extraordinary. same manner. Neither of these persons discoBombay Courier, May 3, 1817.-As vered the least signs of pain, but seemed three gentlemen were returning from their wholly at ease. When they were let down, the constitutional ride on Wednesday morning, multitude pressed round to touch them, as their attention was engaged by some Pariar though some peculiar blessing or virtue was dogs running after and worrying what at communicated. This painful ceremony was first appeared to be a hog, but, on proceed-performed before a small temple, in conseing, the object chased broke from its tor-quence, and as the performance of certain vows mentors, and, stretching directly across the flats, gave an excellent chase to the gentle men, who in vain endeavoured to encourage the continued assistance of the dogs. It was soon discovered that the animal was An account of the melancholy accident a large hyena, and the pursuit was main- which deprived the service, in India, of the tained till the ground about the breach-gallant and distinguished Major Campbell, water became so soft as to stop all further of the 9th regiment of Bombay native inprogress. The hyena was much blown, fantry, says, the Major, with a party of offiand took shelter among some bushes; he cers belonging to the Poonah subsidiary did not show much speed, but appeared de- force, were enjoying the pleasures of hunttermined on a straight-forward road: heing the wild hog. They started a samber had very long and white teeth and a remarkably large tail. He is reserved for some future Nimrod. Horrible Superstition. "Whether we shall ever see the fruit of our labours or not, God only knows; and we are willing to leave it in his hands. If any good is done among this people, surely the excellence of the power must be acknowledged to be of God; for the strength of superstition and idolatry is beyond description. Within a mile of our house there are probably thirty temples concecrated to idols. Almost every hour in the day may be heard the prayers and supplications of the multitude to these gods of wood and stone. "A few weeks ago I witnessed the swinging of two persons, as it is called, suspended by hooks thrust through the fleshy part of the back. The machine consists of a perpendicular post, about twelve feet high. At the top of this was a pivot, that sustained a horizontal pale; at one end of this the hooks were fastened, at the other end ropes were fixed to raise the hooks. The whole machine was placed upon wheels. Just before the first person was suspended, an old man, girded with a belt strung with little bells, and deformed with numerous badges of horrid superstition, seized voluntarily made by the persons who were thus tormented. The next day two other persons were suspended in the same way." Death of Major Campbell. (a large kind of deer), and while eager in the pursuit over a rugged country, the Major's horse fell, aud he was so severely hurt, that he survived but a few hours. On his body being opened, it was found that the kidnies were completely destroyed. CEYLON. Melancholy Death by a Shark. This shocking event happened on the evening of the 11th of May last, near CoJumbo, and is extracted from the Ceylon Gazette. A party of seven young gentlemen had been walking among the trees, near the sea, about two miles south of the fort; between five and six o'clock they sat down on the shore, without any previous intention of bathing, when Mr. May, of the Ordnance Civil Department, went into the water, and was soon followed by several others.-Mr. May was an excellent swimmer, and plunging into the nearest surf, he did not rise until he was beyond it. After playing about a short time, he struck out into deeper water, when Lieute. nant Gray, who was within the surf, and aware of the danger from sharks, called out to him not to go any further; at that moment the swell of the surf hid him from Mr. Gray, but some of the party who were standing higher on the shore, saw him on a sudden struggle and sink. He rose again directly, and cried |