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THE PROSPECT DARKENING AROUND.

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There was now a lull; but, as has been already said, it was an ominous one-it foreboded a coming storm; the whole political atmosphere was charged with electricity-the "subtle fluid" might burst forth at any point; it might throw the whole country into a blaze, and all might still be lost. Delhi must be the lightning-conductor, and that speedily. There was less hope than ever of any succour from below; from England no hope at all. The mail of the beginning of July had arrived, but it brought the cheerless intimation that while England was appalled with tidings of the Meerut and Delhi massacres, Lord Ellenborough had launched the thunders of his eloquence on the head of Lord Canning for subscribing to a missionary society, and Lord Clarendon had promised that reinforcements should be sent as soon as possible round the Cape!

Moreover, a fresh danger threatened, and that at our own doors. The Sikhs had hitherto remained quiet, tolerably contented in the peaceful times which, under us, had followed their reign of anarchy and terror. Lacking sympathy with the Poorbeah, their hands full with an abundant harvest, for two months and a half they had looked on with hope for a speedy return of order; and had but sparingly, at the first, enlisted into our ranks, though those already in our service had fought faithfully and bravely for us. But Sir John

force; the 24th, formed of the brave little Muzbee Sikhs, before Delhi; and the 25th, a Hazara Goorkha regiment.

Besides these, some more cavalry regiments had also sprung into existence, Lind's and Cureton's Mooltanees; and, later still, several Sikh cavalry.

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ASPECT OF THE PUNJAB THREATENING.

Lawrence had not failed to detect a change which was gradually, yet perceptibly, coming over them. It shall be described in his own powerful words :- "As months wore on, they saw that our power in the Punjab was being wasted away, as troops were despatched for Hindostan, without any reinforcements arriving from Europe. They discovered, too, that it was going hard with us elsewhere in India. Incendiary letters came day after day, describing, in highly figurative phrase, the utter isolation of our position. These things sank deep into their minds; they began to think (what they could hardly have believed at first) that the end of British rule was really approaching. Then latent embers of disaffection began to glow; people commenced, as it were, to make up their political book against the coming revolution; individuals thought of securing their own future position and influence, of conciliating those who would become formidable when the hand that ruled all alike should be removed; even our real well-wishers, our loyal agents, would take precautions for the safety of themselves and families in the troubles which they feared were inevitable; dreams floated. about, not, perhaps, of nationality, or of a restored Sikh commonwealth, but of the possible revival of separate parties like the original Sikh Misls; the idle and the vicious everywhere hoped for congenial excitement; chiefs living idly in their country-seats thought once more of mixing in strife; in the southern waste tracts men looked forward to resuming predatory habits; in the northern hills they sighed for indepen

dence."

MICHNEE FORT ATTACKED BY THE MOHMUNDS.

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They would stand by us, and risk their lives for us, while we could hold our own; when we could not do that, they would be forced to turn against us.*

Nor were the Mohammedans on the frontier uninfluenced by the same causes. Once more the cloud was gathering over Peshawur. The fort of Michnee was attacked by a band of Mohmunds, led on by a fanatic moulvie: the plea was that they had been dispossessed of some lands, and now, in the day of its weakness, they thought to extort restoration from Government, or take possession for themselves. A force could ill be spared from Peshawur to punish them, for disease was beginning to thin the European ranks; so Edwardes tried negotiation. He sent out to remonstrate; if they had any grievance, that was not the way to obtain redress, much less to gain favour; let them withdraw in peace, dismiss the fanatics, and make a respectful representation of their case, and it should be calmly reconsidered. This dignified attitude, this assumed confidence, which looked so like a consciousness of strength, awed the Mohmunds; they retired, and the danger-never perhaps greater during the whole period

-was averted. Yet it showed too plainly that the frontier was again becoming dangerously excited; it was clear that, after all, the Mohammedan fanatic thought "the good time coming" when a blow might be struck for the supremacy of his race and religion, and for the extirpation of the infidel.

If, a month before, Sir John had felt the need, it * Fourth Punjab Report, para. 150.

VOL. II.

I

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SIR JOHN LAWRENCE'S POSITION.

now, alas! was more imminent than ever, that Delhi must fall, and that by Punjab troops. What he had done to effect this has been already mentioned-more he could not do; the last man that could be spared had been pushed on to Delhi, and the issue was with Heaven.

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History dwells with admiration on the calmness of the Roman Senate, who, at a crisis unexampled in the varying fortunes of Rome, thanked one consul for not having despaired of the safety of the state, and with an enemy flushed with victory advancing on one road, despatched by another a reinforcement to strengthen an over-matched general, in a distant province. With similar admiration, we think, will history point to Sir John Lawrence as a man who, with a failing treasury, an excitable population, and a newly-raised force, despatched his last trustworthy body to the gates of Delhi, and then sat himself down calmly to await the result.' "'*

* Frazer's Magazine for June 1858, p. 688.

CHAPTER XVI.

[AUG. 1857.-PART III.]

IMPROVEMENT IN CAMP-CONFUSION INCREASING IN THE CITYTHE BUKRA EED A FAILURE THE BATTERY AT LUDLOW CASTLE CARRIED BY SHOWERS-THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOVEABLE COLUMN - GREATER DEPRESSION IN THE CITY, BOTH AMONG THE SEPOYS AND THE SHAHZADAS TIDINGS OF THE DEATH OF SIR HENRY LAWRENCE-HODSON'S AFFAIR AT RHOTUK-NICHOLSON'S VICTORY AT NUJUFFGHUR.

AT Delhi the tide had turned: the new regime was restoring health and hope. Order was beginning to return. Although the assaults of the rebels were at times very desperate, they were less frequent, and the men, recruited by the new system of reliefs, were far better able to meet them. Then the severity of the the rains, after the first few days, somewhat relaxed. Cholera, which had been raging during the preceding month, appeared to be passing away. The sanitary measures for draining and cleansing the camp had succeeded in mitigating the discomfort as well as disease to which the troops had been hitherto subject. The sick-list, indeed, was still very heavy-a fifth of the whole force! Still the admissions into hospital

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