eltanings.
WELLECGTON ON DRAUGHT ANIMALS IN DRY COUNTRIES.—" The question is what species of cattle will answer 'hest. The country which must be the scene of operations is a desert from the moment the troops will quit the ships, having but little and in some parts no water, and no forage whatever. Bullocks, however hardy they may have been found, cannot work at all without water, and but a short time without forage ; and there- fore that species of all others appears the most unfit for the country in Which their services will be required. But it may be supposed that some bullocks will be absolutely necessary., and that if only a few survive, the troops will derive a considerable benefit from their labour. Upon this point I must observe that the number for work in the Red Sea When required will not be *proportion to the number sent from Bombay. Every bullock that goes will require that a certain attendance, and a quantity of water and forage and grain, should be sent for his use from Bombay; and there- fore the difficulty of having in the Red Seas sufficient quantity of those necessary articles will be increased in proportion to the number of bullocks sent, and the multiplication of the number of bullocks will diminish the chance of those already there of having the quantities of those articles Which are absolutely necessary to their subsistence. . . . . The cattle for the eervice in the Red Sea ought to be of that species which is most hardy and accustomed to the climate, which requires least food and water, and of which it small number will do most work. Camels for carriage, and horses for draught, are of this nature. Of the camel it is unneccessary to say any-
thing ; but of the horse I must observe that one horse will draw as much at four bullocks, will do the work with more activity and spirit, and that he will not require more forage, and but little more water, than one bullock.
U '
Upon the whole then, ulthough it is very necessary that the army in the Red Sea should have cattle, I ern convinced that bullocks will not answer thepurpose intended ; and that instead of filling your ships with bullocks, you will render more essential service to the army by sending water and forage and grain to keep alive those which you have already sent, and for the use of the other cattle which the country may afford."—Suppk- tnentary Despatches. l'ol.
THE HRBRIDES.—" The Hebrides are but the shattered relics of an old land that had its mountain peaks and its glens, its streams and lakes, and may have nursed in its solitude the red deer and the eagle, but was never trodden by the foot of man. A glance at the map is enough to convince us of this. We there see islands, and peninsulas, and promontories, and deep bays, and long-retiring inlets, as though the country had been submerged and only its higher points remained above water. The conviction is am- pressed more strongly upon us by a visit to these. shores. We sail through the windings of one of the sounds,' and can scarcely believe that we are on the bosom of the salt sea Hills rise on all sides, and the water, smooth as a polished mirror, shows so pure and limpid that in the sunshine we can see the white pebbles that strew its bed many fathoms down. The eastern shore is often abruptly interrupted by long-receding lochs edged round with lofty mountains, and thus, where we had looked to see a deep heathy glen, with, perchance, a white tree-shaded mansion in the far distance, and a few dun smoking cottages in front, we are surprised to catch a glimpse of the white sails of a yacht, or the darker canvas of the herring-boats. We sail on, and soon a sudden turn brings us abruptly to the mouth of the sound. A bold headland, studded around with rocky islets, rises perpendicularly from the ses, bleak and bare, without a bush or tree, or the faintest trace of the proximity of man. The broad swell of the Atlantic comes rolling in among these rocks, and breaks in foam against the grey cliffs overhead. In tempest ,s such a scene must be of the most terrific kind. We to the hapless vessel that is sucked into the vortex of these breakers, whose roar is some- times heard at the distance of miles! Even in the calmest weather the white surf comes surging in' and a low sullen boom is ever reverberating along the shore."—GeikiesStory of a Boulder.
Tar Grsserens or Swrrzsur..tivn.—Mr. Faraday has sent the following interesting letter on this subject to the Tinies.—" August 23, 1858. My dear I now sit down to wipe away the reproach of having written a letter to you and not sent it. I reached this mountain wild the day before yesterday. Soon after my arrival it commenced snowing, and yesterday morning the mountains were all covered by a deep layer. It heaped itself up against the windows of this room, obscuring half the light. Today the sun shines, and I hope he will soon banish the snow, for the snow is a great traitor on the glacier, and often covers smoothly chums which it would not be at all comfortable to get into. I am here in a lonely house the only traveller. If you cast your eye on a map of Switzerland, you will find the Valley of Seas not far from Visp. High up this valley, and three hours above Sias itself, is the Distil Alp, and on this .Alp I now reside. Close be- side the house, a ninny-armed mountain torrent rushes; and a little way down a huge glacier, coming down one of the side valleys, throws itself across the torrent, dams it up, and forms the so-called Matmark see.' Looking out of another window I have before me an immense stone, the unshipped cargo of a glacier, and weighing at least 1000 tons. It is the largest 'boulder I have ever seen, is composed of serpentine, and mea- sures 216,000 cubic feet. Previous to coming here I spent ten days at the Riffel Hotel, above Zermatt, and explored almost the whole of that glorious glacial region. One morning, the candle of my guide gleamed into my room at three o'clock, and he announced to me that the weather was good. I rose, and at four o'clock was on my way to the summit of Monte Rosa. My guide had never been there, but he had some general directions from a bro- ther guide, and we hoped to be able to find our way to the top. We first reached the ridge above the Riffel, then droped down upon the Gorner glacier, crossed it, reached the base of the mountain, then up a boss of rock, over which the glacier of former days had flowed and left its marks behind. Then, up a slope of ice to the base of a precipice of brown crags ; round this we wormed till we found a place where we could assail it and get to the top. Then up the slopes and round the huge bosses of the mountain, avoiding the rifted portions, and going zigzag up the steeper inclinations. For some hours this was mere child's play to a mountainesr,—no more than an agreeable walk on a sunny morning round Kensington Gardens. But, at length, the mean tam n contracted her snowy shoulders to what Germans call a kamus—a comb; suggested, I should say, by the toothed edges which some mountain ridges exhibit, but now applied to any mountain edge, whether of rock or anew. Well, the mountain formed such an edge, On that side of the edge which turns towards the Lyskamm there was a very terrible precipice, leading straight down to the torn and fissured neve of the Monte Rosa glaciers. On the other side the slope was less steep, but exceeclingly perilous-looking, and intersected here and there by precipices. Our way lay along the edge, and we faced it with steady caution and deliberation. The wind had so acted upon the snow as to fold it over, forming a kind of cornice which overhung the first precipice to which I have alluded. Our dock for some time was upon this cornice. The incessant admonition of my guide was to fix my staff securely into the snow at each step, the necessity of which I had already learned. Once, however, while doing this, my staff went right through the cornice, and I could see through the hole that I had made into the terrible gulf below. The morning was clear when we started, and we saw the first sunbeams as they lit the pinnacles of Monte Rosa, an caused the surrounding snow summits to flush up. The mountain remained clear for some hours, but I now looked upward and saw a dense masa of cloud stuck against the summit. She dashed it gallantly away like a mountain queen ; but her triumph was short. Dusky masses again assailed her and she could not shake them off. They stretched down to- wards us ; and now the ice valley beneath us commenced to seethe like a boiling cauldron and to send up vapour masses to meet those descending from the summit. We were soon in the midst of them, and the darkness thickened ; sometimes, as if by mmaes the clouds partially cleared away, and through the thin pale residue the sunbeams penetrated, lighting up the glacier with a kind of superna- tural glare. But these partial illuminations became rarer as we ascended. We finally reached the weathered rocks which form the crest of the moun- tain, and through these we now clambered up cliffs and down cliffs, walk- ing erect along edges of granite with terrible depths at each side, squeezing ourselves through fissures, and thus by jumping, swinging, squeezing, and climbing, we reached the highest peak of Monte Rosa. Snow had com- menced to fall before we readied the top, and it now thickened darkly. I boiled water, and found the temperature 184'92 degrees Fahrenheit. But the snow was wonderful snow. It was all flower; the most lovely that ever eye gazed upon. There, high up in the atmosphere, this symmetry of form manifested itself, and built up these exquisite blossoms of the frost. There was no deviation from the six-leaved type, but any number of variations. I should hardly have exchanged this dark snowfall for the best view the moun- tain could afford me. Still, our position was an anxious one. We could only see a few yards in advance of us, and we feared the loss of our track. We retreat- ed, and found the comb more awkward to descend than to ascend. However, the fact of my being here to tell you all about it proves that we did our work successfully. And now I have a secret to tell you regarding Monte Rosa. I had no view during the above ascent, but precisely a week afterwards the weather was glorious beyond description. I had lent my guide to a party of gentlemen, so I strapped half a bottle of tea and a ham sandwich on my back, left my coat and neckcloth behind me, and in my shirt-sleeves climbed to the top of Monte Rosa alone. When I see you I will tell you all about this ascent, which was a very instructive one. I expect to remain here a week. The house is cold, and at !present the wet comes through the ceiling. I have caught a slight cold, which I hope will soon pass away, as I want all my vigour upon the ice. When I quit this place I shall make my way to Chamouni, where I expect to be in eight or nine days. With kindest, &c., "Most sincerely yours, JOHN TYNDALL." THE MASSACRE AT CAT'NPOR/L—Mrs. Murray, the wife of Sergeant- Major Murray, now residing in Calcutta, a survivor of the massacre at Cawnpore, or rather on the Ganges, has published a narrative of that atro- city, from which we extract her description of the closing scenes and her escape. It must of course be taken for what it is worth. "it is a remark- able fact, that during the whole period of our stay in the garrison not more than thirty soldiers were killed. To the best of my knowledge, there were lots of provisions in the garrison; and if the General had only held out for th
twelve days or a fortnight more e whole of the garrison would have been relieved by General Havelock, who arrived at Cawnpore just twelve days after the massacre. But no • it was fated otherwise. On the 26th of June, Jacoby, or Jacobite, the watch-maker's sister-in-law, who was left behind, and was in the hands of the rebels, came with a later from Nana Sahib, offering terms of peace. Her brother-in-law and sister were in the garrison. She swore Nana was sincere in his profession, and the General, as the drowning man grasps at a straw, swallowed down everything as gospel truth. The whole garrison was against surrendering, and bitterly opposed the Gene- ral when he seemed inclined to accept the offer. The soldiers became mad to hear that the General was going to accept the offer. They broke their guns in a rage, and openly exhibited every sign of insubordination, butte no purpose. The General accepted the terms, in the teeth of universal oppo- sition. Mrs. Wheeler herself opposed him, and begged of him not to do
but to no purpose. He was firm and inflexible. The Nana had been his friend, and he could not see the reason why he could not trust him. The General wrote a warm letter of friendship and sent it off by Jacoby's sister-in-law. A little while after the miscreant Nana arrived, and was immediately conducted to the General. Whatever was proposed at the mo-
ment the General agreed to, in he was only allowed with the be rt - leaguered garrison to depart peace. Nana agreed to it, and to satisfy
him took an oath that he would see them safely conducted to Allahabad. After this the rebels outside rushed into the garrison. Their number was so great that there was hardly any place to stand. There could not have been less than 7000 to 8000 armed men surrounding the garrison and occupying every inch of ground. If they had wanted, they could have crushed us in the garrison without using their weapons. After this the treasury chest was made over to the Nana, together with all the ammunitions which were in the garrison. Nana then ordered the necessary preparation to be made to leave Cawnpore, he having left the garrison to go and arrange for boats. Every one packed up his things, and passed the night with feverish anxiety. Next morning a Sowar came and informed the General that there was not a sufficient number of boats available, and therefore, instead of boxes, in which every one had packed up his things, a bundle of clothes could he only allowed to be carried by each man, which was forthwith prepared ; but, another Sower coming in after a while, communicated to the General that, there not being sufficient room in the boats to stow so many bundles, it was decided by the Nana Sahib that they should depart as they were. The Ge- neral, at this second message, at once ordered the whole garrison to march out as they were. They were conducted towards the ghaut by the Nana's men, who took them not by the route in which they had their hattery, (for the soldiers would have assuredly fallen upon their battery and would have turned their guns against them,) but by another passage altogether. "When the garrison reached the ghaut the men were ordered to go in the boats, to which they objected, unless the ladies and children were first ac- commodated. But the General, being assured that there was no harm in it, that there was some breakfast prepared for the ladies and children which as soon as they had taken they would be put on the boat, the Genera got into a boat, and then all the men Mowed his example. As soon as the main body of the men were thus separated from the women and children, they were fired at, but some of the soldiers having a few rounds of cartridges which they had taken with them by stealth, returned the fire, and, like so many desperate bulldogs, jumped out of the boats, and fought bravely against the fearful odds as long as their cartridges lasted. They then threw away their guns and were cut to pieces. One soldier jumped into a blind well, but was taken out and mangled by a host of ruthless barbarians. One boat having caught fire, was burnt with all its inmates, and any one attempting to escape the fire was made a target-mark by the armed multitude standing on the bank. The gentlemen who were left on the bank, or, at least, those who had not gone into the boat, were hunted from one place to another like dogs, and, on each man a thousand sabres flashing at a time, wives and children beseeching the multitude with folded hands and in praying attitude to spare their husbands and fathers, but to no purpose, the whole of the male portion of the garrison were barbarously murdered by order of Nana Boor. My husband, William Murray, Band Sergeant of the 66th Native Infantry, was shot in the head. My brother met the same fate. His name was Hero. My two sons, Aliek and John, fell by tulwar. The women all, high and low, were stripped in open air, a piece of blue cloth of hardly. three cubits, arid less than a cubit in breadth, was given to each woman, Just to cover herself. Then followed the massacre of the children, and I can, with- out any exaggeration confidently declare that no less than 300 of the inno- cent angels were destroyed, as it were by the spell of magic. "They were balonetted, shot, dashed on the ground, and trampled under foot. One European boy, of about seven years, having escaped from the hands of the Se.poys, came running and fell upon Nana's foot, and begged of him to spare his life and he would serve him as a mehter. The boy had not lifted up his head him the foot before it was cut off' by the express order of the Nana, and he flung the head away with his foot. My two grandsons, Robert and Charles, aged five and twelve years respectively, were cut down on the spot. My two daughters-in-law, Lewes and Santa, were cut down, both of whom were pregnant, but the latt;r, being very far advanced, expected daily to be confined, was ripped open, and the child came out of her womb, which was cut on the spot. Many were the heart-rending scenes which followed, when mothers were forced to give up their infants in arms to be brutall massacred in their presence, but they were too many to be related here. received one sword-cut on the head y a sowar, who, aiming a se- cond blow, I guarded with my hand, when I received another cut on my hand ; after that I received one cut on my back, which was so severe that I fell down senseless. I received two cuts more, but I am not sensible as to when they were inflicted ; after that what passed I am not aware. When all the people were gone away I opened my eyes, and I found myself lying in the heap of dead bodies fearfully mangled. I tried to get up, but I could not, so I crawled and went near the water, and I drank some water. A fishwoman living on the ghaut having seen me, took pity on me and used to supply me with gruel and other necessaries which she could afford, but her mother used to abuse me shamefully. I used to be lying near the river close to a bhatta, or the place where brick is baked. I was seen afterwards by some Sepoys, who threatened to shoot me. I told them they were wel- come to do so, provided they shot me in the head, and thus got rid of a life which was insupportable ; but they went away without molesting me. Per- haps they felt loath to look at me, my sores were so fearfully bad and full of worms. Before I fell I remember to have seen several grown-up girls and young ladies taken away by the sowers and other men but as many as were taken away there was not one who had not personal attraction—the best passport for her safety. They were taken towards the town, and to what indignities they were subjected is a mystery which will be only revealed on the day of judgment. They were afterwards brought and kept in the Assem.. bly-house, but I do not know whether the whole of the number or only a part was brought back. The fugitives who had escaped from Furruckabad and were coming down to Calcutta in boats were stopped at Ceara- pore, and were taken up and added to the inmates of the Assembly-house, the whole of whom were massacred on the arrival of General Havelock. There was not one spared to inform the world as to what had been perpetre.. ted on them. The rebels knew full well that the British army would ulti- mately triumph, and therefore they took good care to destroy all of there who had been eye-witnesses to their Tartaric barbarity. I well remember that as long as the soldiers had cartridges and were bravely fighting away there was no trace of the Nana Soar, but the moment the cartridges were over and the soldiers commenced throwing their guns, then the beast made his appearance. He was laughing away while the poor Europeans were being cut down in his presence. On the arrival of General Havelock, the cowardly miscreants of Cawnpore disappeared like stars at dawn of day, and the Nana Boor disappeared like a comet. I was promptly attended to, my wounds were dressed, and I was forthwith sent to Allahabad, where, being put under medical treatment, any wounds got better, and I was sent down to Calcutta ; and here I am with five marks, which I consider the best evi- dence to confirm the truth of my statement. I forgot to mention that Ge- neral Wheeler, of the station, was not murdered with the rest of the gentle.. men, but a day after the massacre. His boat having left Cawnpore had actually gone away about fourteen miles, when it was seized and brought back, and the following day he was put to death. He was made to sit in the sun almost the whole day, and in the evening he was cut down by the order of Nana Sahib. The feeling of the Mohammedan portion of the re- bels was so bitter against the Christian that nothing but blood would satisfy them. Before they would strike a Christian down they would repeat the word 1.e., I am
unit by the name of God. T I Up to this time possess the piece of three cubits of blue cloth which was given to every one when the whole of the women were stripped, and which piece any one seeing will have some idea, at least, of the indignities offered to the ladies."
[For Booxs, see Monthly Supplement.]
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