Letters and papers have arrived from Bombay to the 18th
July, in anti- cipation of the overland mail. There is no political news.
The ravages of the cholera at Kurrachee had been most disastrous. Between the 14th and the 23d of June, above 8,000 human beings were cut off, including 895 Europeans; of whom 815 were fighting men. Be- sides this, 595 Sepoys, and it is believed about 7,000 Natives, camp-followers, and inhabitants of the town, have died. The disease commenced its de- structive course on Sunday the 14th; when the weather was unusually stagnant and oppressive. The Bombay Times says— "Before midnight nine of the Eighty-sixth were at rest; and men began to be bonne into hospital in such numbers that it was difficult to make arrangements for their reception. It was a fearful night. With morning came the tidings that the pestilence was overspreading the town, and 50 had in twenty-four hours fallen vic- tims. The Eighty-sixth were the earliest, and continued to be the severest sufferers. They and her Majesty's Sixtieth had for six months been in tents close to each other: the day after the disease appeared they were marched out for change of air, and encamped by the sea-shore near Clifton. The Rifles were next attacked; then the Fusiliers; the Artillery and Native Infantry began to suffer after this. For five fearful days did the destroyer lay his hand most heavily upon them; and in this time more than 1,000 men were carried to their gravesl The pestilence now began to abate—it had done its worst, and seemed about to withdraw: within less than a fortnight, 900 Europeans, including 815 fighting men, were carried away; 600 Native soldiers, and 7,000 of the camp-followers and inhabitants of the town, had been hurried into eternity. The conduct of the Governor [Sir Charles Napier] is stated to have been beyond all praise; anxiety for the sick conferring an alacrity on limbs that the hand of time might have stiffened. Only two officers had died—Captain J. B. Seton, of the Bombay Fusiliers, and Lieutenant Dawson, of the Twelfth Regiment of Native Infantry."
Details still more graphic are given in a letter from the camp at Kur- rachee, dated June 30th, and published in the same journal-
" For five day sorely did the destroying angel press on this regiment; 285, or thereabouts, fell victims to this scourge. The Fusiliers and Rifles suffered to a less extent; each regiment has buried about 85 Europeans. Who shall depict the scene in the hospitals? I speak more of the Fusiliers, because of that I saw much: every cot was filled—delirium here, death there—the fearful shrieks of pain and anguish. Men whom you had seen but a short time before hale and strong were rolling in at every door, crowding every space—countenances so full of misery—eyes sunken and glaring, shrivelled and blackened cheeks. This, too, the work of five short minutes or less ! So sudden was death with some that they were seized, cramped, collapsed, dead, almost as fast as I have written the words. Previous health and strength were no guarantees; men attending the burials of their comrades were attacked, borne to the hospital, and buried themselves the next morning. Pits were dug in the churchyard morning and evening; sewn up in their beddings, coffinless, they were laid side by side, one service read over a/L Public works were suspended during the 15th and 16th. Medicine seemed power- less; nothing that medical science could suggest took effect—they were, in fact, dealing with corpses. It was not until the third day that medicine assumed any sway; since it has done so, I should say two-thirds of the cases have been saved.
"It was a goodly sight to see the grim old warrior [Sir Charles Napier] passing up and down the wards quietly from bedside to bedside, whispering gentle words of hope and comfort. He seemed to take no rest."
At the date of the latest accounts, the pestilence had left Kurrachee, and was moving up the river. It is said that Kurrachee is liable to triennial attacks of cholera; but the mortality in 1839 and 1842 was trifling in comparison with the recent visitation.
The rainy season had set in.
The departure of Sir George Arthur from the Government of Bombay was fixed for the 5th of August. Mr. L. R. Reid, the senior civil servant in the Bombay Council, was to succeed him until a Governor nominated in London shall have arrived.
The retirement of Sir Henry Roper from the bench, which is expected in November, had given rise to much talk respecting his successor. In the lack of information as to the arrangement made in England for supplying the vacancy, the appointment of Sir Erskine Perry, the Puisne Judge at Bombay, was considered probable—and very naturally so.
From Cabul there is a curious tale. The approach of an Ambassador from the King of Persia, bearing instructions of high import, was announced to Dost Mahommed; who directed his son, Akhbar Khan, to receive him with extraordinary respect and hospitality. This was done; and arrange- ments were made for holding a private council at which the communication was to be made. The Vakeel, however, was unable to attend the meet- ing, from the effects of a debauch which he had had with Akhbar Khan; but the Kandahar Sirdar being in the secret, gratified the excited curiosity of the Afghan Court by intimating that the object of the mission was to endeavour to persuade the Ameer and all the chiefs of Afghanistan to unite once more with the King of Persia and prepare for hostilities against the British. The Vakeel afterwards submitted the proposals in an offi- cial manner, intimating that his employer was willing to bear all the ex- penses; and the chiefs, it is said, displayed every willingness to take part in the enterprise, provided the money were forthcoming; which seemed to be a point of doubt with them.
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