The Manchester Guardian, of Monday, publishes some very curious and
significant extracts from private letters received from Bombay, dealing with the late riots. According to one of them, elaborate preparations have been made in case of a renewal of the disturbances. The fort has been provisioned for five years. The signal for alarm is six guns per minute fired from the big guns, and the soldiers and volunteers have been instructed how to act. "We, in this suburb," says the writer, "are to take refuge in the small-arms faetory till further orders." He adds that of course these are only precautions, but that "still there is a bad feeling abroad." The other letter is even more alarmist in tone. After de- claring that there are rumours of riot and mutiny in the air, the writer proceeds :—" The growing feeling seems to be that there will be rebellion before long, but the police say nothing serious could happen for several months yet, as the rebels have not got ammunition and other necessities in sufficient store to attempt anything more than a hand-to-hand fight with sticks."
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