KING OF DELHI PROCLAIMED.

19

placed at distances all along the road. In case of an alarm two guns were to be fired, a signal that all the people were to collect at the Bank, which was to be defended by the gentlemen and tradespeople of the place. There are very few gentlemen now at Simla, as all on leave have been ordered to rejoin their regiments.

Thursday passed quietly, but many frightening reports were abroad. The general belief was that the Goorkha regiment from Jutogh would attack Simla that night, so there were meetings at the different houses, and also at the church. Ourselves and about seventy others went to Dr Peskett's. The house looked more like a crowded steamer than anything else. The floor of every room was perfectly covered: there were more than thirty children. None of us could close our eyes all night, we were all listening for the guns; but morning came quite quietly, and now I am writing from our own house.

This morning Keith received a long letter from his Deputy at Umballa. All quiet there. He sends copies that have been received of the messages from Delhi and Kurnaul. The King has proclaimed himself as King of Delhi, and all the people have turned against us, and they have been joined by seven of our own Sepoy regiments. Brigadier Graves from Delhi has reported himself to be at Kurnaul with seven other officers, all that are left of the large number that were at Delhi; Captain Nicoll is among the number, also twelve ladies.

2 P.M., 15th May.-I have just returned from seeing Mrs Nicoll and Mrs Cave-Brown. The former has received a letter from her husband, and is very happy; but the poor lady who is staying with her, Mrs Galloway, whose husband is in the Civil Service at Delhi, can hear nothing of him-he, Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, and Mr Hutchinson have not been heard of since the outbreak the only hope is that they have been hidden by some faithful servant in the city.

The Chief is blamed. He has not been trained as a soldier, and seems unable to grasp the importance of the situation. When he first received the bad news on Tuesday morning, he ought to have started off at once. Colonel Becher, QuartermasterGeneral, did his utmost to persuade him not to lose any time: but he said no; he would wait for the dâk. What is the use of the electric telegraph if the news it brings is not at once

20

ALARM ABOUT THE GOORKHAS.

to be attended to? When the Chief left, Mr Mayne rode part of the way down the hill with him, and begged and prayed him to send up fifty soldiers, and not to leave Simla quite unprotected. He refused, saying he could not spare a single man.

Thursday, 21st May.-Soon after I had left off writing on Friday last, Keith, who had been out for some hours to inquire into the state of affairs, came home, and I saw immediately that something was wrong. He said, 'The Goorkhas are up in arms against us; you must start at once for the Bank.' I rushed upstairs to have the children dressed, and ordered two janpans to be ready-one to be taken at once to a friend, Mrs Poulton. When ready, Keith told us to go on immediately and he would follow on horseback. The Bank is about two miles from our house, and the janpan was carried so slowly that I gave up all hope of ever getting there. We met heaps of Natives from the bazaar rushing past us. Some said, 'The Goorkhas are quite close; others said, 'They have not yet left Jutogh.' Just as Keith had caught us up, I saw through the fluttering curtains of the janpan some one rushing towards us with a drawn sword glittering in his hand. For a moment I believed it to be one of the Goorkhas. It was Dr Peskett turning back all the janpans. He called out, 'Turn back; it is too late to get to the Bank; the Goorkhas are close by. The ladies had better go to my house; and, come along, Young-Greathed-we must have a stand for it at the entrance to the bazaar!' He was very excited. My first thought was for Keith's pistols, which were in a case at my When I gave them to him I quite thought I was looking at him for the last time, for we knew well that a few men, brave and determined as they were, could not stand for ten minutes against five hundred well-armed Goorkhas. Dr Peskett advised us all (many other janpans had come up) to go down to a little garden-house of his, low down the khud, as being safer than his house on the mall. Had it not been for the two little sons, I would have followed Keith and the others to see the result. If the Goorkhas had commenced to attack the people, not a soul would have escaped, and we might just as well have died together. Soon after we had reached the little house Colonel Greathed made his appearance, and gave the good news that the Goorkhas, though A very precipitous bank.

WITH THE RAJA AT JOONUG.

21

in a state of open mutiny, were still at Jutogh. We heard some time afterwards that they were prevented from leaving by one of the hill Rajas who was faithful to us, and who told them that if they went to Simla to do harm he would throw his soldiers among their women and children.

Keith, Dr Peskett, and several other men joined us at the garden shed, and soon afterwards we heard the two guns-the signal of danger—and then servants came down bringing reports. They said that Major Bagot, the commanding officer, had been killed we heard later that this was not true. I was trying to silence the servant who brought this news, for Mrs Hallifax, who was near, was the mother of Major Bagot's wife. She quietly said, 'Oh, I heard; and very likely my daughter has been killed also.'

The Goorkhas had pushed back their officers with their bayonets, and had placed a guard over them, but treated them otherwise with respect. When they heard the two guns fired, their yells, we were told afterwards, were heard two miles off like a continual roar.

We remained in Dr Peskett's little house until about 7 P.M.; and then we went to a sort of shed belonging to one of the hill Rajas, about two miles off, and there we spent the night. Early the next morning we went up again to our respective houses at Simla, packed up a few things, determining to go back to the same place in the evening, for the reports in Simla were anything but cheering. Two Goorkhas came up and spoke to us; they said we need not fear, they would not hurt the Sahib-Logue." The only person they wanted to make their salaam to was the 'Lord-Sahib !'*

In the evening we started for the same place, spent the night there, and at 2 A.M., when the moon was up, started for Joonug, from where Keith wrote to you. It is about fifteen miles from Simla; the road there is very bad. The Rana is loyal. We remained at Joonug for three days. We were at first shown into a large sort of hall, just crowded with people, and a babel of noise and confusion; so we quietly slipped out, and Keith asked one of the Rana's servants if we could have an outhouse of some sort ; he took us to a little room up a narrow stair, over a stable or

* The Native troops thought that General Anson was commissioned to convert them.

G

22

RETURN TO SIMLA.

hen-house. He had it made nice and clean; some rough matting on the floor, and two charpoys were put in. Colonel and Mrs Greathed joined us there, and we had a fairly comfortable night -at least we ladies and the children (our two boys) had. Our husbands stood at the head of the little staircase quietly talking the whole night long, it seemed to me; but really the morning was dawning when we reached Joonug. We remained for three days in this little mud room, without windows, and one door that could be shut up like the shutter of a shop.

Some of the gentlemen, we hear, have behaved so badly, showing shocking cowardice-men who, one would have thought, would have braved anything. People are never known until they are tried.

When we were returning last night from Joonug we met the Rana's son, who told us that heavy firing had been heard all Tuesday, and Tuesday night, in the direction of Umballa. If this was really the case, we feared that the Puttiala Raja, a man whose assistance we could not do without, had turned against us; but, like many other reports, it proved to be quite false. Report killed four persons within three days, and buried one-giving all particulars; but they are all alive and well!

A number of people, we find, have gathered at Dugshai and Kussowlie. In the former place cholera has broken out; two little children died of it a few days ago. But no wonder, people are so crowded together-forty in one house; and the barracks are full. Rations are served out to the women and children, meals for all being cooked together.

The particulars of the massacre at Delhi are most dreadful. Mr Frazer, the Commissioner, was wounded in the right arm; he immediately had it amputated, and then went to the Palace to try and pacify the King. He had an interview with him, and as he was coming out the Palace guards cut him down. Mr Beresford of the Delhi Bank, his wife, and three children were attacked and murdered in their own house. Two grown-up daughters, young girls of seventeen and eighteen, escaped to an outhouse. The brutes followed them; some went into the house and forced them to go out, while others shot them as they passed through the door. Mr Jennings, the clergyman, and his young daughter, a beautiful

* A small Native bed.

MASSACRES AT DELHI.

23

girl, just engaged to be married to Mr Thomason, son of the former Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, were murdered. Many others were killed. Sir Theophilus Metcalfe cut his way through the city at full gallop, and escaped just before the gates were closed. His beautifully furnished house, containing many rare and valuable things, was plundered and destroyed.

It seems that when the regiments mutinied at Meerut, after killing their officers they went over to Delhi. When their approach was known at Delhi, Brigadier Graves ordered the 54th to stop their progress over the bridge of boats. The wretches, instead of doing so, got ready, and then turned round and shot their officers. Only one escaped: he was saved by his own company. All the regiments in Delhi turned upon their officers, and they had it all their own way, for there were no European troops in the place. It is hearing of all these horrors, and of what these creatures can do, that makes us all so nervous. Every day some frightening report reaches us. We have nothing, we believe, to fear from the Goorkhas; they evidently like their own way, but seem inclined to no acts of violence.

Monday, 25th May.-Have just time to add a few lines. I am really unhappy now, for Keith has gone; he started yesterday evening to join the Commander-in-Chief. They were to march from Umballa yesterday-our Queen's birthday-a good day for a commencement. The Goorkha regiment marched from Jutogh yesterday, at last obeying orders, though now they say they will not go farther than Kalka—the foot of the hill. I am very anxious to hear of Keith's safe arrival in camp. He is to share a tent with Colonel Chester, Captain Norman, and Dr Mactier, so will be well taken care of. May God guard and protect him!