Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/194

 round their necks, and little quarter was given on either side. The Sepoys ware well drilled and disciplined soldiers, and amply provided with cannon, arms and mu- nitions of war.

Only a pertion of the native troops ro. volted, and in geversl provinces the judi- clous management and prompt ection of the civiland military sutnorities kept them faithful to the Hnug'ish, with whom they united in putting down the rebels, Hed the disaffection been general, snd any unity of action existed among the rebels, every vestiges af British rule would heve been swept from India.

Tho immediate pretext of the mutiny was the use of cartridges greneed with lard, which the Sepoys were compelled to bite eff. To touch “the@nelean animal” was to them a deflement against which their reli gion revolted. Fortunately, though both Museeimen and Hindoos united in hating their foreign rulers, they bore no affection fer each other. The former numbered but one ix iwelye of the native population, and ate higa-spirited and brave, Their ances- tars hed overrun Iucis aud tiled the coun- iry for five huné@rad years before the En- glish sequired possession. The Kinga of Dethi and Gude, with many iess powerful lisjabs, still retaized their titles, but were only nominai or titular princes, keeping up the eembiance of regalty, but in fact stipen- diaries, supperted by the silowances mado to them by their Huglish masters. dJaal- onsy between Monamedaas and Hindoos created » division in their csunsels, and made the suppression of the reballion com~ paratively cagy.

But it was a narraw escape, end the Kn- glish learned a lesson, ecating them dearly in blood and treasure, which resulted ina more humane sad less oppressive syatem of government, under which the couutry is HOW? more prosperous than ever before,

The rebdellicn broke out ja the spring, and during the awinlly hot summer that fol- lowed it waa very difficult for the Euglish soldiers, sent cut to India from home, te re- Have the few isolated forts that held out against the insurgents, in which were crowded all tho English residents with their wives and children. The whole coun: try from Delhi to Caleutta, more than twelve hundred mailes ia extent, was in the hands of the rebels; andin Delhi, the an- cient capital, a descendant of the Moguls was proclaimed Emperor of India. Herein