Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/160

152 would be given to fire upon them. Their ringleaders laughed at him, and on his report to the Commander-in-Chief the fatal signal was given. The mutineers instantly fled. The cannon fired several volleys afterwards, as did the musketry; four or five were killed and wounded, and many hundreds were taken prisoners. They fled in all directions, and were instantaneously dispersed. Above 800 muskets and uniforms were found in the adjacent fields and roads. The Court-martial sat immediately. The ringleaders (six) were hanged the next morning. Many hundreds since have been found guilty and sentenced to death, but this was commuted to hard labour for fourteen years on the public roads. Five other ringleaders were executed afterwards, and one man whom the mutineers regarded as their Commander-in-Chief was hung in chains in front of the lines. Every one of these unfortunate deluded wretches declared that their native officers had instigated them to mutiny by all sorts of means. To the Hindus, they told them they would be compelled to eat beef (a sacred animal), and to the Musalmans, pork. All the officers (native) were dismissed the service and their guilt proclaimed at the head of every regiment in their native language.

'Before the troops arrived on the 1st at Barrackpur we were for twenty-four hours in great danger and entirely at the mercy of the mutineers. Had they had any clever head among them, and seized the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief, the mutineers might probably have made their own terms. There was not a single European or person to be depended upon, and our situation was awfully alarming. Lord Amherst resolved not to leave the house, and I determined not to quit him. Sarah behaved heroically, and, though ill, declared she would remain, and kept up her spirits, as we all did as well as we could.

'The Commander-in-Chief returned his thanks to us both