| Description | He has time to spare to write while waiting for his horse. A man from a nearby village has sent a complaint that the Zemindar has seized his wife and children and confined them, so William is set to investigate: 'this system of oppression must be stopped'. He wonders if he mentioned that in January 1856 he had a serious case of this, pre-dating Hedger's. A man named Khudiram had leased land to Godadar Bagneeya, but it proved problematic, so Khudi tried to oust the tenant. He resorted to violence via his head man, Alhad Singh. The man was kidnapped and taken by boat across the Ganges. Godadar later gave an account of his travels, dragged about for upward of ten days. William heard the case and feigned indecision so that Alhad appeared before him of his own accord, and was refused bail: 'The rascal was caught in his own trap'. William sent the clear-cut case up to the Magistrate, who handed it over to a native Deputy Magistrate, who re-investigated. William wrote to the Magistrate with his suspicions, but the Deputy convicted on the same day, with a mild sentence. Another notorious man, Ram Ruttan was arrested with half a dozen prisoners in his house, but only sentenced to three months' imprisonment. William wonders what sentence an English farmer would receive if he attempted to extort money by confining his tenants. His only satisfacton in the Alhad case lay in the amount of bribes the man had to pay, probably as much as £100 to the Deputy Magistrate. He asks his father to find a legal opinion in England on what sentence might have been passed. He discusses sentencing further, the individual cases, and the attempts to extend such practices to silk cultivation. He turns to the rebellion, saying that the facts have been too horrific to be published in newspapers. The 19th Regiment were the first to show signs of disaffection, and William describes the supposed animal fats used in greasing cartridges, a mistake that was rectified. They had been excited to mutiny by the 34th Regiment at Barrackpore, he thinks. He believes that a mutiny has been hanging over India for some time, describing the sepoys as having been indulged, and their pride worked upon. A Lieutenant Baugh of the 34th was shot at by one of his own men after the 19th Regiment was disbanded. William relates subsequent events involving the 3rd Cavalry, who shot officers and burned houses before marching to Dehli. He notes the 'thrilling' escapes of some European officers, the march and death of General [George] Anson at Kernal. William considers the politics of the situation, praising Sir Henry Lawrence's actions in Lucknow, outlining the course of the mutiny there. Indian forces are gathering at Dehli, but have been checked by a European force from Meerut. To date, William has not heard of the city has been reoccupied, but notes that Sir Henry Bernard's Indian troops were killed after refusing to march. He gives an account of the rise of Sikhs at Benares, regiments at Allahabad, and at Agra. He believes that Muslims expect British rule to end on the centenary of the battle of Plassey. He concludes with general replies to mail, thanking his father for a telescope, which will be prized, as will the compasses, photographs and a new edition of the 'Outlines' [of astronomy]. He agrees with his father that the altitude and azimuth circles are too expensive to be useful. His fever has left him |