THE STATION.
33
of a fancy fair for the advancement of native female education ; and a proposition'to appoint a committee of “ eligible young civilians ” to indemnify the ladies whose Europe bonnets have been ruined by the dust on the course. Ere many months were flown, eligible young civilians had far other matters to occupy their attention.
At length, on the 26th of February, the Nineteenth Bengal Native Infantry, quartered at Berhampore, being directed to parade for exercise with blank ammunition, refused to obey the command, and in the course of the following night turned out with a great noise of drumming and shouting, broke open the bells of arms, and committed other acts of open mutiny. By order of the Governor-General the regiment was disarmed, marched dowrn to Barrackpore, a distance of something over a hundred miles, and there disbanded by Major-general Hearsey, who performed his trying task with energy, discretion, and courage.
As yet there had been no blood shed ; but
far worse was soon to come.
The Thirty-fourth
Native Infantry had for some time past been ripe for revolt.
There were nearly six hundred high-caste
men in the ranks, and the corps was stationed among local associations which fostered the most lively emotions in the minds of men in a state of high religious excitement.
In the year 1825, BarrackD