'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎466] (485/622)

466
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
discovered some guns and ammunition. In April No. 5 Detach
ment was moved from Gya to Patna, in the neighbourhood of
which the rebels w 7 ere in great force, notwithstanding their
defeat at Jugdespore, by Sir Edward Lugard and Brigadier
Corfield, on the 10th and 12th of May, when Lieutenant
Carew did such good service.
On the 15th of June, the rebels destroyed the Bikram
Thannah, not more than sixteen miles from Patna; but
they avoided the city, though, on the 25th of June, their leader,
Jodhur Singh, destroyed a dawk bungalow ten miles from
it. The Commissioner made arrangements for the defence
of Patna, moving Lieutenant Duval's Detachment, with two
guns, to the opium godown,^ and posting his police so as
to prevent a rising in the city; at the same time two
companies of H.M/s 10th Kegiment arrived from Dinapore,
and the treasure, amounting to eleven lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , was removed into
the fort. For the third time the jail at Gya was attacked on
the 21st of June, w^hen the Nujeebs—as the station guards in
Behar were called—exhibited great cowardice, if not collusion
with the rebels, a portion of the same force, while employed in
escorting some prisoners to Shergotty, breaking out into open
mutiny, and shooting the native officers and releasing the
felons ; for this act, eighteen of them were hanged and twenty-
three transported. On the treachery of the Nujeebs being
proved by their recent conduct in connection with the prisoners,
the magistrate of Gya, Mr. Money, directed their disarmament,
which was carried out by the sailors and five companies of the
Madras Rifles, w 7 hlch furnished the only reliable troops at Gya;
the enemy, meantime, were moving about in considerable force
between that place and Patna, and regularly collected the re
venue, while all government buildings and friendly villages were
destroyed, and the police and others ruthlessly murdered.
Lieutenant Duval writes semi-officially to Captain Campbell,
from Gya on the 14th of August, 1858 :—" About the 25th of
June the rebels were about seven or eight miles from Patna,
and I was ordered down with the two guns and the whole of
the Detachment to the opium godowii, about five miles from the
fort at Bankipore. On the 29th, at 11.30 p.m., after I had
made the arrangements for returning to our old quarters,
received a letter from the Commissioner, requesting me to pro
ceed without delay up the country to prevent the enemy
crossing the Gunduck into Tirhoot or Chumparum. This was
very hurried, but there was no help for it, so, on the evening o^
the 30th, we crossed the Ganges, and, after sixteen hours
boating, landed at a place called Hajeepore. ^ On the morning
of the 2nd of July, the whole of us started in ekhahs (a wo-
wheeled country gig) for Moozufferpore, thirty-four miles o ,
^ See Sir Frederick Hallidaj's Minute (p. 27).