The Mutiny of 1857, and the Siege
manner designed to take away the caste of Hindus, and to defile Mahomedans; the circumstances are well known, and will not be entered into here. The tempers of their comrades were aroused by the spectacle of the handing over of the convicted troopers to the civil authorities, and by the riveting on of fetters before their eyes, so that it only required a few taunts to arouse them to mutiny. They should have been hotly pursued in their flight by the European troops of the garrison, but the general would not consent he was afterwards removed from his command. His inaction had terrible results, both for the European population of Delhi and for the British throughout the country; in a moment British prestige vanished, mob law became paramount in the districts around Delhi, the city was occupied by an army of rebel soldiers of the Company's forces, and the question arose whether the British might not be driven into the sea. It was a force of British and loyal native troops, drawn from the Punjab at great peril to the security of
that province, which, without the aid of a single soldier from England, recovered Delhi, broke the back of the rebellion, and lent their aid to the Relief of Lucknow, which has, perhaps, obtained
greater fame than the Siege of Delhi.
At Delhi, on the morning of the i ith of May263
