7. The Burning Cantonment

We said to the sepoys: We are brahmins and traders from Pune, Nasik, Konkan. We are heading for the Yad-nya organised by her highness Bayaja-baee Scindia. You may look at the scriptures that we are carrying.

...You launched this battle to defend the Hinduism, didn't you? We are poor brahmins, we have read Vedas. Would it be proper for you to set upon us and rob us? Protect us in this tumult; set us up in one of the towns en route, and then you may go off. This will surely bring you victory. We knew about today's outbreak three days in advance, but we are fearless. For, blacks are fighting for the religion. We are men of learning, we fear no harm.

Upon this, and after seeing the books we were carrying, the sepoys said: Forget about Yad-nya now, but you may travel with us without fear. Don't bother about expenses (of living and travelling).

Then a buggy carrying mail came up.Sepoys killed the buggy-driver, and dumped off the sacks of letters. There were some parcels, which were seized.

Sepoys also felled the telegraph pillars. Telegraph wires were cut, and twined into staves. We were given a place by a neem tree. We had our ablutions and ate there. In the afternoon we went to see the scene of cantonment which was burning. We saw corpses of Englishmen, as well those of the natives. Around twenty natives had died. By evening we returned to our place, and did the evening ablutions.