20
"Return showing the Strength of Drafts that have joined the undermentioned Corps in each
year since their arrival in the Bombay Presidency, giving their Ages.
CORPS.
2nd Battalion Royal Lancaster
Regiment
...
...
...
2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusi liers,
1st Battalion Rifle Brigade
...
2nd Battalion East York Re-
giment
17th Lancers
2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
1st Battalion Worcestershire
Regiment
2nd Battalion North
Stafford
Regiment ..
2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Re-
giment ...
.
Years.
1881
1882
1881
1881
1882
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1881
1882
1882
1880
1881
1882
1882
1881
1882
Strength
of Draft
on
arrival.
173
131
231
2
236
32
29
87
163
224
119
206
31
24
119
45
110
83
207
104
80
2,436
AGES.
Under
20 years.
13
22
64
...
20
1
3
5
5
32
21
61
10
8
2
2
27
97
50
65
508
20 and
under
24 years,
112
82
135
...
160
1
8
28
87
81
60
122
9
9
78
28
81
47
96
52
13
1,289
24 years
and up-
wards.
48
27
32
2
56
4
3
9
26
24
24
22
22
5
33
15
27
9
14
2
2
406
REMARKS.
The whole of the Regiments
shown in t\ill\us return are at
present serving in this Presiden-
cy.
Ages of only 6 of this draft can
be given for want of records.
Do.
14
do.
Do.
42
do.
Do.
118
do.
Do.
137
do.
Do.
105
do.
Do.
205
do.
Poona, 28th September 1882.
(Signed) E. CUNNINGHAM, Lieut.-Colonel,
Officiating Assistant Adjutant General."
Duties.
The amount of work a soldier in India has to perform depends greatly on
the branch of the service to which he belongs. In the Cavalry and Horse and
Field Artillery his time is fully occupied in cleaning his horse, arms and
accoutrements, and in the Garrison Artillery in attending to his duties; but the
Infantry soldier after the morning parade has little or nothing to do and passes
much of his time between meals in lying on his cot, smoking strong tobacco, or,
if he goes out, in visiting the bázár and, too frequently, the prostitutes' quarters.
This comparatively idle life is, in my opinion, one of the most potent causes
operating against the general health of the Army.
In some stations the Infantry soldier has more guards to keep than men in
other branches of the service, especially night guards, and this in malarial stations,
like Neemuch for example, undoubtedly exerts a prejudicial effect on the men as
they are exposed, too often under existing arrangements with an empty stomach,
to the ill effects of emanations from marshy land in the vicinity, fogs, &c., &c., as
well as to cold winds which often suddenly set in during the night. The num-
ber of nights in bed a soldier gets varies not only with the branch of the service
to which he belongs, but also depends on whether there is a heavy sick list or not,
but generally the privates get about 5 or 6 nights in bed. Sometimes, however,
much less, for example, in Neemuch in September 1882 the men of the Royal
Artillery furnished a barrack guard consisting of 1 corporal and 3 gunners and
a stable picquet consisting of 9 drivers. In this battery the non-commissioned
officers had 7 or 8 nights in bed, but the gunners only 3 and the drivers 3 or 4.
The detachment of the Worcestershire Regiment at the same station fur-
nished the fort guard consisting of 1 sergeant and 6 privates, the garrison cell
guard with 1 corporal and 3 privates, and the quarter-guard consisting of 1