The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-25 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Si—At a time when the attention of the Legislature
is directed particularly to the Government of our Empire
in the East, the opportunity appears favourable for the
consideration of a subject, not generally interesting per-
haps, but involving, nevertheless, the happiness and
comfort of upwards of 30,000 British soldiers intrusted
by her Majesty to the care of the Government of India
—soldiers who, if their deeds of valour in the field are
a marvel to nations conquered, their humble patience
and obedience in quarters are no less a puzzle to the
most astute native observer.

Of the many ingenious modes adopted by the Indian
Government for testing to the uttermost the moral and
physical-constitution of British soldiers, none are so re-
markable for demonstrating the relations of cause and
effect as what may be termed barrack economy ; for,
apart from the consideration of other special influences
incidental to locality and climate, it must be admitted
as an axiom that precisely in proportion to the quality
of shelter provided for troops will be their efficiency in
the field.
Barracks in India vary so much one from the other
that it would be tedious and difficult to describe them
in detail. It will be sufficient for me, therefore, briefly
to class them, in order that, by a scale of comparison,
your readers may comprehend more fully the last or
lowest grade of human habitation allotted to British
soldiers.

First, there are permanent or architectural barracks,
constructed of durable materials. With the exception of
very objectionable buildings in the forts at Bombay,
Madras, and Calcutta, for the accommodation of a regi-
ment in each, there were not 10 years ago more than
three or four barracks of this class throughout India.
It would appear that Sir C. Napier succeeded in pre-
vailing on the Government to allow of the soldiere being
treated with humanity • for, under his vigorous admin-
istration, beautiful barracks were built at Kurrachee and
and :11Iyderabad in Scinde ; and, during his later com-
mand in India, he sicceeded'in causing plans and esti-
mates for suitable barracks to be granted for several new
stations in the Punjab. But here ends the history of
permanent barracks in India.
The 2d class may be described a "lines" of low sheds
erected on the sites of original encampments, strength-
ened and repaired from year to year, but of coure retain-
ing their primitive dimensions ; tin, having received from
time the stamp of permanency, they are dignified with
the name of " barracks ;" and of such are the principal
stations in India.
3. "Temporary barracks," in all respects similar
to the second class, though of lighter materials,
being built expressly to be occupied for a limi-
ted period. Unhappily, however. Government fre-
quently lose sight of their own measures, and
such buildings remain occupied by troops more
than double the number of years allotted for their
security, and disasters happen accordingly. Thus, the
temporary barracks at Loodiana, in 1846, fell in, crush-
ing horribly a fearful number of men, women, and
children of the 50th Foot. Barracks of this construc-
tion were also built at Kurrachee the same year, and are
still occupied, though, I believe, calculated at the time
to last only two or three years.
Lastly, a flimsy covering of reeds, called a " chupper,"
overlaying a slight framework of junglewood (synony-
mous with our copse clearings) erected over a row of
tents, commonly used as a slight additional shelter to
troops destined to remain in the field during a hot sea-
son, or pending the construction of more permanent
buildings at a new station. Of such were the canton-
ments in the Punjab during the years '49-50.
But, Sir, there is yet another, a fifth, class of—shall
I call it "barracks ?"—in which 500 of our best soldiers
have been, three years at a time, languishing a painful

existence for the past 14 years.
Imagine the reed huts I have described above, bit
without the principal shelter of the tents over whict
they were originally constructed (these have long since
been removed, otherwise they would have fallen in tat-
tered filth about the soldiers' ears); imagine, I say, those
huts crowded with our countrymen in that Pandemo-
nium, Aden, and then compare their condition with that
of convicts in this or any other country.
The majority of your readers probably know little
more of Aden than that it is a point on the Arabian
coast intermediately situated between India and Egypt,
and therefore eminently adapted as a coaling depot for
the numerous steamers now plying on what is called the
" overland route."

Approaching this singular rock from the sea, a huge
blackened mass rises abruptly upon you like a hideous
dream, peaked and jagged. In vain may the eye, fa-
tigued with scanning this gigantic cinder, seek to rest
on something green ; no signs of any vegetation are
there ; the same black, silent desolation pervade every-
where, and insensibly reflects its sombre complexion on
the mind of the traveller till the foot almost touches the
shore, when a shout of " this bettur donkey, Sur !"
recals him to the fact that the possession of his person
is about to be contended for by half a hundred yelling
Smallees.

Passing from the coal depot along a well-made coast
road, with the ever constant heights of Shum-Sham
towering like a black spirit on the sight, the traveller
suddenly enters by a picturesque gorge the valley in
which the town and present cantonment of Aden are
situate. Thie valley is said to be nothing more than an
extinct crater, open at the lower end to the sea ; and
now the rays of the sun, which before had been agitated
by fresh breezes from the sea, strike with a concentrated
force, multiplied in intensity by the heated, blackened
sides of this infernal oven.

Arrived at the town, one is surprised to see the sub-
stantial and well-to-do-looking houses of native mer-
chants ; but a stranger may seek in vain for the bar-
racks. Barracks ! God save the mark ! He must look
closer into those heaps of dry reeds and rubbish down
there to discover that they are the habitations of men—
not the dregs of the native population, but Englishmen,
in whom, it is true, the spirit of the conquerors of India
still burns, but whose physique, alas ! has passed away
—sapped and dried up by a horrible process of slow
baking. Think of this, ye fine ladies of London—fa-
shionable censurers of American slavery ! Wot ye ever
of your countrymen (born perhaps at some of your gates
in happy England), flying into the dedert of Arabia—
preferring rather to be the bondsmen of the Ishmaelite
and followers of his prophet, than endure longer the
slow torture inflicted on them by their Christian masters,
the Court of Direct Ors ?

This is no idle tale, Sir ; the records of courts martial
in India in 1849 will prove my statement as regards two
out of those who deserted to the Arabs, who were cap-
tured and brought back to Aden.
It is stated of Sir Charles Napier that he arrived at
Aden at that juncture on his way to command the
Indian army. Sympathising with rather than
harshly, condemning the wretched apostates, he
endeavoured to probe the causes of their crime,
and, it is said, asked one—" Why have you done
this ? Something must have prompted you, tell me ;
I am your friend ;" and the man, pointing with his finger,
answered and said, •‘ Behold our dwellings and our oc-
cupations through three long years ; from the barrack
to the canteen, and from the canteen to the guard-room
cells. Good God ! Sir, human nature could stand it no
longer." _ __ _ _ . _

Then the chief appeared to see the extent of the wrong
done to his soldiers, for those who heard him said the
words of exhortation came hoarsely from his throat. Yet
even he, on whom the hopes of England and India were
centred, had no power to relieve them. Bound hand
.and foot by strict interdictory laws, his office was a
mockery.
Four years now have passed since then, and another
British regiment has duly pined its time upon that weary
rock. They now return to India, stalking shadows of
whilom stalwart soldiers, the living proofs of silent mi-
sery and neglect.
If any man doubts my story, let him move that the
commanding officer of the regiment now about to be re-
lieved be called on for a statistical report of the march
of his corps to Poonah ; and if one-half of those who
lately garrisoned Aden preserve their ranks for 10 miles,
I will denounce myself and all I have written.
I wish to be understood that I do not declare Aden
to he unhealthy ; the air is dry and pure, though fear-
fully hot. Men's brains are turned to water by the dis-
graceful nature of the covering--the flimsy open sheds I
have described. In good barracks no troops would be
more healthy or robust ; in their present hovels none are
so ghastly and inert.—Your obedient servant,

JAFF.iR ALL!.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY. Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Jan. 22, 1853 £12,181 3 1
Corresponding week last year 10,062 1 2

Increase in 1853 £2,119 1 11
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic returln for the week ending Jan. 22,
1853 ...................... £3,002 4 1

Comasponding week last year - 7,754 9 4
Total of the half-year to this date, 1853. 35,861 17 1
Total of the half-year to this date, 1852 31,033 12 6