The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-02 00:00:00

their religion. They said—' We have lost our bread
but have held fast our religion. The Government
wanted us to bite the cartridges, and thus lose our
caste, but we would not do it.' This was nothing
but ies on their part, because the Goyernwent
never issued the new cattrid.es to them at all ; the
old blank cartridges that they had been in the ha-
bit of using were alone issued ; no new rifles had
13,en issued to any except the depois, so why should
the Government have issued carttidges ? When ,he
regiments at Meerut heard that the 19th had been
disbanded for, as they thought, objt-cong to touch
the new cartridges, they came to the determination
to mutiny. Then the commanding officers began to
promise their men that they should never be forced
to use the rifle ; hut the sepoys would not believe
them, but called them liars, firmly believing what
teir countrymen and comrades told them. At this
time the whole were alike in a state of mutiny.
"The force at Meerut having mutinied, and mur-
dered as many officers as they c.uld, went off :o the
King of Delhi and proclaimed him King. They
told him that the whole army had thrown off their
allegiance to the British, and were now at his dis
posal ; ' So now,' said the native officers, 'you are
our chosen and hereditary King. Give the order,
and we will rnake arrangements to fight thcse
CAffres of English.'

"The King of Delhi has had very little inter-,
course with the world, and still less with the native
army, except latterly for treasonable purposes ;
but he readily believed what the troops told him,
and at once proclaimed himself King, and prepara-
tions to fight were at once commenced. When the
troops at Cawnpore heard what was going ott'at
Delhi they mutinied, anti -wOxe ready b march tp
Delhi but the traitor Narra Sahib "hayingiaken
arms, persuaded them to stay with him. The acts
of cruelty performed by this fiend are now patent
to all. This wretch thought that by the change of
government he would become one of the ma;natts
of the land. It was he who ordered the sepoys to
kill all the Europeans, their wives, and their little
olie3. I don't think the sepoys would have killed
their officers had the Nana Sahib not instigated
thew to do so ; but in Hindostan one man acts as
his fell )1v does.

"In due course of time the regiments at Dina-
pore mutinied, and pit themselves under a Rajpoot
sTiar, Knoer Singh, of Judespore. Wi h these
three regiments Kooer Sin4ll thought himself:stroll°.
enough to defy the English, and he proclaimed
himself Ittjah of Shababad, which tile he retained
for about a week. At the time of this mutiny I was
with the head-quartets of my corps at Patna, and
1 did all iu my power to prevent the sepoys from
mutinying, but to no purpose; they looked always
upon me as not one of their own brotherhood.
When I knew the time had arrived for these regi-
ments to mutiny I reporiel the circumstance to
my commanding officer and tho Commissioner of
Patna, Mr. Wm. T4ylor, and these gentlemen
made their arra4getnents to prevent the city of
Patua frontoliting. My early information enabled
all the E/ropeaus and their families to as-
semble at the Commissioner's house, and all 1
did to show my loyalty, both at Patna and Dina-
pore, aro well known to the authorities at
those places, and doubtless this has been reported
to the Government, as I have been handsdinely
rewarded.

"It is perhaps needless for me to state that since
the English came to Hindostan they have always
t-een most particular in no. interfering wish the re-
ligion and. prejudices of the people, but in my
humble opinion they have erred in only entertainitig
high caste people in their army. I really believe z:hat
had the inferior castes been entertained, as is the
pract'cs in the Bombay army, the rebellion never
•would have reached the height it has done. What
can it signify, as long as a young man is of the re-
quisite physique, whether he is of a high or low
caste ? I believe had the men of low caste been en-
tertairiA they would have clone anything or gone
anywhere the Government desired. A mixture of
creeds is highly essential in a native army to pre-
vent disturbances:

" Another reason (and in my opinion a very seri-
ous one) why the army became mutinous and dis-
affected is this. Promotion all went by seniority,
and not, as it ought, according to merit and profi
ciency. Allt he old men, from length of service worth
nothing as commissioned or nou-etmurssioned offi-
cers, received promotion, while younger men, in
every way fit, languished in their lines,
What use is there in us exerting ourselves ; we
cannot get promotion till our turn comes, and that
time can't come until our heads are gray and our
mouths toothless.' For thisreason the sepoys forthe
most part drew their pay, and were careless with
regard to their duty. The higher ranks of the native
army, from old age alone, were quite incapacit eted
from doing their duty oven had they the will to do
it. I state confidently that the generality of native
officers were an encumbrance t ) the State; iI: stead of
commanding sepoys the set oys commanded them,
and instead of the commissioned and non-commis-
sioned ranks preventing the men from mutinying,
they rather persuaded them to do so.
" I will now endeavour to explain why the
feelings and intentions of the sepoys did nut be-
come known to their European officers. Iu
former times the officers used to keep native
women, and constantly had the native offi.ers and
Sepoys in their society, and did more to please
them. The women exercised a good deal of influ-
' once in the regiment. This was all in accordance
with the feelings of the Sepoys. By acting in this
way the officers did good service to the Govern-
ment, because they becime better acquainted with
the enarac.er of th?ir m-n, and with what was go-
ing on in the lines. In litter tunes this has not
bet n the case. It appears me, the officers who have
been appointed to the service within the las:. 20
years are better educated than the offic,,rs of former
times were. I think more hooks have been pub
lisped la'ely. Now the officers marry English
ladies, and there is less in common between the
officeis and Sepoys ; of late years the Sepoys have
not confided in their officers. The consequence of
all this has been, that when the mutiny broke out
the officers were misinformed as to its extent. I
have ever been in the habit of keeping my com-
mending officer informed of all that occurs. If all
native officers did likewise the army could not
mutiny.

" I teg to state that in my opinion the natives
of Hindost in are only fitted for militia of police,
for this simple reas, n—that they aro averse to
serve in any other country than their own, for the
Government must be well aware that no regiment
has ever gone on board ship without showing more
or less discontent.

"In my opinion the Santhals would make ex-
cellent material for soldiers. I have seen men like
the Santhals, who are of opinion that everything
the Almighty has been pleased to make must be
good, and consequently eat anything : they have
no prejudices of caste or religion to fight against ;
for this reason I conclude they would do anything
and go anywhere the Government desires. It is
true these men ate savages, but they c,:ruld be
taught, even as other men are, for it is a well-
known fact that 'civilisation' begets civilisation.'
"I consider that I ought to know the fe,lings of
the late native army. In 1763 my grandfather was
in the service of the British, and in due curse
became and died a subadar. My father
was born in the army, and accompanied it every-
where until he became a man. He entered the ser-
vice,in 1801, and died a subadar in 1853. I was
accustomed to hear of former times from his own
lips, , From the time of my birth I accompanied my
fa-her wherever his regiment went, and in his regi-
ment I was enlisted. Both my grandfather and
father, as well as myself, were in the same corps. I
rose to be havildar major of my regiment, and then,
through the interest of Captein Rattray, had the
good fortune to get transferred to the Bengal Police
Battalion, where I have risen to the rank of suba-
dar and sirdar bahadoJr. For the above reasons all
the doings of the army and the eastoms thereof are
well known ti me. My home has ever been with
my regiment, and I have never known any other,
and I look on the Sirkar Company as my guardian.
" Should the right hon. the Governor-Gene.ciTrl
.
wish to ask me any questions I should consider,,
myself only as too much honoured, and if
be of any service to the Court of Director,/d to be
tonobgef'4ore any
moment of difficulty I should only be.
sent to London and explain my Itban I have
one, for I could say a great deal inor

here written.
whatever orders hive
"I am well aware that
been issued by the Government Nava. been done
with the view to the benue,_fi,t, of the sirdars and
people of Hindu-
ohnt 'late that they will uu-
people of this country; .bst,i''.o
htau are so blgoted and
Lut wr
.11 their fathers did before
derstand nothing
them ; and it unt.t.eve q
ana Dare t wo tongues-4.,
e recollected that the na-
tives are are, ne for their
cflieers aud one for the lines .
, Bo thlt when th,,y
to their i,fficeri to learn anything, or to be
went
of anYthing new,
toldway of flattery they sail,
"ood! by
but in their hearty
fiearts 374,u English. are very clever,' &:e.
intended in were really afraid that it must 1 e
s,rne way to affect their religion, and
on their retmu to their lines would talk it over
with their comrades and say, ‘.Althovgli I knew it