The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-26
an INDIAN CAMP.

Mr., w. RUSSELL who Is at Shia tho guest OF Lord
John Hay has written ono of and interesting let
tiers home. In il he gives graphic descrip
ton of Anglo Indian camp IT may be fairly asserted
that after army has been short time In tho field in
India tho camp followers 70 each shas man are shout
six or seven to In march to Lacknow W. had
20, 900 camp followers. That Is enormous. How
the constituted and 1t greater or less proportions
bly, than 1t In those lauded old times In Lord
Lakes day have IL the best written and oral autho
tythe proportion Of noncombatants to soldiers
ten one The reduction of that ratio to six to IL
very great gain and am assured that the camp esab
sment Of the Commander Chief Is smaller than that
of Sir Charles Napier who thought to have pushed
economy of hands and reduction of staff and camp to the
verge of ineliciency On former occasion sent you
detail all tho animals attached to camp. The ami
mails come first they the most important First
there the elephants used for carriage of heavy tents
Of departments boxes Of departments records and public
equipage; to each Mahout, at least There
attendant on the Mahouts doubt many sprites,
for the elephant great consumer and will eat nearly
his own bulk of leaves and succulent branches in the day
but we don't reckon them Then there the canlels
two carry each field tent and oqupage to each couple
there may be reckoned one man next tho tents them
selves pitch and strike to each of which there two
keassies or tent men, Horses next, each animal
requiring the services of two thesyce groom,
who cleans and grooms the beast the other agasscuter
who goes out with instrument like cheeseman's
knife lays tho country by cutting the herbago to
the very roots to feed it, there grass properly
called till the rains and hay docs not appear to be used
These have tents of some sort in bad weather. and
drawn by horses and droves Of buocks Then there
private CARTS public carts, spare ammunition carts
hundreds of hackeries with gran and all drawn by bull
locks To every three ordinary bulocks there Is
The hackeries and their buocks belong the rprcse
taves of the old arries or brinorries who form
erly collected and sold grain all over India and were IA
sort like the ships which carry corn from Odessa and
Taganrog to populous bread d-eating populations
Each pair of artillery buocks has Its attendant
Then thero dooy bearers the private servants the
bazaar storekeepers and their dependents and cattle
| 4- - III. ~. IL
subaltern, twenty to captain, thirty to field officer
Each cavalry soldier has to clean his horsceyen
pvates Of infantry regiments club together and buy OF
hire tattoo pony to carry their little luxurcs as well
as man to take of both The list is not nearly full
Tho native soldier cooks for himself The European has
his cook, native, called babjeeone to each moss OF
ten and sometimes 10 each man. and You will hear
orders from Private Brown for dinner which would DO
worthy of vellius See that ey outlet Is dono brown
wild mashed potats! do you hear and don't put too
much inyons in me curry, or IL break yer head s0f
'Ai shud loike my beef slowed the day-pumpkins Ia
Slices and jest smeck of garlick in the stew wild tho
rice" Then there is a dhoby, washerman, to each
mess, and to each officer, and bheeses, or water
carriers in the proportion All these are indspen-
sable There also the women allowed to accompany
each regimental bazaar in certain proportions to tho
strength of the regiment There women who follow
the army in the capacity of vvandees or otherwise and
there hosts of itnerant dealers in oil sorts of wares
likely to be required by soldiers When the camp is
pitched there Is clamor and tumut from the bazaars
like that of large town. Through the long lines OF the
streets Of the city the hustle of life resembles that
of fair in full swing nor do the swarming masses mind
anything but the proyostsergeants whip Tinmen, cob
bers saddes smiths, carpenters ply their trades heaps
of grain rice affair." and dhal exhibited for sale and
the eternal and the monotonous song begin only
to cease the camp moves again The tom-ton, the
and the camel unite at night in forming
dreadful chorus No place Is safe from the native mu-
sica and every native is able to perform on the tom
tom The repose of the headquarters is invaded by Its
monotonous rnbadub with impunity; tbs the vested
interest in enjoyment of the Hndoo which ono ven
lures disturb have known quiet street IN London
to be driven to Ransom by Lascar with tom tom and
nasal voice. and often have wished in camp that was
Crsus and able to buy silence from the army Of ras
calls who making night hdeous. The camels furn-
sh drone to the music and bubbles established
under the of tent which after
tie-a long time of suffering CLOSE the weary cyelids
You may hang Hindoo without causing him great men
tai annoyance in fact there people who are
angry with him for his perfect equanmity of department.
under the tree or the muze OF the howzer, and who
maintain he rather likes being executed than otherwise
but VOC to tho man. to tho ruler or to the race who
would touch his hubble hubble have yet seen
| q the tramp without 1t. have known avery
good servant leave his master and run away Win MS
cherished OF delight because he ordered not
to smoke it under the flap Of the tent, and 70 Ego some
where else In the bazaar the natives paradise there
is of course unlimited Indulgence in that and other luxu
cs and the noise which rises from tho camp is as have
said like that of vast city, An officer Is rarely or
in the ba2ar He sends his servant there Tor
anything he may want, and he is lucky II he sees the
missaat do not as in other armies provide horse rons
&c. and grain must be purchased from the bazaar people,
who obliged to keep stores Of all neccssacs. La
bel Of voices in many languages from Madrassee, Sikh
Parsee, Hillman, Mussulman and Rapoot English, Irish
Scotch, and Welsh and Goorkha, resound through the
multifor and many cooured tents and swelling high
above oil is grand tntinnabulary Of bells from neck OK
goat elephant and camel, which again are heard
the most utterly dabocal sounds uttered from the
human throatthe shrieks of the buffalo and bullock
drivers fear no native OF isles will believe at
the statement is true that when Of these
halts under its load the mode most In vogue among tho
drivers for exciting it to action for the particular driver
OF the affected animal to fall into violent convulsion, to
stamp with his feet the OF tho cart In little
short hysterca pats while his body, face, and arms
violently agitated and his open mouth ems the most
piercing cries, as if in mortal anguish Till became
used to IT, imagined surrounded by perennial muir
der But the animal ont OF sheer horror apparently Is
moved and yields to those awful suasionsoften till 1t
drops dead For, note, your Hndoo won kin COW,
let any else do IL II he help It, but he will load
drive 1t to death with tho utmost Indifference, and viii
leave it in its dying struggles the ground without
thought the possibility Of It's being Of his
1 relations who is enduring the last agony 80 WYE
| cRAzy wIrH YELrow FEvEn- Mr. G. Bishop, barkcep.
board the lake steamer Ravenswood escaped twice