The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-10
A BRITISH SOLDIER In INDIA
Experience of a Man Who Was Eleven
Years in the Service of Her Majesty.
Everyday Life Of the Soldiers and Of the
People-The Loyalty Of the Indian Ma
tives to the Home Government.

A<occA
ment called 'The Pompadours, which derived
that name from its regmental color. purple. said
to have been the favorite color Of that somewhat
noted Frenchwoman, the mistress of Louis XIV.
Every British soldier has some training before
he is sent to foreign service. My first service
was nine months in County Kildare, ireland,
after which was sent on her Majestys troop
ship Scraps tc India. 1t only took thirty days
through the Suez canal from Queenstown to
Bombay remarkably quick trip. The regi-
ment landed, 1900 strong-ten companies each
Of 100 privates made 1000, and the other 300
consisted Of commissioned and non-commis-
stoned officers, followers and all. We were first
stationed at Poonah, then at Decca, then back
to Bombay. From Bombay we went, five days
sail, to Kurrachee, a seaport in the Scinde,
where we were broken into detachments. Three
companies, in one of which was were sent to
Hyderabad. In the hot season this is considered
one Of the hottest stations for a European.
Son arrival at Bombay each man is issued
three suits of white clothing, called kirkee,'
from the place where much Of it is made.
Pants and jackets are all white, and the helmet
is also white. The helmet is now made of cork,
and weighs only four and half ounces 1t was
formerly made of wicker work. There is no
gilt upon the clothing, except the jacket-buttons.
Non commissioned officers rank is denoted by
white cord OH the shoulder and by chevrons,
purple stripes on a scarlet ground. These are
hooked upon the sleeve and are taken off when
the clothes are sent to the dolby. The dolby is
the native washerman. They wash without
soap, and beat the clothes with club until they
they are white as the driven snow. For starch
they use kind of ricewater called kbungee. l
believe they are the best washers in the world.
"The government encourages the soldiers to
learn Hindoostan. Each soldier is granted
bounty of ninety rupees, that's nine pounds, for
qualifying himself in the lowest standard of
that language, and double that, or eighteen
pounds, for acquiring proficiency in
q higher grade. It is necessary for
every regiment to have q number of
interpreters. There is still another grade,
in which none but officers ever compete
that is the Sanscrit, which enables one to con-
verse with the educated Hindoos anywhere in
India. Sir Peter Lumsden is said to be one Of
the finest Sanscrit scholars in the world.
81 think it would be impossible to have an
other Indian mutiny. at the outbreak of the
Sepoy rebellion each native regiment was COM
posed wholly or nearly of one CASTE so that each
regiment was one household or family. 1t was
then easy for them to concoct a conspiracy and
keep the knowledge Of it among themselves by
sort of Free Masonry. It is not so now. Each
native regiment is greatly mixed as to castles.
! Their messes have to be divided according to
these different castles. There is considerable
misapprehension as to the quality of the native
soldiers The plainsmen are poor soldiers; the
Bengalese and the Punjanbese do not amount to
much, but are somewhat better. The Skhs and
Beloochees make good soldiers. but the best
fgtng men are the Gourkhes from Nepaul.
The Gourkhes are short in stature, but broad
shouldered and firmly knit They are difficult
to control in action they armed with a
long knife lihA malay kneese, and are apt to
threw their muskets aside and close with the
enemy with these terrible knives with which
they do great execution. Color Sergeant Camp
bell of the Seventy second a friend Of mine,
who saw them at Pewakotal in the Afghan war,
said there was race between the seventy-two
Highlanders and regiment of Gourkhes to cap
ture breastwork The latter got there first.
They threw away their rifles and a dreadful
bntchery, by means of their knives. followed.
There are few European assertions in India.
Four men deserted from the Fifty sixth, but we
got them without any trouble. The Eighty
heard of after. What became of them no one
ever knew"
1.-THE natives feel kindly to the British. don't
they!7 inquired the reporter
81 believe so, those in the farming districts,
where the government has greatly improved
their lands and their mode of living by canals,
irrigation railroads and other improvements.
including the administration of justice. In the
hills they never will be fast friends of England.
The fellows in the hills like fighting AS to the
loyalty of the native soldiers, it will be remem-
bered that Disrael, after the Russo-Turkish
war, took sc, 600 Indian troops. natives and sta
toned them at Malta and Cypress They went
al volunteers as the Indian Constitution pro-
hibits the taking of native troops from India.
The war feeling is always popular in the army,
ard the Gladstone policy will be very unpopular
there. Whatever you may cay of the British
soldier, he is always ready to fight do not,
however, believe the standard Of the soldier is
as high as it was formerly. The recruits are
too young and it will take time to season them
into steady soldiers A comrade has recently
written to me to this effect
what is the daily routine OF British SOL
der in India"
81 give it you: Reveille is at quarter before 5
A. n, regimental dress parade at 5. Sometimes
we have brigade or division parade. Neither
in the hot weather, though from
an hour and q quarter to an hour and half in the
cooler season. In the meantime the rations
drawn by men detailed for that purpose.
Break1aSt at O'CLOCK. AT . A. M. tnere IS Scn0ol
for all men not in possession of a thirdclass GER
tifeate of education, that is, for reading. writ
ing and arithmetic. Many men join who cannot
sign their own names. The regimental school
master is furnished from Chelsea, and is always
O capable man. School lasts from to ii. Read
ing, writing and arithmetic qualities man for
the rank of lance corporal, and he can obtain no
higher grade until he learns to cipher in vulgar
fractions, to write good hand, and be able to
make sketch of road, or most other similar
mill ante
are your own master. At IL o'clock
we have the regmentai canteen, as it is called,
where every man who chooses obtain one
pint, no more, Of British beer. The canteen
closes at 1890 At quarter to l p. NJ the bugle
sounds for dinner Ourcooking was not done by
soldiers but by Portuguese from Goa under the
superintendenceo of a soldier from each company.
Every noon the officer OF the day visits every