Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-14

There we're between IS, 900 and 40
900 men III all--English and native,
from the troops of Madras to the
Goorkhas from the frontier. Here and
there it would seem as If a gap were
left in the line; but it was only regi-
ment in working dress of kardee cloth,
the color of the dry grass-a color in
which they would be almost invisible
if lying down Lord Duferin rode up
followed by his staff and the foreign
officers, and the. battery fired q salute.
Almost with the first gun came the
rain, and for three long hours with one
or two intermissions of u few minutes
it rained as it can rain only in India,
sheets and solid banks of water. The
Viceroy, dressed in a black frock-coat
with q single order on his breast, a
high silk hat and gray riding trousers,
was q conspicuous figure amid the red
and gold which surrounded him. He
kept his position, through all the
hours of the march, but the degree of
wetness which he reached ten minutes
after the rain started was as complete
asif he had tried swim in. the Jumna
close by. .@
The marching OF the English regi-
ments was superb in spite: Of the con-
dition OF the ground. The mud after
the march was over was from eight to
ten inches deep and the clay of the
soil made it terribly sticky. The Lam
GERS and artillery were splendidly
mounted, and the Russian officers were
especially impressed by the horses.
The elephant batteries and the mule
artillery for use in the mountains on
the frontier were a novel sight to an
American. The huge elephant is moved
along in their stately way, four at
tached to each gun and making light
OF such work as dragging the heavy
weight through the thick mud. But
it was the native troops in which I
was the most interested. The Sikh
troops from the Punjab, the Bengal
Lancers and the Goorkha infantry
from the northern part of India were
fine bodies of men. The Sikhs are tall,
Notwithstanding fellows, and in
their blue or brown uniforms were
every inch soldiers. About heturban
=, of each man was a thin steel circle,
sharpened to razor's fineness; IN the
old days they threw these with won.
derful accuracy, cutting an inch stick
at fifty yards. At present they do
not make use of these knives but are
permitted to wear them to recall the
days when all northern India was in
their power. These were the troops
that saved India in 1857-the regi-
ments which, raised by Lord Law
renee in the Punjab and sent on to
Delhi, brought about it's fall. The lit
tie Goorkhas liked best. q.
The rain lasted until nearly the end
of the review, and it is not hard to inn
agine the condition Of the ground be-
fore it was over. Opposite where l
stood was perhaps the worst part of
the road, as slight depression in the
ground made the mud deeper. OF
course it rendered good marching diff
fcult and for portion OF the native
regiments impossible. Part OF them
have the regulation ammunition boot,
but the majority have the native slip.
per or moglai shoe, with the turned up
toe coming to a point and q slight ele
vation of the leather above the heel.
When they came to the thickest,, mud
a, game e'.hunt the shipper" was. played
in dead earnest. They have to buy
their own shoes with their.small pay,
and they can't afford to lose many
pairs. Of would come the slippers by
the dozen pairs, Tor they are without
fastening; then the lines would break,
the men rush back, some trying to get.
into their foot-gear and others pick
ing them up and marching on with
them in their hands. OF course good
order in marching was lost and many
OF the companies went to pieces.
fortunately, just before arriving at
the saluting point the ground was o
little harder and the lines were able
TO get into fairly good; order before
passing the flag. Only one regiment
of Bengai thought more Of their:
marching than Of their shoes, and
kept on in perfect unbroken line. But
the mud gathered a harvest and after;
the last regiment had passed the shoes
sticking hall out here and there looked
comlcal enough. The marching Of the
native ontingents- he soldiers OF the
native princes and not in the regular
army showed q lack 81 drill and after
tho shoe episode it was q simple rout,
men and officers seeming to lose their
heads. The officers were gorgeous fell
lows, each being one blaze Of gold lace;
but the men in unit orm and equipment
could not compare at al with the reg
ular native troops The most inter
est, If / could Judge from the applause,
given, Was taken in the yolunte
Euroneans who, bad left their bf1sineas