St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-07-01

out IL was only foSiueHG IN working
dress of kardee cloth, color of the
dry grass-a color in which they would
be almost invisible flying down. Lord
| Dufferin rode up followed by his staff
and the foreign officers, and the bat
terry fired a salute. Almost with the
first gun came the rain, and for three
long hours with one or two intermis-
sions of a few minutes it rained as it
can rain only in India, sheets and solid
banks of water. The Viceroy, dressed
in black frock- coat, with a single or
der on his breast, high silk hat and
gray riding trousers, was a cOnspicu-
Gus 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 reach
ed ten minutes after the rain started
was as complete as if he had tried a
swim in the Jumna close by. The oc-
cupants of the carriages made them
selves as comfortable as possible, but
seemingly an interpOsitiOn of Provi-
dence had been expected to keep off
the rain, as mackintOshes aud umbrel-
las seemed surprisingly few. The in
spectiOn lasted about an hour, and
then the troops wheeled into the road
and soon the advance guard of the
Northern force, led by Sir Frederick
Roberts mounted on fine gray Arab,
passed by us. The cavalry and artil-
lery went first, and the combination of
hOOfs and wheels soon had the soft
earth churned into slush that grew
worse and worse. All the batteries
save IL few in the native cOntingents
were in the hands of Europeans a
wise policy of government taught by
the mutiny, when it was found that
the native troops were better gunners
even than the English soldiers. Y
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 Lancers
and the 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 elephants NOV
ed 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 | was
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, magniti-
cent -looking fellows, and in their blue
or brown uniforms were every inch
soldiers. About the turban of each
man was thin steel circle, sharpened
to razor's fineness i'm the old days
they threw these with wonderful ac-
curacy, 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 l857-the regiments which, raised
by Lord Lawrence in the Punjab and
sent on to Delhi, brought about its
fall. The little GOOrkhas | liked best.
They are sturdy little fellows, not over
five feet three or four inches in height.
They are of MongOlian type and look
like regiments of little Cinnamon but
with a something of determination and
brightness in their faces that | have
never seen in the Chinese. Dressed in
dark green or dark blue uniforms and
ranged shoulder to shoulder with ad-
mirably preserved distances, their
marching was simply perfection. They
are the "crack" native regiments, and
the English officers strive to get into
them as into the Guards in England.
Each man carries at his belt a knife
that makes a terrible weapon; it is
sixteen inches long and slightly cres-
cent-shaped, and the blade small be-
yOnd the handle, spreads out to three
or four inches in width, then contracts
to point. In the use of this they are
very skilful l am told that in a charge
after firing one or two shots, they cast
away their guns and armed with their
knives rush on. A thrust and pecul
lar twist of the wrist gives wound
from which there is little chance of re-
cOvery, in such a way has the body
been cut open. They alone of all the
native troops are intimate with the
English soldiers. The thought of caste
does not trouble them, and they eat,
drink and smoke with Tommy Atkins
and, moreover, worship him. When a
weary English regiment comes into a
cantOnment where GOOrkhas are sta
toned each soldier has willing val
ct at once and if they can smoke pipes
with Tommy when they have done all
they can to minister to his comfort
their cup of joy is full. At the same
time they are among the best fighters
and are better and more tireless on the
march than any of the native troops.
About the camp at Delhi many were
the little groups l saw composed of
five or six GOOrkhas and English SOL
diers, each with his little "swagger"
stick and evidently the best of friends.
Not once did | see Sikh or Bengali or
SepOy with English soldiers about him,
so much for caste.
The rain lasted until nearly the end
Of the review, and it is not hard to
imagine the condition of the ground
before it was over. Opposite where |
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
ficult and for Il 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 point and a slight ele
walton of the leather above the heel.
When they came to the thickest mud
game of "hunt the slipper" 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. Off would come the slippers by
the dozen pairs, for they are without
fastening; then the lines would break,
the men rush back, some trying to get
into their fOot-gear and others picking
them up and marching on with them
in their hands. Of course good order