Wichita eagle., 1888-07-24
THE vASTNESs OF INDIA.
Ancient Nations Great Cities Fighting
peopies-Occupations and Industries.

Ancient Nations. Great Cities. Fighting
PeopIes-Occupation. and Industries.
For eighty years at least writers have en-
deayored to bring home to Enghshmen the
vastness of India, but, so far as can be per-
ceived. have failed The Briton reads what
they say, learns up their figures, trics to
understand their descriptions, but fails, fof
ali his labor, to realize what India ia con.
tinent large as Europe west Of the Vistula
and with 20, ooo, 900 more people. fuller of an
cient nations, of great cities, of varieties Of
civilization. OF armies nobilities, priesthoods,
organizations for every conceivable purpose
from the spreading OF great religions down
to systematic murder. There are twice ~
many Bensalese as there are Frenchmen. the
Hindo~tanees, properly so called, ou:number
the whites in the United States the NAH
rattas would I'll Spain, the people Of the
Punjab with Scinde are double the populs-
ton of Turkey, and have named bus four
OF the more salient divisions.
Everything is on the same bewildering
scale The fighting peoples Of India, whose
males are as big ourselves. a. brave as
ourselves. and more regardless of death than
ourselves. number at least 10, oeo 0VO. equal
to Gibbons calculation OF the population Of
trained brown soldiers in nntive service Of
whom We hear perhaps once In ten years, and
at least :. 600. 900 men who think their proper
profession is arms, who would live by arms
if they could and of whom we ia England
mover hear a word IL tho Prussiau con-
scriPtion were applied in India, we should.
without counting reserves or laDdwehr or
any force not SUMMONED In time Of peace,
have 100000 soldiers actually IN barracks,
with 800, coo recruits coming up every year
"A force with which not only Asia, but the
world. might be subtued There src tons of
millions of prosperous peasants whose hoard
ings make Of India the grand absorbent of
the precious metals tens of millions OF peas
nnns beside whose poverty fellahs or Sicilsaus
or Connaught rHea are rich. millions Of arti-
sans, ranging froai the men VINO build pal
aces 70 the men VINO nearly naked and al
most without toots, do the hunlbIsst work Of
the potter.
Every occupation which exists In Europe
exists also in India. The industry Of tho
vas. continent never ceases, for India, with
AZ her te,Tping muititudes. with a populs-
ton In places packed beyond European
precedent, imports nothing either TO eat
or drink, and, bat fr tho Europeans, would
import nothing whatever. She II sufficient
to herself for everything saw, silver. Amid
these varied rlasss~, thcse 80 600 .O0c. whose
mere descriptions would hu volumes, the
tide Of life flows a. vigorously A. In Europa
There IL as muck laso- a. much contention,
as much ambition, 4. mach crime, much
variety Of careers, hope, fears and hatretx
1t Ia still possible 10 fnopeyless Indian 70
become vlsier Of dynasty older than his
tory, OF finance munster Of a new prince
whose personal fortune IN hard cash 10
double that OF the late Emperor William, a.
abbot OF . mousrsry rfensr than CLINTON
bury ever wae. owner 81 an estate that COW
ers q county. head Of q firm whose tranHac-
tiOns may vie with thosse 81 the Barsngr ~
BleichTodcrx One man, Jnts rerrhad by
name. fed and transported the army which
conquered the Pun ak.-- Msredita Tovr,ssnd
in Fortnighssy Review.