New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-30
4 Soldiers Reoollscti0ns of Life
in india.

Ma10r-Arele.24
pa-ne Crogyn syo. PIP $40. Longrnaas SIeei
< CO.
The author OF these reTnAaisceaoes--"'l.c VIZ
originally set down cnly as q family recf "a
q Ferlton whose services. both military ana
rol'tical. have won for him worldly ease anu
honor AS one OF the nineteen children d q
rair vell-born but poor. he started N he NIX"
little capital-E25. 10 be 2recise-aside rom
e,errv. ambition and strong. clean character
F9ig revelations often unconscious, show tfla' ie
he's had an :ndomitablc power Of work. II was
,,ot long after the young soldier landed in India
- The NIutiny time. that ne achieved a daring
deed which caused Sir Hugh Rose to recon
mend him for q Y. c. As adjutont he employed
buslnessliize methods which brought his reGl-
uaent into a remarkable state Of efficiency ana
il is evident that his talent Cor organization 'tie
his capacity for strenuous labor were consld-
cred when the young subaitern Of no fame or
standing" wss appointed military secretary TO
The Cornnander-in-Chief.
This was the FIRST of many offices which he
held n India-most Of them being Offices Of
olvil importance under successive Viceroys his
later gears have been spent in England. first as
political and secret secretary at the India ofiice
ard aEgerward as member Of tho Council OF
India. His associations throughout his career
have been most interesting. and many or his
frank ard often naive pages are worth reIneir-
bering The oldest story OF his Mutiny expert
ences IS this:
Al daylight we surprised an outpost of the rebels
with two guns asleep in a 2I6@ toPe Ss so,3hie
mango trees heE sket,tssu eFtt,J ,beua vrhila
We b0l5l, took charge OF unexpected prize ana
5er1 before further OPERATIONS Some OF men
seeing lot OF wasps nests about began 20 aTs'0s
them when down came winged army "hleA po'
Tai II men 1e- ana horses srIng TO death while it was
all Of SGurC qua pear, many ll4I lue
themselves headlong into nelshe3s;g s,s ,1 ~
rebels who had not gone far away. seeing our cor
fusion. returned TO the tope recovered t b, ON" ~
guns and property, and captured me G!oit 20, -
ours: but II not many minutes DeIore . S,ies
IToI elru'en S fnaine tat Ire tired-out wasps
5eee.neI, anu I-o.IS s a rstreat resained the day
and marched on as best we could against Mohan'
which was soon cleared OF rebeis-
Burne served for a time under Sir Hope Grant
and does not forget 10 tell Us Of the companion
constantly carried about IN the days OF nara
fighting by that brave soldier. This was an
enormous vlolonoeIlo an instrument so big that
the highly musical commander had 10 provide
camel as its conveyance. The natives Burne
remernb ers were afraid of the thing, running
away from it whenever 81 appeared and calling
il ''Shaitan" Ohe deviD lie himself was rather
musical, and enlivened the campaign with lit
tie hand piano which was more easily carried
than the great cello.
Burne's life in India was not without humorous
episodes. Witness the unusual performance OF
the Khan Of Kheat and his followers who. when
they came 10 the Delhi Durbar. ate up for supper
all the cakes OF Pears soap which their English
hosts had ventured supply TO them for long
neglected additions. There is an amusing ac-
count of an official visit paid TO Scndiah, the
Maharajah OF Gwalor. whose effort TO be quite
IN the British vein for his admired guest, the
commander in chief. was very funny. At the
head of his little army his highness directed the
maneuvres, in spite Of the fact that he suffered
badly that his troops could not understand a
word he uttered. His pet regiment was what he
called his "Highlanders"-''me dressed in a
variety Of discarded old kits bought from certain
Highland regiments in India and clad in pink
tights specially ordered from England to cover
their black legs"
II was at Scindiah's banquet that a miscsie-
vous member OF Sir Hugh Roses suite. who had
had a falling out with his chief, took drastic
revenge. Consulted by Rose as to native eri-
quette, he assured the poor man that according
20 its rules, he would have . taste each dish.
The viands Burre says were al cold. besides
being hard as bullets and covered with gold Leaf
in honor Of the occasion" Sir Hugh obeyed as
monitor. and the consequent b9ut OF indigestion
was cheerfuly viewed 81 the ~ag. During one
OF Sir Hug!'s expeditions ne cane upon native
rageous violence. The kindheerted English man
was ready to administer the same treatment 20
the boy and demanded 10 know why he was
50 cruel oh" replied little India. this donkey
is my Uncle Ahmed, who was very unnerciful
70 me during his life, and 1 repaying
him in his own coin" and the whacks went
with increased Vigor. The wrath OF this yoyng
believer in the transmigraticn of souls was
softened, IL is recorded, by the bestowal q
little backsheesh. a Viceroy OF whose Official
household Burne formed part was Lord Mayo
and the young man noted a comic anecdo.e Of
Aayo's predecessor. Lord Lawrence.
On one question the ex-Viceroy was emphatic, ana
ne last afternoon before ne left for home Lord
Slayo ana ne took drive-I was included IN the
tsIt.t-.n me COZ; Sc Of which ne impressed this
doctrine very kindly and sOleEnnly on his
eessor Lord Mayo thanked him for this helpful
advice. and returned IN due course to Govern
5sent House. The syce (or footman) was slow and
ear a good unnsfakabIe rug Lord MAYO 1iangI,e s
this early experience Of the dference betSae
Hecept and practice, and sald &c ne in a whisper:
NY first practical lesson IN kindness TO natives
was undoubtedly odd one!" This was just ike
man. asea 10 60 s oT was az able and SIMPLE
ToSsssea as much as possible all state and cere-
" a stupid syce whenever he had the chance.
The visit Of the Persian Shah TO London in
1870 brought vexations 10 Burne who was one
Of The British officials appointed 70 take charge
q the Oriental sovereign. Toward the end OF
ne visit the Persian demanded a final boon IN
me way Of sghts-a prizehght Here was a
go saw the EQuerry-in waiting. and after
anxious thought and much consultation with
-oro Queensberry we prepared an innocent
glove light in the Buckingham Palace stables,
arranged TO take place quietly. hale an hour
Oe1ore the Shah was TO receive Lord Shaftesbury
4he me Arehbishops and Bishops with a memo
tlal asking him 10 protect the interests OF the