ENGLISH OFFICERS IN INDIA.
"Since the rebellion and its suppression there has been a radical change in the organization of the army. The native forces in all India are about 130,000, and the English 75,000. Compare this arrangement with that which existed at the time of the Mutiny, when the native strength was 240,000 and the English less than 40,000, and you will see a vast difference. Each cavalry and infantry regiment has only eight European officers, including the surgeon, and none of them are attached to the companies, which are all led by their native captains. The native captains are drawn from the higher castes, and appointed to their places, as in England, while in the old formation they were promoted from the ranks, and were often of low caste, so that they were despised by many of the soldiers they commanded.
"In the rank and file the system that made the Mutiny possible has been entirely abandoned; instead of forming a regiment of a single caste, religion, or nativity, great care is taken to mix them up as much as possible, and thus prevent the formation of a plot. Sometimes the companies are from one tribe or district, but no two companies in a regiment are of the same kind. As there can be no affinity under such circumstances, there can be no plot, since there would be no common cause for one. According to the report of Sir Garnet Wolseley, during the last year of his service in India the native army of Bengal contained 6000 or 7000 Hindostanee Moslems, 8000 or 9000 Rajpoots, 2000 Jats, 6000 low-caste Hindostanees, 6000 Punjabee Moslems, 1000 Hindoos, 12,000 Sikhs, 1200 Mwybee Sikhs, 5000 Afghans and Pathans, 5000 or 6000 Ghoorkhas, 4000 Dogras and other hill tribes, besides other classifications of greater or less importance. None of the regiments are kept for a long time in any one place, and whenever a review or other circumstance causes a large number of native troops to be assembled, there is a large British force conveniently at hand and taking part in the manœuvres."
"This may possibly be dry reading to somebody at home," Fred remarked as he folded the paper. "If the young folks don't like it, they can skip a few pages; but I am sure the older heads in the family will wish to know something about the Mutiny and the present condition of the army in India, and therefore I shall make a nice copy of what I have written and send it home by the next mail."