This dearness should seem unreasonable, if we only take into account the prices of provisions, which are very low; but we must carry in mind the enormous rates of house-rent; and that, whatever may be the profession in which persons proceeding to India engage, the return to Europe with a comfortable independence is the main consideration. Supposing ten thousand pounds to be gained in twenty years, by attention to his pupils, it cannot be denied, that a pedagogue is barely rewarded for so great a duration of slavery in such a climate, and at such a distance from all his friends and connections. Whatever may be the merits of the teachers, nothing could reconcile me to bringing up a child in India. All so educated, are rendered unfit for the society of gentlemen who have been brought up in Europe; they know nothing of the world, but, while imitating the manners and customs of those they term their countrymen, exercise all that craft which so peculiarly characterizes the native youths. In a moral point of view, the detention of a child, particularly a female, in India, is highly culpable; and when treated of as a matter of economy, will, in the end, be found equally objectionable. That the disadvantage under which parents labor, in sending their children to Europe, is considerable, must be fully admitted; and, it must also be acknowledged, that many may be able to spare a certain monthly, or annual, sum towards education, which could not be furnished at once. Such parents are to be pitied; because they can rarely have a child creditably schooled at Calcutta for less than fifty rupees (£75.) per mensem, all charges included; whereas, for about half that sum, say for £40., a much better education could be given at excellent schools in various parts of Britain. If we suppose £150. to be expended in transmitting a child to Europe, and that the sum of £35. be annually saved after arrival here, the difference, both principal and interest, would be cleared off in about five years; while many important advantages would be gained, and a thousand very obnoxious habits avoided. The encrease of population has been followed by an augmentation in the number of schools; but, if I judge correctly, the latter has been rather beyond what the former should appear to authorize. The first school that was set up in the vicinity of Calcutta, started about the year 1780, under the charge of a Mrs. Hodges, who succeeded beyond the expectations of her most sanguine patrons; and, in the course of about twenty years, realized a very handsome fortune, with great credit to herself; and, if marrying off at an early age be desirable, with great advantage to numerous young ladies; who, in succession, entrapped the hearts of sundry gay Lotharios, by whom her dancing-room was much frequented. It would be cruel, and unjust, in the extreme, to assert that young women brought up at such a seminary, were, in every respect, inferior: it must be admitted, that they may dance, play the piano, work at their needle, read, write, and cast accounts, and perhaps speak French: all these may be done to admiration; but, alas! these are, properly speaking, merely mechanical, and, though they may please for awhile, never can give that zest depending solely on the enlargement of the mind, and on some knowledge of the world. So true is this, that not one in fifty of the girls thus brought up can hold conversation in any way pleasing or interesting; and, which is worse, the other forty-nine are very apt to be childish, vain, imperious, crafty, vulgar, and—wanton! But they are, generally, well formed, pretty, active, gay, and insinuating; therefore we must not wonder at the matches we see take place, nor at the poverty they generally entail upon their husbands, by a certain prolific propensity which may be said to characterize the whole breed.

The several schools in and about Calcutta, may be considered on nearly the same footing as in Europe; some dear, others more reasonable; some good, others highly exceptionable. Most of them are well situated, so far as relates to convenience and salubrity; but it appears to me, that more than one of the seminaries for young ladies are subject to overlook objects by no means suited to female delicacy, and, in a great measure, derogatory to the judgment of those who selected such sites for their establishments. Those academies which are about two or three miles out of town, are certainly preferable in the above respect; while, at the same time, they are not beyond the common distance to which bearers are in the habit of conveying their employers on visits during the forenoon.

In a former part, I cursorily made mention of the old fort, in which stood the Black-Hole, so famous in history. This fortress is now converted into public-offices and warehouses, for both which purposes it is admirably adapted, from the centrical situation it occupies, and from the great solidity of the walls, &c. The defences are extremely simple, and might answer well enough for the times in which they were constructed, as well as for the prowess of the troops by which they were likely to be attacked: being on the bank of the river Hoogly, a retreat by water might easily be effected under the cover of shipping; and, by the same means, supplies could generally be afforded. According to the present system of warfare, and the probability of being attacked by an European army, it would be unsafe to place the smallest reliance on the old fort, further than as an immediate asylum in the event of insurrection; in which case, many houses that now command the works must be destroyed: this, owing to the want of cannon on the ramparts, would not be an easy operation. The town is protected chiefly by Fort-William, a more modern work, capable of containing at least fifteen thousand men; the defences, indeed, require near ten thousand to man them properly. The garrison ordinarily consists of two or three regiments of Europeans, a battalion of artillery, with a very large establishment of artificers, &c., attached to the arsenal, where stores of every description are lodged in bomb-proofs. Provisions, equal to six months’ consumption, are always kept in the fort. The native corps, intended to aid in the defence, and of which the amount may be from four to five thousand, are cantoned at Barrackpore, a station about sixteen miles from Calcutta, on the banks of the river, and exactly facing the Danish town of Serampore. Of these troops, about twelve hundred constantly do duty in the fort; being relieved monthly in regular rotation. Fort-William is the grand depôt of Bengal, and may be considered as the key to that part of the Company’s possessions, if not to the whole; for it does not appear probable that any effectual resistance could be made, if that fortress were to fall into the hands of the enemy. Such a loss would infallibly destroy the opinion now held of our prowess, and precipitate us from the pinnacle of power, into an awful abyss of ruin!

As Mr. Hastings very properly stated, ‘our power in the East depends entirely on opinion.’ When we consider the immense population over which we hold control, with comparatively an insignificant force, and, that that force is composed chiefly of natives, it must immediately occur to us how necessary it is to satisfy our Asiatic subjects that our sway is mild, and that, in submitting to us, they rescue themselves from tyranny and extortion.

There may arise local circumstances wherein the possession of a strong hold would be invaluable; and rescue us from the most imminent dangers. Of this, our affair with Cheyt Sing is a most obvious and undeniable proof: had not the fortress of Chimar, a place rather of reputed, than of real, strength, been at hand, our force in that part must have been annihilated; when the insurrection would infallibly have spread in every direction.

Without entering into particulars, I shall give a brief statement of the Company’s forces at their several presidencies; observing, that the number of their European regiments has been considerably diminished, amounting, nearly, to a total reduction, for the purpose of making way for the introduction of king’s troops. With respect to the European strength, therefore, it must be understood that no fixed establishment exists: but the average amount of that branch, independent of the Company’s battalions of artillery and infantry, may be taken at about sixteen or eighteen thousand firelocks, including the cavalry.

Presidencies.Cavalry, Native, Regiments.Infantry, Native, Regiments.Artillery, Battalions, European.Infantry, Battalion, European.Marine, Battalions, Native.
Bengal827310
Madras825210
Bombay09111

At each presidency, the native regiments are formed into two battalions, with the same strength of European commissioned officers as are allotted to one regiment of Europeans. A colonel commands each regiment, and every battalion has attached to it one lieutenant-colonel, and one major, together with a proportion of the captains and subaltern officers. Two serjeants are allowed to each battalion, viz. one acting as serjeant-major, the other under the quartermaster. The companies are commanded by European officers, under whom, one soubadar, one jemmadar, five havildars, five naicks, and ninety privates, (sepoys,) are enrolled. The soubadars and jemmadars have commissions, and are competent to sit on regimental, or line, courts-martial for the trial of natives, whether in the military service, or camp followers. The havildars correspond in rank and duties with our serjeants, and the naicks, with our corporals. Each battalion has two grenadier, and eight battalion companies: no recruit is taken whose age exceeds twenty-five, or whose stature does not reach to five feet six inches and a half, or, more generally, to five feet seven inches; unless on emergency, or when obvious juvenility warrants the acceptance of an under-sized candidate; who, generally, being well fed, and taught to stand erect, in the course of drilling over-tops the standard of admission.

Reference to the table of pay and allowances in the Directory, will prove useful to those who may proceed to India, and may serve to guide those who are not acquainted with the particulars of income in that quarter. The usual exchange is two shillings and sixpence per sicca rupee, about five per cent. better than the sonaut rupee, which is the standard of military payments. In viewing the sum-total of an officer’s pay, when reduced to English currency, which may be done with tolerable correctness at the above rate of eight rupees to the pound sterling, very considerable allowance must be made for the inevitable expences, &c., incident, not only to military men, but to all residing in India. This consideration will amount to a very plain, and correct, conclusion, viz. that though a subaltern officer may live on his pay, provided his out-set be duly allowed for, yet, that he must have more than ordinary luck, or possess a bent towards parsimony by no means to be envied, and rarely attaining its object, to enable his saving a few pounds within the year.

This is necessary to be well understood, and, when understood, ought to be ever carried in mind by those who expect a young man on his arrival, as a cadet, in India, to support himself without adventitious aids. That he may do so, by arranging a proper plan with others of his class, cannot be denied; but to effect this, not only all luxuries, but, what in India are considered the necessaries of life, must be relinquished. On receiving a commission, his allowances, of course, are considerably augmented, but, on the other hand, his expences will be rather greater; and this unavoidably, and exclusive of his equipment to join his corps.