THE ARMY IN INDIA.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 47, 24 August 1878, Page 4

THE ARMY IN INDIA.

—-* .1, :■•; ng to the last returns, our In- ! liai j a >rs something over! ■■> men, Europeans and natives. I 01 Briti ih tn | s : ; i ■•■• arc 61.500. The | i. • ■ . fifty battalions of I tho liue, :.: :•• . , ..-. Nts of calvary and eighty-six batteries of artillery, and are stationed in the proportion of ten thousand in each of tho Presidencies of Bombay and Madras, waile Beagal absorbs the re minder. The native regiments muster IiO.OJO of ill ranks, and may be i lujiily divided into 20.000 calvary and 100,000 infantry. There is very little native artillery, the authorities in India deeming it wise to retain that arm in the hands of British soldiers. A few mountain butteries arc to be found on the Punjaub frontier, officered by tho Royal Artillery, and manned by native gunners, but this force is too insignificant to be taken into consideration. The native infantry and cavalry are officered in the same way as our British troops, the officers iu command of ooiupanies and troops being also natives. The suqadron commanders in the cavalry, and the half-battalioncommanders in the infantry, as also the colonel and adjutant are, howover, British otlicers belonging to the Stall' Corps, seven being attached to each regiment or battalion. The cavalry, for the most part at any rate, is irregular cavalry, and resembles a good deal that "f the Cossacks, since every man rides his own horse and enjoys more indepenI ■ i re than a trooper in a line regiment. i'.u! Ma Iras Light Cavalry is tiie 'Jitiy exception to this rule, for in this case the Indian Government mounts the men,

this section, which may bo termed regular cavalry, nucuberingabout 2400 sabres. The infantry is modelled on our own line regiments. There are eight oompaiiics iu. every battalion, numbering from soven to eight hundred men. and they lire drilled and disciplined in accordance with instructions framed at the Horse Guards at home, to which all are amenable through tiie Commander-in-Chief in In iia. I . fa tto all inteuts and purposes, olie native India i army is under the .:oni.ro' of tiie rVli M.i sli.il Commanding-