the war virtually at an end. He missed the battle of Waterloo by only three days, but assisted at the storming of Cambray, and had a share in a combat at Paris. He was now put on half-pay; but, with his characteristic and provident energy, he turned to account this period of enforced inactivity by studying, in company with his brother William, at the military college at Farnham. In 1819 Colonel Napier obtained the appointment of inspecting field-officer in the Ionian Islands, and three years later was appointed military resident of Cephalonia, an office of the most laborious nature, but on that very account exactly suited to his taste. "To me," he says, "the labour is health, spirit, everything." He devoted never less than fourteen hours a day to public business. He constructed magnificent roads where scarce a path existed before; he built moles, marketplaces, spacious streets, and healthy prisons, and conferred such important benefits on the Cephalonese, that they still call him "Father." He was recalled in 1830 in consequence of the intrigues of the high commissioner, which he denounced in very indignant terms. He lost his mother in 1826 and his wife in 1833—bereavements which inflicted on his affectionate and sensitive nature the most poignant grief—almost despair. In 1838 he was made a knight of the bath, and in the following year was appointed to the command of the northern district of England, where the chartists were at that time meditating an insurrection. His dispositions for the suppression of riots and the maintenance of the public peace, were of the most masterly kind, and were completely successful. He speaks of himself at this period as having one leg in the grave, but the most splendid portion of his career was only about to commence. In 1841 he was offered and at once accepted a place on the Indian staff. He was first sent to command at the Poonah station, near Bombay, where he diligently drilled and manœuvred his troops, and attracted attention by commencing that system of military reform for which he afterwards became so famous. In August, 1842, he was directed to assume the command of the provinces of the Upper and Lower Scinde, which were then in a very disordered condition. He set out with the resolution that he would compel the Ameers to choose either an honest peace or open war, and he kept his word. Encouraged by our disastrous Affghanistan war, they would observe no treaties, but vacillated and procrastinated, and professed submission while they prepared for hostilities. Sir Charles, seeing that war was inevitable, prepared to strike a prompt and vigorous blow. Having secured some masterly positions which rendered it hopeless to attack him, he resolved to deprive the enemy of the far-famed fortress of Emaum Ghur, situated in the middle of a desert, which the Ameers believed to be inaccessible by European troops. As long as they had this supposed impregnable stronghold to flee to, he foresaw that they would never be quiet. He executed his design by a method singularly original and sagacious. After a march of eight days through a wilderness, at the head of only three hundred and fifty men, he reached the mysterious fortification, only to find it deserted. He immediately set to work, mined and blew up the place, and returned across the desert without losing a single man. The duke of Wellington described this exploit as "one of the most curious military feats which he had ever known to be performed, or ever perused an account of in his life." Meanwhile the enemy had assembled a large force at Meanee with the view of intercepting Napier's march to the capital. Sir Charles promptly advanced to meet them, and on the 17th of February, 1843, at the head of only eighteen hundred infantry and eight hundred cavalry, he encountered twenty-five thousand infantry and ten thousand irregular horsemen, drawn up in a very strong position. The enemy fought with desperate valour, but after a struggle which lasted for three hours and a half, and was attended with the most frightful slaughter, the Belooches gave way and were driven from the field with the loss of six thousand men. The killed and wounded of the British forces amounted to only two hundred and seventy. It is difficult to determine whether the courage or the generalship of the commander on this occasion was most worthy of commendation. Hyderabad, the capital of Scinde, was immediately surrendered to the conqueror, and six of the Ameers submitted to his victorious arms. Meanwhile Shere Mohammed, surnamed the Lion, the bravest of the Ameers, had collected a new army of twenty-five thousand men, which Sir Charles attacked at Dubba, on the 24th of March, with five thousand men and seventeen guns. The battle was long and desperately contested, and the genius and bravery of the British general were again most conspicuously displayed. In the end the Belooches were completely defeated. "The Lion" took refuge in the desert, and his principal fortress fell into the hands of the conqueror. Scinde was now formally annexed to the British empire, and Sir Charles Napier was appointed governor with despotic power. He set himself as in Cephalonia—"to do good, to create, to end destruction, and raise up order." He conciliated the affections of the different races inhabiting Scinde, reorganized the native society, created a permanent civil administration in all its branches, planned and commenced a number of important public works, ameliorated the severity and injustice of the native law, made an end of suttee, and by a series of masterly movements suppressed robbery, and secured the public tranquillity. His Scindian policy was the object of several violent attacks, and was defended with his characteristic vehemence and ability. In December, 1845, occurred the Sikh war, of which Napier had in vain forewarned Sir Henry Hardinge the governor-general. The British army was placed in imminent peril at Feroshashur, and Napier's farseeing plan for the invasion of the Sutlej was in consequence destroyed by the governor-general, who in this crisis sent him orders to come with all speed to the scene of action. Before his arrival the battle of Sobraon was fought, putting an end to hostilities; and a treaty was concluded, which he strongly condemned, affirming that the result would be another war. In spite of age, sickness, climate, and incessant toil, he remained at his post till the illness of his wife, in July, 1847, decided him instantly to resign and return home. He was received in his native country with the most cordial tokens of admiration. But he was not destined long to enjoy repose. In 1848 war again broke out in the Punjaub, as he had predicted. The news of the drawn battle of Chillianwallah excited a public panic, and from one end of the country to the other arose a cry that the conqueror of Scinde should be sent out to the rescue. His appointment had previously been resisted by the East India directors—much to their discredit—and he hesitated to accept the offer. But on the duke of Wellington's remarking—"If you don't go, I must," Sir Charles yielded to the call of duty. The veteran general started in March, 1849, but on reaching India in May found the struggle was over. He remained two years in the country, however, correcting with his usual energy numberless abuses, and resolutely carrying out important military reforms. His public career was suddenly brought to a close in consequence of a reprimand from the governor-general. Lord Dalhousie, for continuing on his own responsibility a small payment of money to remove the alarming discontent of the Sepoys. The events of the Indian mutiny vindicated his sagacity in this affair, and proved the infatuated blindness of the authorities. Sir Charles returned to England in March, 1851, and passed the remainder of his life in retirement, near Portsmouth. Completely worn out with labours and wounds, he died on the 29th of August, 1853, having just completed his seventy-first year. He was twice married, and left two daughters by his first marriage. "Great in strategy, chivalrous in courage, careful of the soldier's life and prodigal of his own, inflexible in physical endurance, untiring in industry, sagacious in government, beneficent in his aim, stern in his integrity, and strong in his affections. Sir Charles Napier presents a combination of which there are few such examples in the history of the world." He may have been at times, as he admits, "too arbitrary and violent," and his fiery soul and iron will occasionally led him into excesses which marred his usefulness and disturbed his own comfort. But his very failings were of the heroic kind. He was a king of men.— (Life and Opinions of General Sir C. J. Napier, 4 vols.; Conquest of Scinde, 1 vol.; History of General Sir C. J. Napier's Administration in Scinde, 1 vol.; by Sir W. Napier.)—J. T.
NAPIER or NEPER, John, eighth baron of Merchiston, the inventor of logarithms, and the greatest pure mathematician of his age, was born at Merchiston castle, near Edinburgh, in 1550, and died there on the 3rd of April, 1617. He was the eldest son of Sir Archibald Neper of Edinbellie, seventh baron of Merchiston, lord-justice depute of Scotland and general of the mint under James V., Mary, and James VI. In 1563, John Napier entered the university of St. Andrews. It is supposed that he completed his studies at a foreign university, possibly that of Paris. In 1572, shortly after coming of age, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Striveling, or Stirling, of Keir, and was infeft in the estate of Merchiston by his father, who had
