versal spirit of patriotism in the East; no general impulse to bind Bengal, Madras, and Bombay together. There are, in fact, no two native powers in India that are not bitterly hostile to each other, and rancorously jealous of everything that redounds to a rival's fame or advantage. The old conquering maxim of "divide and govern" it was altogether unnecessary for the British to make use of; for everything was divided to their hand, and they had merely to stretch forth that hand and seize the golden fruit, which all offered to the stranger in their anxiety to snatch it from their neighbours. So far, therefore, from English domination being looked upon as an apple of discord thrown in at the peaceful banquet of Indian potentates, to spread hatred and disunion amongst their scattered ranks, it is the very thing that keeps them together in the only bond of fraternity of which they have any notion – submission to a superior power for the advancement of their own individual interests.
But, in justice to the noble feeling which we know to be prevalent amongst all ranks and classes of our Indian Army, we will take a higher ground, and assert, on personal knowledge and reliable testimony, that the attachment of the Sepoy to his English officer, and through him to the English Government, is of an enduring as well as an endearing nature, that will long bid defiance to the machinations of every enemy to British supremacy, either foreign or domestic. And if we do not prove this fact also to the satisfaction of the reader before the conclusion of this little volume, then we have grossly mistaken the character of the brave men whose actions we have undertaken to illustrate, as well as our own competency for the task.
The Army of India which, not more than a century back, consisted of only two or three battalions, comprises at present upwards of two hundred and eighty thousand men of all arms, who are divided amongst the three Presidencies as follows: –
