ceased to be the most important arm, and the infantry became the favourite service. The change was facilitated by the employment of European officers, French and Italian, whom the Mahárájá engaged when he failed to obtain the loan of officers of the East India Company's service. These foreign generals introduced the system which had become general in Europe, where the value of infantry as against cavalry was universally acknowledged. Some of them were men of considerable ability and quite competent to perform all they promised in increasing the efficiency of the Lahore army. The infantry under their instruction became a most formidable body of troops, well disciplined and steady, though slow in manœuvring. Their endurance was very great, and a whole regiment would march 30 miles a day for many days together.
Enlistment in the regular army during the Mahárájá's reign was entirely voluntary, but there was no difficulty in obtaining recruits, for the service was exceedingly popular. The cavalry was constituted much in the same manner as in the early days of the Khálsa, when clouds of horsemen hung on the skirts of the Afghán armies, afraid to venture an attack upon regular troops, but cutting off convoys, and endangering the communications of the enemy. This is no doubt one of the principal duties of light horse; but the Sikh cavalry were, as a rule, miserably mounted and armed, and became more celebrated for taking to flight when attacked than for any display of valour. On foot the Sikh is the bravest and steadiest of soldiers; but on
