The sipahees formerly got
five rupees a-month, but for only ten months in the year; they now
get four rupees and three and a-half annas a-month for all the twelve
months. 'He is, he says, obliged to take a great many _sufarashies_,
or men put in by persons of influence at Court, out of favour, or for
the purpose of sharing in their pay; and, under the deductions and
other disadvantages to which they are liable, he could get no good
men to enlist. The corps, in consequence, has a wretched appearance,
and certainly could not be made formidable to an enemy. The "Akbery"
is one of the Telinga corps of infantry, and was intended to be, in
all things, like those of Captains Barlow, Bunbury, and Magness; but
Imdad Hoseyn told me that they had a certain weight at Court, which
secured for their regiments many advantages necessary to make the
corps efficient, while he had none: that they had occasional
intercourse with the Resident, and were all at Court for some months
in the year to make friends, while he was always detached.
_January_ 14, 1850.--Halted at Russoolabad, for our second set of
tents, which did not come up till night, when it was too late to send
them on to our next ground. We have two sets of sleeping and dining
tents--one to go on and the other to remain during the night--but
only one set of office tents. They are struck in the afternoon, when
the office duties of the day are over, and are ready by the time we
reach our ground the next morning.
Pages:
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466