; pay them liberally and punctually; supply them
with good clothing, arms, accoutrements, and ammunition; and
concentrate them at five or six points in good cantonments, whence
they can move quickly to any part where their services may be
required. No more than are indispensably required should attend the
local authorities in their circuits. All the rest should remain in
cantonments till called for on emergency; and when so called for,
they should have all the conveyance they require, and the supplies
provided for them--the conveyance at fixed rates, and the supplies at
the market price, in good bazaars. For police duties and revenue
collections there should be a sufficient body of men kept up, and at
the disposal of the revenue and police authorities. The military
establishments should be under the control of a different authority.
But all this would be of no avail unless the corps were under able
commanders, relieved from the fear of Court favourites, and under a
Commander-in-Chief who understood his duty and had influence enough
to secure all that the troops required to render them efficient, and
not a child of seven years of age.
Several of the villages of Sundeela are held by Syud zumeendars, who
are peaceable and industrious subjects, and were generally better
protected than others under the influence of Chowdhere, Sheik Hushmut
Allee, of Sundeela, an agricultural capitalist and landholder, whom
no local authority could offend with impunity.
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