Forty-One Years in India: From Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief

CHAPTER LXVIII.. Extension of Command

Extension of command --Efficiency of the Native Army --Concessions to the Native Army --Officering of the Native Army --The Hunza-Naga campaign --Visit to Nepal--A Nepalese entertainment --Proposed mission to the Amir --A last tour--Farewell entertainments --Last days in India

APPENDIX

INDEX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

I. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS. (From a Photograph by Bourne and Shepherd, Simla, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) Frontispiece

II. THE KASHMIR GATE AT DELHI Over List of Contents

III. THE PEIWAR KOTAL Over List of Illustrations

IV. PORTRAIT OF GENERAL SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS, G.C.B. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

V. PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN NICHOLSON, C.B. (From a Painting by J.R. Dicksee in possession of the Rev. Canon Seymour, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

VI. PORTRAIT OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HARRY TOMBS, V.C., G.C.B. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Grillet and Co., engraved upon wood by Swain)

VII. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR JAMES HILLS-JOHNES, V.C., G.C.B. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Bourne and Shepherd, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

VIII. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART, BART., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., C.I.E. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Elliott and Fry, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

IX. PLAN OF THE ENGAGEMENT AT NAJAFGARH. (From a Plan made by Lieutenant Geneste, by permission of Messrs. Wm. Blackwood and Sons)

X. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE SIEGE AND ATTACK OF DELHI, IN 1857

XI. PORTRAITS OF GENERAL SIR COLIN CAMPBELL (LORD CLYDE) AND MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM MANSFIELD (LORD SANDHURST). (From a Photograph taken in India, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XII. PORTRAIT OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JAMES OUTRAM, G.C.B. (From a Painting by Thomas Brigstocke, R.A., engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XIII. PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, K.C.B. (From a Photograph taken at Lucknow, engraved upon wood by Swain)

XIV. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW, IN 1857

XV. PLAN OF CAWNPORE

XVI. PLAN OF THE ENGAGEMENT AT KHUDAGANJ

XVII. PORTRAIT OF GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BROWNE, V.C., G.C.B., K.C.S.I. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Elliott and Fry, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XVIII. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF LUCKNOW, IN 1858

XIX. PORTRAIT OF LADY ROBERTS (WIFE OF SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS). (From a Sketch by Carpenter, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XX. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY EARL CANNING, K.G., G.C.B., G.M.S.I., VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Mayall, engraved upon wood by Swain)

XXI. THE STORMING OF THE CONICAL HILL AT UMBEYLA BY THE 101ST FOOT (BENGAL FUSILIERS). (From a Sketch by General Sir John Adye, G.C.B., R.A., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXII. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA, G.C.B., G.C.S.I. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Maull and Fox, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXIII. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF LYTTON, G.C.B., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Maull and Fox, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XXIV. THE ATTACK ON THE PEIWAR KOTAL. (From a Painting by Vereker Hamilton, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XXV. GENERAL ROBERTS'S GURKHA ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXVI. GENERAL ROBERTS'S SIKH ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXVII. ONE OF GENERAL ROBERTS'S PATHAN ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXVIII. ONE OF GENERAL ROBERTS'S PATHAN ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXIX. THE ENTRANCE TO THE BALA HISSAR--THE LAHORE GATE AT KABUL. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXX. SKETCH SHOWING THE OPERATIONS IN THE CHARDEH VALLEY ON DECEMBER 10TH AND 11TH, 1879

XXXI. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE DEFENCES OF SHERPUR AND THE OPERATIONS ROUND KABUL IN DECEMBER, 1879

XXXII. CROSSING THE ZAMBURAK KOTAL. (From a Painting by the Chevalier Desanges, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire)

XXXIII. PLAN OF THE ROUTE TAKEN FROM KABUL TO KANDAHAR

XXXIV. SKETCH OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF KANDAHAR

XXXV. PORTRAITS OF THE THREE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA (SIR DONALD STEWART, SIR FREDERICK ROBERTS, AND SIR ARTHUR HARDINGE). (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by Swain)

XXXVI. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., F.R.S., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From an engraving by the Fine Art Society of a portrait by the late Frank Holl, R.A., re-engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XXXVII. PORTRAIT OF HIS HIGHNESS ABDUR RAHMAN, AMIR OF AFGHANISTAN. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by Swain)

XXXVIII. MAP OF CENTRAL ASIA

XXXIX. PORTRAIT OF LADY ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Johnson and Hoffmann, engraved upon wood by George Pearson)

XL. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE, K.G., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Cowell, Simla, engraved upon wood by Swain)

XLI. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS ON HIS ARAB CHARGER 'VONOLEL.' (From an Oil-painting by Charles Furse, made from an Instantaneous Photograph, and engraved upon wood by E. Whymper)

* * * * *

FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA.

CHAPTER I.. 1852

1852

Voyage to India--Life in Calcutta--A destructive cyclone --Home-sickness

Forty years ago the departure of a cadet for India was a much more serious affair than it is at present. Under the regulations then in force, leave, except on medical certificate, could only be obtained once during the whole of an officer's service, and ten years had to be spent in India before that leave could be taken. Small wonder, then, that I felt as if I were bidding England farewell for ever when, on the 20th February, 1852, I set sail from Southampton with Calcutta for my destination. Steamers in those days ran to and from India but once a month, and the fleet employed was only capable of transporting some 2,400 passengers in the course of a year. This does not include the Cape route; but even taking that into consideration, I should doubt whether there were then as many travellers to India in a year as there are now in a fortnight at the busy season.

My ship was the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Ripon, commanded by Captain Moresby, an ex-officer of the Indian Navy, in which he had earned distinction by his survey of the Red Sea. A few Addiscombe friends were on board, leaving England under the same depressing circumstances as myself, and what with wind and weather, and the thought that at the best we were bidding farewell to home and relations for ten long years, we were anything but a cheerful party for the first few days of the voyage. Youth and high spirits had, however, re-asserted themselves long before Alexandria, which place we reached without incident beyond the customary halts for coaling at Gibraltar and Malta. At Alexandria we bade adieu to Captain Moresby, who had been most kind and attentive, and whose graphic accounts of the difficulties he had had to overcome whilst mastering the navigation of the Red Sea served to while away many a tedious hour.

On landing at Alexandria, we were hurried on board a large mast-less canal boat, shaped like a Nile dahabeah. In this we were towed up the Mahmoudieh canal for ten hours, until we arrived at Atfieh, on the Nile; thence we proceeded by steamer, reaching Cairo in about sixteen hours. Here we put up at Shepherd's Hotel for a couple of days, which were most enjoyable, especially to those of the party who, like myself, saw an eastern city and its picturesque and curious bazaars for the first time. From Cairo the route lay across the desert for ninety miles, the road being merely a cutting in the sand, quite undistinguishable at night. The journey was performed in a conveyance closely resembling a bathing-machine, which accommodated six people, and was drawn by four mules. My five fellow-travellers were all cadets, only one of whom (Colonel John Stewart, of Ardvorlich, Perthshire) is now alive. The transit took some eighteen hours, with an occasional halt for refreshments. Our baggage was carried on camels, as were the mails, cargo, and even the coal for the Red Sea steamers.

On arrival at Suez we found awaiting us the Oriental, commanded by Captain Powell. A number of people met us there who had left England a month before we did; but their steamer having broken down, they had now to be accommodated on board ours. We were thus very inconveniently crowded until we arrived at Aden, where several of the passengers left us for Bombay. We were not, however, much inclined to complain, as some of our new associates proved themselves decided acquisitions. Amongst them was Mr. (afterwards Sir Barnes) Peacock, an immense favourite with all on board, and more particularly with us lads. He was full of fun, and although then forty-seven years old, and on his way to Calcutta to join the Governor-General's Council, he took part in our amusements as if he were of the same age as ourselves. His career in India was brilliant, and on the expiration of his term of office as member of Council he was made Chief Justice of Bengal. Another of the passengers was Colonel (afterwards Sir John Bloomfield) Gough, who died not long ago in Ireland, and was then on his way to take up his appointment as Quartermaster-General of Queen's troops. He had served in the 3rd Light Dragoons and on the staff of his cousin, Lord Gough, during the Sutlej and Punjab campaigns, and was naturally an object of the deepest veneration to all the youngsters on board.

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