58 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



This corps, as first raised in December 1846, con- 

 sisted of one troop of horse and two companies of 

 foot, placed under the command of Lieutenant 

 (afterwards Sir Harry) Lumsden. Of the men at 

 first enlisted some were Hindustani soldiers then 

 serving in the Sikh army, while a few Pathans who 

 had served with us in Afghanistan, and some Mazbi, 

 or low-caste Sikhs, formed the remainder of the 

 infant corps. " The grand object of the corps," in 

 Hodson's words, "is to train a body of men in 

 peace to be efficient in war : to be not only 

 acquainted with localities, roads, rivers, hills, 

 ferries, and passes, but have a good idea of the 

 produce and supplies available in any part of the 

 country ; to give accurate information, not running 

 open-mouthed to say that 10,000 horsemen and a 

 thousand guns are coming (in true native style), 

 but to stop to see whether it may not be really 

 only a common cart and a few wild horsemen who 

 are kicking up all the dust ; to call twenty-five by 

 its right name, and not say fifty for short, as most 

 natives do. This, of course, wants a great deal of 

 careful instruction and attention. Beyond this, the 

 officers should give a tolerably correct sketch and 

 report of any country through which they may 

 pass, be au fait at routes and means of feeding 

 troops, and above all — and here you come close 

 upon practical duties — keep an eye on the doings 

 ' of the neighbours ' and the state of the country, 

 so as to be able to give such information as may 

 lead to any outbreak being nipped in the bud." 



Not content with procuring Hodson's appointment 

 to the Guides, Lawrence found some preliminary 

 work for his zealous follower in the country 



