186 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



waiting was at that moment very near at hand. The 

 shadows of a great sepoy mutiny were already falling 

 over the land : " We are in a state of some anxiety 

 owing to the spread of a very serious spirit of dis- 

 affection among the sepoy army. One regiment (the 

 19th of the line) has already been disbanded, and if 

 all have their dues, more yet will be so before long. 

 It is our great danger in India ; and Lord Hardinge's 

 prophecy, that our biggest fight in India would be 

 with our own army, seems not unlikely to be realised, 

 and that before long. Native papers, education, and 

 progress are against keeping 200,000 native mer- 

 cenaries in hand." 



In the latter part of April Hodson went up to 

 Simla for the purpose of pleading his cause with the 

 commander-in-chief. 



On the 22nd he writes to his wife — 



" I am just come back from hunting about ever 

 since breakfast and seeing the big- wigs too late for 

 to-day's post, but I will begin this before it be too 

 late to see. 



" I found an invitation for to-nio^ht to dinner 

 awaiting me from General Anson. I have seen 

 Colonel Curzon, and he says that though the general 

 has not yet read the memorandum or report, yet he 

 will do so while I am here, and see me also before I 

 go down again. 



" He will mention to the general my plan of going 

 to Calcutta, and says there can be no doubt but 

 that the general will say ' Go.' 



" I have since seen Colonel Chester [our adjutant- 

 general), the way having been kindly smoothed for 

 me by Mr Sloggett.^ His mind was a blank 



^ Then military chaplain at Dagshai. 



