APPENDIX A. 375 



forestalled their pay by advances begged from the chest), 

 and the long outstanding difficulties connected with the 

 pay of the regiment had been overcome. 



64. It was almost immediately after this that a court 

 was assembled to inquire into Lieutenant Hodson's con- 

 duct in the matter of Feroze Khan's horse, and he never 

 rejoined his appointment; but he left the regiment paid 

 up to date, and all the long-pending accounts of the men 

 squared, and though complaints were, as I have before 

 shown, invited, no valid ones were made on the score of 

 current pay or excess deductions. 



65. With regard, then, to the outstanding claims against 

 the chest which Lieutenant Hodson had failed to examine 

 and clear ofiF, it is I think, a fair presumption that as he 

 had with careful endeavour surmounted his chief difficulty, 

 he would eventually have adjusted all minor matters as 

 well ; and further, that as there were, as you will see by 

 the balance-sheet, as many and as large sums due to the 

 chest as claimable from it when Lieutenant Hodson's con- 

 duct became the subject of inquiry, placing the credits and 

 debits of this nature in juxtaposition considerably softens 

 the unfavourable aspect of the eighth point under notice. 



66. I enclose the following papers, which will, I hope, 

 fully explain the nature of the account and the mode of 

 its final adjustment : — 



(1) General summary of receipts and disbursements 



from the 10th of March 1853 to 31st December 

 1854. 



(2) General balanced ledger of the above period. 



(3) Statement of balance. 



(4) Detail of ditto as far as known. 



67. Such is the account. I may briefly sum up my 

 opinion by saying that I believe it to be an honest and 

 correct record from beginning to end. It has been irregu- 

 larly kept, but every transaction, from the least to the 

 greatest, has been noted in it, and is traceable to the in- 

 dividuals concerned ; for it must be remembered that while 

 we have been sitting in committee on the accounts at 



