45 



war, and public business, were then discussed, and orders issued 

 for the ensuing day; complaints were heard, grievances redressed, 

 and the usual justice of oriental governments administered. 



The native princes of India considered the English tactics as 

 superior to their own; although, from national pride, and bigotry 

 to ancient usages, they seldom allowed us a preeminence in other 

 respects: they were then convinced, by experience, how often a 

 small body of Europeans had decided the fate of kingdoms, where 

 immense armies of Asiatics had long been fruitlesslj f contending 

 for superiority; and trifling as the numbers of our detachment 

 may appear to those unacquainted with the vulnerable irregularity 

 of oriental troops, Ragobah ceded very valuable acquisitions, and 

 stipulated to pay a large sum for such assistance. The different 

 tribes and clans of warriors in the Indian armies have various de- 

 grees of merit, and differ as much in courage and discipline as 

 they do in customs and dress. The common Hindoo and Mah- 

 ratta infantry are inferior to those from the northern parts of India: 

 Mahommedans from the southern provinces enlist in these armies; 

 many of whom are descended from the Arabians; who coming 

 from the countries bordering on the Red Sea and the Persian gulf, 

 settled on the coasts of India, and from thence extended them- 

 selves by conquest and proselytism into the interior regions. The 

 Affghans from Candahar, and the mountains between Persia and 

 Hindostan, are commonly called Pathans; the Tartars from Sa- 

 marcand and the adjacent provinces, Moguls. All these Mahom- 

 medan tribes have intermarried with each other, and the natives of 

 India, and are now blended into a race of similar manners, fea- 

 tures, and complexion, generally styled Mussulmans, or Moors. 



