53 



Of the Mahratta cavalry, those soldiers who have neither fe- 

 male companions nor servants to attend them, on finishing the 

 march immediately champoe their own horses, by rubbing the 

 limbs, and bending the joints; which not only refreshes the ani- 

 mals, but enables them to bear fatigue with a smaller quantity of 

 food than would be otherwise necessary. It is generally difficult 

 to provide provender for horses on these campaigns: hay is not 

 common in India; the villagers fodder their horned-cattle, and the 

 few horses ihey possess, with straw and a little grain. In the fair 

 season, when there is no pasture, the horsemen and their attendant 

 grass-cutters sally out of the camp to dig up the roots of grass, 

 which are washed and given to their horses as more nutritive than 

 the stems of dried reedy grass and other vegetables, which from 

 their rapid growth in the rainy season, have even then very little 

 nutritious juice: but, whatever may constitute the other food of 

 the horses, they must have a daily quantity of grain, or some com- 

 position of heartening aliment, whether on war service, or kept for 

 recreation at home. 



Besides the married women, a number of dancing girls and 

 tolerated courtezans attend the camp; some of the former officiate 

 as choristers in the sacred tents dedicated to the Hindoo gods; 

 many belong to the officers, and others form a common cyprian 

 corps. Children of both sexes accompany the army in the severest 

 marches; they know no home but the camp, and from habit pre- 

 fer this wandering life. 



Swarms of beyds, looties, and pindarees, all different classes of 

 plunderers, follow the armies, and are far more destructive than 

 the soldiers in the countries through which they pass. These 



