LAW OF MORTALITY, FOR BRITISH INDIA, 



207 



In a word, it was thought desirable to shew the Government, not only that 

 Mr. Curnin's Tables were perfectly safe, but that a lower rate of premium 

 than that fixed by him might eventually be adopted with confidence — and 

 although the Committee were not prepared, from obvious considerations of 

 caution, to recommend the lower scale in the first instance, still it would be 

 satisfactory for the Government to see upon what sure grounds the State 

 was solicited to proffer its guarantee. 



Under these impressions the Adjutants General of the three presiden- 

 cies were called upon, with the sanction of Government, to furnish correct 

 Returns, with the names and ages of all Officers who had deceased year by 

 year at the different presidencies since the year 1814 — together with the 

 strength of the respective Armies for the twenty years exhibited. The 

 information so obtained, it is not deemed requisite to publish here — parti- 

 cularly as the statements were found insufficient without further details ; 

 but these last were effectually procured by a form,* which the Adjutant 

 Generals' Offices were requested to have filled up — and which it may 

 be useful to print with the other Tables, as they will enable any one who 

 enters into these enquiries to prepare Tables from the data thus given 

 after his own mode of calculating ; and, as there are various formula for 

 obtaining the expectation of fife, to follow that most approved of by him- 

 self. From the new form of statements, and on the assumption that 

 every Cadet's age averages eighteen on his first arrival in India,! it was easy 

 to ascertain how many persons of any given age had passed through,- — (and 

 what was the number of decrements in,) any given year of exposure to the 



* Vide Tables Nos. 19, 20 and 21. 



t Mr. CuRNiN has established from the result of a reference to one thousand two hundred 

 and six Baptismal Certificates obtained by him, that eighteen years, less a few days, was the 

 mean oge of that number of Officers on their reaching India. No general calculation there- 

 fore can materially err in assuming the age in question. 



