230 History of the Ramoossies, ['^uLr 



ploynient for a brother or relative, either in the public 

 service or in that of an individual, &c). Again, an ofFi- 

 cer possessing the requisite knowledge and confidence 

 of his men, is more capable of performing his duty, how- 

 ever, arduous it may be ; while by his conduct he ensures 

 the fidelity of the sepoys to the British government. 



It is well known, that wdiile there are few men more 

 acutely alive to a sense of severe and harsh usage than 

 the sepoys, at the same time, there are few more sensible 

 of kind and indulgent treatment. Their faith and at- 

 tachment is great, and they show an anxiety to antici- 

 pate the wishes of such officers as are popular with them, 

 and there is no difficult or dangerous service which they 

 would not cheerfully perform under their guidance ; but 

 for the present I must resume my subject; therefore 

 when a Bund is formed, or in other words, a body of in- 

 surgents, composed chiefly of the predatory tribes, and 

 head^ed by some notorious leader, who becomes on the 

 occasion a nucleus for the evil disposed to rally round ; 

 and they appear in open rebellion by setting the local 

 Police of the district at defiance^ either for the sake of 

 realizing money, or for the purpose of forcing Govern- 

 ment to comply with certain claims which they may have 

 thought proper to put forth, and they commence plun- 

 dering in all directions, both policy and humanity de- 

 mand, that immediate and most decided measures should 

 be adopted to seize and disperse them. To effect this, 

 a sufficient number of troops under experienced officers 

 ought to be em. ployed at once, to insure success to their 

 operations. By the rapidity of such arrangements, the 

 discontented at a distance are overawed, and prevented 

 joining the insurgents. Every encouragement should be 

 held out to the inhabitants, to communicate freely to 

 the troops such information as they may be in search of ; 

 at the same time, they ought to be urged to co-operate 

 with the various detachments^ or to act independently 



