CAUSE OF DEATHS AMONG THE 
is, we conceive, exclusively owing to this 
poverty of diet and his other privations, to 
which we have alluded, that such numerous 
deaths among this class of our soldiery are to be 
ascribed. Again .Captain Henderson states 
that'the sepoys are “ healthily employed, well 
clothed, and attended.” In the upper-pro- 
vinces we admit this to be the case generally, 
but not the native corps in Bengal, which are 
scarcely more than skeletons of regiments. 
Theduty oftroops, especially from Barrackpore, 
is so incessant, as to render it the reverse of 
healthy employment. We understand that 
when European guards are relieved, the na- 
tives, owing to a paucity of them, haye been 
obliged to stand still. We ascribe the fewness 
of the deaths and healthiness of our native 
army to a highly efficient medical department ; 
and it corroborates the opinion w'e have so re- 
peatedly endeavoured to enfoi’ce upon the 
mind of the Government that the best policy 
and system of economy will be to secure well 
educated men to fill the medical list, not by 
reducing the allowances of incumbents, and 
thus impoverishing them, but by improving 
their condition. The following quotation from 
our author shews a large pension list, and 
but a few transfers to it, except as the last 
alternative. 
“ It would seem by other documents that 
out of about eighteen thousand invalid fight- 
ing men, of the Bengal Army pensioned by 
the State, six hundred and eighty deceased 
during the year 1831-32, or one out of 26| ; 
while the average duration of the pension 
enjoyed by this class of men, fora period 
embracing from May 1828 to October 1830, 
was 7 years 8§ months, and from May I8.il 
to the same month in 1832, the duration of 
pension was only about 5 years 4^ months.’ 
We perfectly agree with our author, that 
the possession of an accurate census of the 
large populous cities, with regularly published 
annual statements of the births, marriages, 
and deaths, is still a desideratum : but at pre- 
sent we see no means of supplying it with that 
accuracy which such statistical tables require 
to render them at all available for calculations 
of the nature found in our author’s paper. 
The pilgrimages, the wandering character of 
the people, and their peculiar customs, so dia- 
metrically opposite to those of other nations, 
NATIVE SOLDIERY IN BENGAL. 255 
are the difficulties which present themselves 
to the compilers of such records. 
We now proceed to examine the rate of 
mortality among Europeans sojourning in 
India, as presented in the tables before us. 
Captain Henderson considers the population 
of this class to be fluctuating. There was 
some uncertainty with reference to the other 
presidencies as to the real ratio of decrimeat in 
their immediate communities ; yet, on ac- 
count of the regular constitution of the 
covenanted services under each Government, 
in Capt. Henderson’s opinion, there are 
gx-eater facilities for obtaining scrupulous 
accuracy as regards dates of arrivals, deaths, 
and age in India. Captain Henderson’s 
report commences with an enquiry into the 
mortality among the common soldiery. The 
infoi’mation is furnished by the late Dr. 
Barke, Inspector General. In addition to 
information on other points, this report 
embi'aces the casualties of the last four years 
for the whole of his Majesty’sArmy in Bengal* 
“ But he exhibits a curious distinction in the 
rate of danger at the different stations; viz. 
Deaths to strength. Fort William, 7.59 
per cent. Berhampore, 6.77; Chinsurah, 6.10 
do. Cawnpore, 4.55 ; Boglepore, 3.95 do. Dina- 
pore, 3.84 do. Ghazipoi-e, 3.80 do. Kurnaul, 
3.00 do. Meerut, 1.99 do. Agra, 1.91 do. 
With respect to the ages of the deceased, 
the Inspector General has now given more 
ample information. During the four years 
1826, 27, 28, 29, the ratio of death was — 
From the age of 18 to 20, 16.12; 20 to 25, 
9.35; 25 to 30, 10.13; 30 to 35, 6.92 ; 35 to 45, 
9.54. 
In the above term were included the ex- 
traordinary casualties of the war in Ava and 
the siege of Bhurtpore. But in the four suc- 
ceeding years of peace and non-exposure of 
the troops; viz. 1830, 31 , 32, 33, the ratio 
growls more i*egular, and assumes the generally 
steady progressive increase of danger with 
increasing yeai’S, the same as in all the other 
Tables in possession of the Committee of 
officers and others ; viz. 
From 18 to 20 years, . . . 
, . . . 0.58 
20 to 22 ,, ... 
. . . 2.24 
22 to 24 ,, ... 
25 to 30 ,, 
... 5.86 
30 to 35 ,, 
... 5.22 
35 to 45 ,, 
6.78 
It should be remarked that from 18 to 20, 
dui’ing these four years, the class above 
represented, consists of recruits enlisted in 
India, the sons of soldiers of the regiments.” 
We shall conclude our notice of this arti- 
cle here, and resume it in our next. 
