PROBABILITY OF THE RUSSIANS INVADING INDIA. 
371 
wooden vessels, and the poison will have a 
general effect, for those ants that die, being 
always eaten by the others, the whole estate 
will be effectually cleared of white ants ; this 
mode never failed of destroying white ants, 
during sixteen years in the West Indies ; 
rats will likewise be destroyed by similar 
means, mixing a little arsenic with ripe plan- 
tain or parched corn, ground and tied up in 
plantain leaves will be effectual; rats are ve- 
ry destructive to a field of cane, but when 
the poison is once taken, it is as effectual as 
if the animals were destroyed, for vermin of 
every kind will afterward shun the planta- 
tion. 
Chunam, where white ants are few, will 
help to destroy them, a small quantity of it 
thrown over or under the canes, when plant- 
ing, will preserve them from these insects.” 
{To he continued.) 
Art. II. — Notes on Persia, Tartary, and 
Afghanistan. By Lieut. Col. Mon- 
TEITH, K. L. S. of the Madras 
Engineers. — Madras Journal of Li- 
terature and Science. 
Defence of British India from Rus- 
sian Invasion. 
By Captain C. F. Head, Qt<eew’s Royal 
Regt. 
We promised in our last to notice 
the opinion of Col. Monteith on the much 
agitated question of Russian invasion of 
India, and at the same time we may con- 
sider the opinion of Capt. Head, on the de- 
fence of British India against Russian inva- 
sion, as being subjects at this moment of 
commanding interest. We must confess that 
we have long watched with alarm the appar- 
ent indifference of the British Government in 
India to the insecurity of our position, and 
to the numerous federal native powers that 
are ready to rise against us at the call of 
any invader who may raise his standard and 
invite them to combat. The British policy 
of India has been directed during the time of 
peace more to paltry reductions and to mi- 
serable systems of false economy, tending 
to diffuse a spirit of discontent among the 
very persons whose affections and devo- 
tion to her rule should have been con- 
ciliated and secured. The proper policy 
was to have strengthened her frontier, to 
have increased her internal resources, and 
to have brought these magnificent domi- 
nions by steam navigation nearer to Great 
Britain, to derive her assistance by rapid 
communication when one might most re- 
quire it. But our forces are crippled, our 
arsenals imperfect ; and if a sudden rise was 
proclaimed, we question whether we should 
be ready within six months to shew a 
proper front to repel our assailants. 
But the day has arrived when we must be 
on the defence of our vast territorial weal - 
thy possessions. Russian ambition threa- 
tens, internal disaffection prevails : and 
now is the time for the supreme Govern- 
ment to assume another and more masterly 
policy, and buckle on its armour ; — to con - 
ciliate the affections of the brave men who 
have fought and won the country. In- 
stead of sowing disaffection among its 
civil officers, by the reduction of salaries to 
which, by long established usage, they are 
legally entitled, let good faith and unity of 
heart and good-will pass from the governing 
to the governed, let our frontier show a 
strong line of defence, war materiel be sup- 
plied, steam communication be establish- 
ed, and the Indus and Sutlege navigated. 
Then let all Russia, Caubul, Nipai, and 
Burmah advance if they dare I Col. 
Monteith observes that a great state will 
continue to gain on the savage tribes on its 
frontier, is but the usual course of things, 
and one which, our author is of opinion, 
nothing can long prevent. 
“ On once passing her present limits, she 
must fix her new frontier line either on the 
Sir Derria, or on the Oxus, as on the banks 
of these rivers only can she find lands, or even 
water, for the support of the frontier posts. 
The Oxus presents so many advantages over 
the other, that I cannot suppose there will 
be much hesitation on the subject. This 
river is navigable for boats from the moun- 
tains of Baduckshau to the sea of Aral ; the 
power commanding its banks must exercise a 
great influence over both Persia and Afgha- 
nistan. For trade alone this would be a great 
object, and probably the one now really aimed 
at; and, in the first instance, Khiva will be 
occupied, and probably colonized with Cos- 
sacks or Tartars from Russia. Some ad- 
vantage in point of territory will be, at the 
same time, offered to Persia and Bokhara. 
Under no circumstances can Khiva expect 
aid from the surrounding states ; she has 
too deeply injured every one, to expect any 
thing but enmity from her neighbours, and 
her own powder is totally unequal to any effec- 
tual resistance. With Bokhara a good un- 
derstanding will, if possible, be established. 
