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E. Vansittart— Tribes, Clans, and Castes of Nepal. [No. 4 
mountain side, while his acquaintance with forest lore makes him as a 
pioneer in a jungle almost unrivalled, whilst his national weapon, the 
kukri, has in Burma and other places proved itself invaluable. 
The bravery displayed by the Gurkhas in their contests with the 
British has already been alluded lo, and their own traditions afford ample 
proof of the dogged tenacity with which they can encounter danger and 
hardship. 
The return of the Nepal army from Diggarcheh in the year 1790, 
amongst other instances, affords a distinguished proof of their daring 
and hardihood. The following extracts from Captain T. Smith’s book 
are very characteristic :— 
“At Bliartpur it was an interesting and amusing siglit to witness the extreme 
good-fellowship and kindly feeling with which the Europeans and the Gurkhas 
mutually regarded each other. A six-foot-two grenadier of the 59tli would offer a 
cheroot to the “ little Gurkhee,” as he styled him; the latter would take it from 
him with a grin, and when his tall and patronising comrade stooped down with a 
lighted cigar in his mouth, the little mountaineer never hesitated a moment in puffing 
away at it with the one just received, and they were consequently patted on the 
back and called “ prime chaps.” 
At the assault of Bhartpur, the Goorkhas were ordered to follow in after the 
59th. 
These directions were obeyed, with the exception of going in with them 
instead of after them ; for when the British grenadiers with a deafening “ hurrah ” 
made their maddening rush at the breach, at that glorious and soul-stirring moment 
it was impossible to restrain them, and they dashed into the thick of it. 
In the morning after the storming of Bhartpur, when being praised for their 
gallantry by their British comrades, they returned the flattering partiality of the 
latter by the following characteristic remark : “ The English are brave as lions ; 
they are splendid sepoys, and very nearly equal to us ! ” 
The following story is given as illustrative of their coolness and 
amenability to discipline :— 
“ A tiger had been seen within a few miles of Dehra, and Colonel Young (then 
Captain and the gallant commanding officer of the Simoor battalion), accompanied by 
Colonel Childers, of Her Majesty’s 11th Dragoons, mounted an elephant and hastened 
to the spot. They, however, were unsuccessful in rousing him, and after a long and 
tedious search were returning home. 
A Gurkha sepoy was following the elephant with his gun on his shoulder, when 
he suddenly dropped on one knee and presented his rifle as if in the act to fire. Hav¬ 
ing, however, roused the attention of the sportsmen, he did not pull the trigger but 
kept his gun fixed in the same position. He had suddenly caught sight of the fiery 
eyes of the tiger who was crouching among the underwood, within three paces of 
his gun in this situation they steadily regarded each other. The elephant was im¬ 
mediately pushed up close to the kneeling Gurkha, but neither of the sportsmen 
could succeed in catching a glunpse of the animal. In order, if possible, to observe 
the direction more accurately, Captain Young called out ‘Recoverarms.’ The sepoy 
came to the ‘ Recover’ as calmly and collectedly as if on his own parade. ‘ Present.’ 
Down went the gun again; this was repeated, but still the tiger was invisible. 
