OUR INDIAN GARRISON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2840, 2 March 1885, Page 4

OUR INDIAN GARRISON.

Erorn an article on the above subject in a Home paper we take the following extracts : The strength of the European establishment for the year 1882-3, which is the la»t period for which any official returns haYe been issued, consisted of 11,329 Koyal Artillery, 4311 Cavalry, 45,766 Infantry, and 284 Engineers, chiefly officers. To raise these numbers to the full return of 63,071 there hare to be added 121 of the Invalid and Veteran Establishment, 993officera of the Staff Corps, 213 officers of the general list, and 54 other officers unattached or unemployed. In thb total of 63,071 Englishmen are not included the European officers of the Native Army, who number 1604 In these numbers the medical establishment is included. The nominal strength of the artillery is 86 batteries, includingsiegeandgarri--Bon,butitiscompnted that the efficientfield service is composed of 15 batteries of horse artillery and 43 batteries of field artillery. Tbia gives a total of 348 guns, while the force i 3 further strengthened by seven of the garrison batteries beiDg utilised bb heavy batteries, drawn by elephants or mules. There is consequently a total European artillery force of nearly 400 guns and of more than 11,000 men. The majority of these men enlisted under the old condition of things ; but it i 3 interesting to learn that in the artillery 3915 joined under short service,. and that of these only 13 had extended their period of service in the year 1882. In 1879 there were only 1917 short service men in the artillery. At the present time nearly one half come under that head, and in a few years the majority will belong to that category. The effect of this change will make itself most apparent in the Military Estimates of India" The greater part of the artillery is stationed in Bengal, which includes the Punjab in its military administration. In this presidency there were 6194 men of the corps and about 40 batteries, while 2789 were stationed in Bombay, and 2346 in Madras. The native sappers and miners who serve the place of the engineer corps, number 232 English officers and 3019 privates. In their case the rule of numerical superiority is reversed, and the Madras Army contains 95 officers and 1367 men, while the Bengal Army has only 92 officers and 1160 men. The Bombay Army has of this branch of the Bervice no more than 45 officers and 492 men:- The bulk of the native force belongs to the infantry, la reine da baiaiiles. There are 102,648 native troops, officered by 1068 Englishmen. The Bengal Army, including the Punjab force, numbers more than 44,000 men, of whom 508 are European officers. The Bengal infantry is divided into 49 regiments, and the Punjab force into 12, to which has to bo added the foot of the Guide corps. Theiraverage muster varies between 710 and 750 men perregiment. The Madras infantry numbers 31,000, of whom 320 are officers. It is divided into 41-regiments, with an average number of 750 men per regiment, and nearly eight officers. The Bombay infantry is comparatively weak, numbering not more that 28,080 men and 240 officers. This force 'is divided into 30 regiments, with an average of 730 men and eight officers. The pay of a Sepoy or foot soldier, including cantonment or batta allowauce, is seven rupees per month. In the field, or when marching, he re- ■ ceives extra batta of nearly two »upees more. The total of our garrison in India shows a force of somo 60,000 Englishmen and 127,000 natives, with a formidable array of artillery. Previous to the Indian Mutiny the numbers were 300,000 natives and 40,000 Europeans.