THE INDIAN BOYS OF THE SALVATION ARMY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11931, 3 January 1901, Page 3

THE INDIAN BOYS OF THE SALVATION ARMY.

A rather unique programme was given in the Salvation Army Fortress on Monday evening by a party of 12 Indian hoys, \yho recently arrived in Dunc'din. The special object of the entertainment was to assist in raising money for the Army to provide homes and shelter ; ior the starving children of India. Tho j ontertainment was given under the super-' vision of Adjutants Sadanand and Dsga • Ralna, both ofpvhom have spent a great deal of their time in India as missionaries. Adju-1 tant Sadanand mentioned' that the boys had : been travelling through "Viotoria- and f New South Wales, and the party had been the means . of collecting j over ' £1500. They were n. part • of ; 600 boys and girls who had been rescued ; during the two famines in India. The Army ; . rescued 640 children altogether, but of this . number 40 afterwards died from thn effects : of the hardships they had endured. The . Army was, however, able to save 600, and in nearly every case the children had lost both parents. Some of them were found in most desperate straits. . In. India these: children were divided into twenties and | fifties and placed under Salvation Army rule., j The 12 boys then gave an illustration of\j an Indian scene, singing the while to an ac-

companiment by the 1 fiddle, cymbals, and a kind of druml An iSibn song followed, in which an idea of several native customs wasgiyen. Pour of the boys engaged in a drill, consisting of beating two sticks over various parts of. the body, which gavo out a rattling sound, singing going on all the while—in fact, this was the case in everything that,wa3 done, Bambop drill by eight of tho boys, a village stick dance, a ; local solo with drum accompaniment, punkah, drill, and cymbal drill were also given.-. 'The counting up to a hundred in Hindoristanee by a party of the youngsters proved a very amusing item, and the adjutant made a 'vdry safe offer when ho said.he would.give a New Tear's present to anyone who would'repeat' the performance, The children, .who -seemed to enjoy the proceedings quite af iriuch as the audience, then gtvve their testimony,', some relatinc;. the story of their: sufferings, in. Ipdia and their rescue by the Army.'. '■ '