INDIANS ON TIGRIS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 8

INDIANS ON TIGRIS.

THE MEETING PLACE OF EAST

AND WEST,

STORIES OF A" WARLIKE RACE OE

'MID^ASIAN HILLMEN.

■)}Aa t*epresenta'tiye of the" British press With the Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia, Mr Edmund * Candler picks up moderh Arabian Nights' stories which niay/ go 'so?., far to relieve f the tragedv of wai*. '''' :> '" : .;■.*.•• •■.--!r..i--

' He has been interested in the Dogras, thdse north country , .Rajputs' whose fathers left Rajputana before the iricuvsionists from ithe' west and north conquered, the cipuntryj and who thus never bowed to the yoke. MAKfc-UP AND WAR-CRY.

""The Dogra is a bit fussy' about his personal . appearance," the . subaltern explained. "He is a blood ih his way, I, v .haye.j seen- . opr i ellowß., giving their turbans the correct twist- when, they are Up to the heck in it during an advance. "If was the devil of .a. position. The Tnrkey-eock lay dogge and held his fire.YVe; didn't, see a sign of. him until he popped 'off'; -at us at .'yards. Their trenches/ , had no parapetSj* and were almost, flufjii" . witjlij , the g'roiihd. . "The pbgras pressed oil; to the , attack .with a sligut--not with tlie '"' '"'•' ""'■•• ..: "Ifam Cliandra-ji-ki-jaiVi'*. of their route marches and manreuvres, but with a v ; . '. . " ''.'.''

"Ha, aha, aha, aha, aha," a sound terrifying inY volume, and probably the i'ihost breath -saving war-cry there is. . „' . .

, i DOGRA'S DO^IESTICITY. [Every D'ogra, is shy' and reserved, and very sensitive about his private affairs. When his name is -entered. iii'' the regimental sheet roll the young recruit, is asked who is his next of kin. "Wife," he will aay, bashfully. "What age?" . He is... not quite- certain, thinks she is about 12. L " '.. „. ."•'. ""..'., : ' 'How high is she V' \, " ■ . "About so high," 'h.e' stretches" his hand 4ft '.from (the ground. V, He is dreadfully, bashful as he "makes this gesture, afraid the, other recruits should hear, just like a, boy in.'Form IV. .asked to describe his sister's complexion or hair. ■•••.'•• THE BOX OF RUM CIIANf).' Tlie subaltern told' .oi, the stripling Mom Chand. He wafe an;..'ammunitioncarrier, always 'carrying a bpx . between front trenches and first- l.ine', transport. He walked slowly and deliberately, as they all do.. When he, came up- again the subaltern told him to hurry up and rget down into the trench. ■•" • .'' j "No sahib," . he said, "Rum -Chand was coming up beside me and he was killed.-, fi must go back -and bring 'in his box.*' ....? „, . . ._ .. i .. ( ... ... „ . _ ' .'He. brought in". the box all right, but was, shot m the jaw. ; , THE HIGHEST > COURAGE.,, .. : When the regiment had been inaction again arid the subaltern had .been slightly, wounded, he. showed me with ] pride what the general had written-. about; his Dogras. , ' • The general spoke of their splendid gallantry in : aiding a British regiment tp„ ; storm and- , occupy .• the ■ enerny's trenches, said : — \. :'v ;' u "They showed the highest qualities of courage and., endurance under circumstances so., adverse as> to : be 'almost [phenomenal."', •■' 7