LOYAL INDIA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11115, 3 December 1914, Page 3

LOYAL INDIA.

THE GHUREA’S OATH

The following is an extract from a letter received by Mr W. N. Beaumont, of Giosvenor Street, Sydney, from a naval officer in India: — “India has quite surprised me. God help the poor Germans when some of them get among them. “While in Calcutta I saw one of the most terrible yet solemn affairs one could wish to witness. It was the departure of Ghurka regiments from here to the front. The men paraded before the 0.0. of the province, their arms were all piled in a heap. Their priests then led In about a dozen cattle. These were slaughtered, and the blood ran into troughs, as each man’s number was called he advanced and dipped his side arm (a queer-looking knife) into the blood. This went on until all the men had done the same. Well, to put it in a nutshell, they all took oaths never to return till the British army was victorious, and to a man to stand by their holy traditions and regimental standards. “After them came squadrons of Bengal Lancers, supposed to bo equal to our own cavalry regiments. One read business in every man’s face. Britain could have raised an army itself out of India. The How in of cars and thousands ofmorses given by the native princes to the Government made one feel proud to be a Briton.

“Germany, through the Crown Prince, who not very long ago was a guest of the Indian Government, never dreamt India would so strongly support Britain. But one has to be present and witness things to realise the feeling here,’’