Project Gutenberg's Forty-one years in India, by Frederick Sleigh Roberts This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Forty-one years in India From Subaltern To Commander-In-Chief Author: Frederick Sleigh Roberts Release Date: August 14, 2005 [EBook #16528] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA *** Produced by Michael Ciesielski, Lesley Halamek and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note: The Footnotes are linked to the text. Click the Footnote 'No.' to read the Footnote. Click the 'Footnote No.:' to return to the appropriate place in the text. PUBLISHED JANUARY 4, 1897. First Edition (before publication), two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 2, 1897. Second Edition (before publication), two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 2, 1897. United States Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 12 dollars January 4, 1897. Indian Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 32 rupees January 4, 1897. Third Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 4, 1897. Fourth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 4, 1897. Fifth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 14, 1897. Sixth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 16, 1897. Seventh Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s January 21, 1897. Eighth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. January 27, 1897. Ninth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. February 3, 1897. Tenth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. February 8, 1897. Eleventh Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. February 12, 1897. Twelfth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. February 17, 1897. Thirteenth Edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. February 23, 1897. 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A Braille type edition for the blind (Nearly ready.) Twenty-eighth edition, two volumes, demy octavo, 36s. May 11, 1898. Twenty-ninth Edition, one volume, small demy octavo (Now ready.) Frontispiece FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS V.C. From a Photograph by Messrs. Bourne and Shepherd. FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA FROM Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief [plate 1] BY FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR V.C., K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E. FIRST EDITION IN ONE VOLUME WITH FORTY ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen 1898 All rights reserved A NEW EDITION, BEING THE TWENTY-NINTH TO THE COUNTRY TO WHICH I AM SO PROUD OF BELONGING, TO THE ARMY TO WHICH I AM SO DEEPLY INDEBTED, AND TO MY WIFE, WITHOUT WHOSE LOVING HELP MY 'FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA' COULD NOT BE THE HAPPY RETROSPECT IT IS, I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. I would never have ventured to intrude upon the public with my personal reminiscences had I not been [page vii] urged to do so by friends who, being interested themselves in what I was able to tell them of India as my father knew it, and as I found it and left it, persuaded me that my experiences of the many and various aspects under which I have known the wonderful land of my adoption and its interesting peoples would be useful to my countrymen. It was thought that I might thus contribute towards a more intimate knowledge of the glorious heritage our forefathers have bequeathed to us, than the greater number of them possess, and towards helping them to understand the characteristics and requirements of the numerous and widely different races by whom India is inhabited. It is difficult for people who know nothing of Natives to understand and appreciate the value they set on cherished customs, peculiar idiosyncrasies, and fixed prejudices, all of which must be carefully studied by those who are placed in the position of their Rulers, if the suzerain Power is to keep their respect and gain their gratitude and affection. The Natives of India are particularly observant of character, and intelligent in gauging the capabilities of those who govern them; and it is because the English Government is trusted that a mere handful of Englishmen are able to direct the administration of a country with nearly three hundred millions of inhabitants, differing in race, religion, and manners of life. Throughout all the changes which India has undergone, political and social, during the present century, this feeling has been maintained, and it will last so long as the services are filled by honourable men who sympathize with the Natives, respect their prejudices, and do not interfere unnecessarily with their habits and customs. My father and I spent between us nearly ninety years in India. The most wonderful of the many changes that took place during that time may be said to date from the Mutiny. I have endeavoured in the following pages to explain the causes which, I believe, brought about that terrible event—an event which for a while produced a much-to-be-regretted feeling of racial antagonism. Happily, this feeling did not last long; even when things looked blackest for us, it was softened by acts of kindness shown to Europeans in distress, and by the knowledge that, but for the assistance afforded by the Natives themselves, the restoration of order, and the suppression of a fierce military insurrection, would have been a far more arduous task. Delhi could not have been taken without Sikhs and Gurkhas; Lucknow could not have been defended without the Hindustani soldiers who so nobly responded to Sir Henry Lawrence's call; and nothing that Sir John Lawrence might have done could have prevented our losing, for a time, the whole of the country north of Calcutta, had not the men of the Punjab and the Derajat* remained true to our cause. [Note *: Tracts beyond the Indus.] It has been suggested that all outward signs of the Mutiny should be obliterated, that the monument on the Ridge at Delhi should be levelled, and the picturesque Residency at Lucknow allowed to fall into decay. This view does not commend itself to me. These relics of that tremendous struggle are memorials of heroic services performed by Her Majesty's soldiers, Native as well as British; and by the civilians who shared the duties and dangers of the army. They are valuable as reminders that we must never again allow ourselves to be lulled into fancied security; and above all, they stand as warnings that we should never do anything that can possibly be interpreted by the Natives into disregard for their various forms of religion. The Mutiny was not an unmitigated evil, for to it we owe the consolidation of our power in India, as it hastened on the construction of the roads, railways, and telegraphs, so wisely and thoughtfully planned by the Marquis of Dalhousie, and which have done more than anything to increase the prosperity of the people and preserve order throughout the country. It was the Mutiny which brought Lord Canning into closer communication with the Princes of India, and paved the way for Lord Lytton's brilliant conception of the Imperial Assemblage—a great political success which laid the foundation of that feeling of confidence which now, happily, exists between the Ruling Chiefs and the Queen-Empress. And it was the Mutiny which compelled us to reorganize our Indian Army and make it the admirable fighting machine it now is. In the account I have given of our relations with Afghanistan and the border tribes, I have endeavoured to bring before my readers the change of our position in India that has been the inevitable consequence of the propinquity upon our North-West Frontier of a first-class European Power. The change has come about so gradually, and has been so repeatedly pronounced to be chimerical by authorities in whom the people of Great Britain had every reason to feel confidence, that until recently it had attracted little public attention, and even now a great majority of my countrymen may scarcely have realized the probability of England and Russia ever being near enough to each other in Asia to come into actual conflict. I impute no blame to the Russians for their advance towards India. The force of circumstances—the inevitable result of the contact of civilization with barbarism—impelled them to cross the Jaxartes and extend their territories to the Khanates of Turkestan and the banks of the Oxus, just as the same uncontrollable force carried us across the Sutlej and extended our territories to the valley of the Indus. The object I have at heart is to make my fellow-subjects recognize that, under these altered conditions, Great Britain now occupies in Asia the position of a Continental Power, and that her interests in that part of the globe must be protected by Continental means of defence. [page viii] [page ix] [page x] The few who have carefully and steadily watched the course of events, entertained no doubt from the first as to the soundness of these views; and their aim has always been, as mine is now, not to sound an alarm, but to give a warning, and to show the danger of shutting our eyes to plain facts and their probable consequences. Whatever may be the future course of events, I have no fear of the result if we are only true to ourselves and to India. Thinking Natives thoroughly understand the situation; they believe that the time must come when the territories of Great Britain and Russia in their part of Asia will be separated only by a common boundary line, and they would consider that we were wanting in the most essential attributes of Rulers if we did not take all possible precautions, and make every possible preparation to meet such an eventuality. I send out this book in the earnest hope that the friendly anticipations of those who advised me to write it may not be seriously disappointed; and that those who care to read a plain, unvarnished tale of Indian life and adventure, will bear in mind that the writer is a soldier, not a man of letters, and will therefore forgive all faults of style or language. ROBERTS. 30th September, 1896. KASHMIR GATE AT DELHI. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Voyage to India—Life in Calcutta—A destructive cyclone—Home-sickness PAGE 1 CHAPTER II Bengal Horse Artillery—Incidents of the journey—New Friends 6 CHAPTER III With my father at Peshawar—Peshawar in 1852—Excitements of a frontier station—A flogging parade—Mackeson's assassination—The Jowaki expedition—A strange dream—A typical frontier fight 9 CHAPTER IV A trip to Khagan—The Vale of Kashmir—With the Horse Artillery—My first visit to Simla—Life at Peshawar—A staff appointment—The bump of locality 19 [page xi] [plate 2] CHAPTER V Lord Dalhousie's Afghan policy—Treaty with Dost Mahomed—War with Persia—The advantage of the Amir's friendship—John Nicholson—'A pillar of strength on the frontier' 27 CHAPTER VI First tidings of the mutiny—Prompt action at Peshawar—A bold policy— The Movable Column—An annoying occurrence—I leave Peshawar 34 CHAPTER VII First symptoms of disaffection—Outbreak at Berhampur—Mangal Pandy— Court-Martial at Meerut—Mutiny at Meerut—The work of destruction— Want of energy—Hugh Gough's experiences—Nothing could arrest the mutiny 40 CHAPTER VIII General Anson—The news reaches Simla—Anson loses no time—A long list of troubles—John Lawrence —The Phulkian family—Death of General Anson 50 CHAPTER IX John Lawrence's wise measures—Disarmament at Peshawar—Salutary effect in the valley 58 CHAPTER X Neville Chamberlain's presence of mind—The command of the Column— Robert Montgomery—Disarmament at Mian Mir—A Drum-Head Court- Martial—Swift retribution 62 CHAPTER XI Ferozepore—Crawford Chamberlain at Multan—Chamberlain's masterly conduct—Nicholson succeeds Neville Chamberlain—Irresolution at Jullundur—General Mehtab Sing—Nicholson's soldierly instincts—More disarmaments 69 CHAPTER XII George Ricketts at Ludhiana—Pushing on to Delhi—In the camp before Delhi 78 CHAPTER XIII The first victory—Enthusiasm amongst the troops—Barnard's success at Badli-ki-Serai—The Flagstaff Tower—Position on the Ridge—Quintin Battye—The gallant little Gurkhas—Proposed assault—The besiegers besieged—Hard fighting—The centenary of Plassy 82 CHAPTER XIV A new appointment 96 CHAPTER XV Reinforcements begin to arrive—An assault again proposed—The attack on Alipur—Death of General Barnard—General Reed assumes command— Two V.C.'s—Treachery in camp—Fighting close up to the city walls— Sufferings of the sick and wounded—General Reed's health fails 97 [page xii] CHAPTER XVI Archdale Wilson assumes command—Enemy baffled in the Sabzi Mandi— Efforts to exterminate the Feringhis—A letter from General Havelock— News of Henry Lawrence's death—Arrival of the Movable Column—The 61st Foot at Najafgarh 108 CHAPTER XVII Wilson's difficulties—Nicholson's resolve—Arrangements for the assault —Construction of breaching batteries—Nicholson expresses his satisfaction—Orders for the assault issued—Composition of the attacking columns 116 CHAPTER XVIII Delhi stormed—The scene at the Kashmir Gate—Bold front by Artillery and Cavalry—Nicholson wounded—The last I saw of Nicholson—Wilson wavers —Holding on to the walls of Delhi 125 CHAPTER XIX Capture of the Burn bastion—The 60th Rifles storm the palace—Hodson captures the King of Delhi—Nicholson's death—Gallantry of the troops— Praise from Lord Canning 133 CHAPTER XX Necessity for further action—Departure from Delhi—Action at Bulandshahr—Lieutenant Home's death—Knights-errant—Fight at Aligarh—Appeals from Agra—Collapse of the administration—Taken by surprise—The fight at Agra—An exciting chase—The Taj Mahal 140 CHAPTER XXI Infatuation of the authorities at Agra—A series of Mishaps—Result of indecision and incapacity 154 CHAPTER XXII Advantage of being a good horseman—News from Lucknow—Cawnpore— Heart-rending scenes—Start for Lucknow—An exciting Adventure— Arrival of Sir Colin Campbell—Plans for the advance 158 CHAPTER XXIII Sir Colin's preparations—The Alambagh—The Dilkusha and Martinière— Mayne's death—A tall-talk story—Ammunition required—A night march— The advance on Lucknow—Sir Colin wounded—The attack on the Sikandarbagh—Heroic deeds—The 4th Punjab Infantry 169 CHAPTER XXIV Henry Norman—The Shah Najaf—The mess-house—Planting the flag—A memorable meeting—The Residency 183 CHAPTER XXV Sir Colin's wise decision—Robert Napier—Impressions on visiting the Residency—Henry Lawrence—Lawrence as Statesman and Ruler— Lawrence's friendliness for Natives—A hazardous duty 190 CHAPTER XXVI Death of General Havelock—Appeals from Cawnpore—General Windham— The passage of the Ganges 198 [page xiii] [page xiv] CHAPTER XXVII The fight at Cawnpore—Unexpected visitors—A long chase—Unjur Tiwari —Bithur—Windham at Cawnpore 204 CHAPTER XXVIII The Fight at Khudaganj—A mêlée—Oudh or Rohilkand? 212 CHAPTER XXIX Mianganj—Curious effect of a mirage—The Dilkusha revisited—Passage of the Gumti—Capture of the Chakar Kothi—Capture of the iron bridge— Hodson mortally wounded—Outram's soldierly instinct—A lost opportunity —Sam Browne—Start for England—Death of Sir William Peel 216 CHAPTER XXX What brought about the Mutiny?—Religious fears of the people—The land question—The annexation of Oudh—Fulfilment of Malcolm's prophecy— The Delhi royal family—The Nana Sahib—The Native army—Greased cartridges—Limited number of British troops—Objection to foreign service —Excessive age of the British officers 231 CHAPTER XXXI Discontent of the Natives—Successful administrators—Paternal despotism —Money-lenders and the Press—Faddists—Cardinal points 245 CHAPTER XXXII Home again—Back in India—Allahabad and Cawnpore—The Viceroy's camp—State entry into Lucknow—The Talukdars of Oudh—Loyalty of the Talukdars—Cawnpore and Fatehgarh—The Agra Durbar 251 CHAPTER XXXIII Delhi under a different aspect—Lord Clyde—Umritsar and Lahore—The Lahore Durbar—Simla—Life at Simla 262 CHAPTER XXXIV The Staff Corps—With the Viceroy's camp again—The marble rocks— Lady Canning's death—Pig-sticking at Jamu—Lord Canning—Another cold-weather march—Gwalior and Jhansi—Departmental promotion 269 CHAPTER XXXV The Umbeyla expedition—The Akhund of Swat—The 'Eagle's Nest' and 'Crag piquet'—The death of Lord Elgin—Loyalty of our Pathan soldiers— Bunerwals show signs of submission—The conical hill—Umbeyla in flames —Bunerwals agree to our terms—Malka destroyed 280 CHAPTER XXXVI A voyage round the Cape—Cholera camps—The Abyssinian expedition— Landed at Zula 293 CHAPTER XXXVII Sir Robert Napier to command—Defective transport—King Theodore commits suicide—First A.Q.M.G. 298 CHAPTER XXXVIII Afzal Khan ousts Sher Ali—Sher Ali regains the Amirship—Foresight of Sir Henry Rawlinson—The Umballa Durbar 303 [page xv] CHAPTER XXXIX The Lushais—The Lushai expedition—Defective transport again—Practice versus theory—A severe march—Lushais foiled by Gurkhas—A successful turning movement—Murder of Lord Mayo 308 CHAPTER XL Lord Napier's care for the soldier—Negotiations with Sher Ali renewed— Sher Ali's demands 319 CHAPTER XLI A trip in the Himalayas—The famine in Behar—The Prince of Wales in India—Farewell to Lord Napier 323 CHAPTER XLII Lord Lytton becomes Viceroy—Difficulties with Sher Ali—Imperial assemblage at Delhi—Reception of the Ruling Chiefs—Queen proclaimed Empress of India—Political importance of the assemblage—Sher Ali proclaims a 'Jahad'—A journey under difficulties 328 CHAPTER XLIII Object of the first Afghan war—Excitement caused by Russia's advances 338 CHAPTER XLIV Effect of the Berlin Treaty at Kabul—Sher Ali decides against England—A meeting of portentous moment—Preparations for war—Letter from Sher Ali 341 CHAPTER XLV Shortcomings of my column—Attitude of the Border tribes 348 CHAPTER XLVI The Kuram valley—Conflicting news of the enemy—An apparently impregnable position—Spingawi route decided on—Disposition of the force —A night attack—Advantages of a night attack—Devotion of my orderlies —Threatening the enemy's rear—The Peiwar Kotal 351 CHAPTER XLVII Alikhel—Treachery of the tribesmen—Transport difficulties—Sher Ali looks to Russia for aid—Khost—An attack on our camp—An unsuccessful experiment—An unpleasant incident—Punjab Chiefs' Contingent 364 CHAPTER XLVIII Sher Ali's death—Premature negotiations—The treaty of Gandamak— Making friends with the tribesmen—Gloomy forebodings—Good-bye to Cavagnari 375 CHAPTER XLIX Massacre of the Embassy—The Kabul Field Force—Lord Lytton's foresightedness—Start for Kabul—Letter to the Amir—Proclamation to the people of Kabul—Yakub Khan's agents—Reasons for remaining at Alikhel 382 CHAPTER L Hector Macdonald and Sher Mahomed—Yakub Khan—A Proclamation and an Order—The maliks of Logar—Attack on the Shutargardan— Reconnoitring roads leading to Kabul 394 [page xvi] CHAPTER LI The Afghan position—The fight at Charasia—Highlanders, Gurkhas, and Punjabis—Defeat of the Afghans—Kabul in sight—Deh-i-Mazang gorge— The enemy give us the slip 402 CHAPTER LII Guiding instructions—Visit to the Bala Hissar—Yakub Khan abdicates— The Proclamation—Administrative measures—Explosions in the Bala Hissar 410 CHAPTER LIII Afghans afraid to befriend us—Kabul Russianized—Yakub Khan's abdication accepted—State treasury taken over 418 CHAPTER LIV The amnesty Proclamation—Strength of the Kabul Field Force—Yakub Khan despatched to India 424 CHAPTER LV Political situation at Kabul—Serious trouble ahead—Macpherson attacks the Kohistanis—Combined movements—The uncertainty of war—The fight in the Chardeh valley—Forced to retire—Padre Adams earns the V.C.— Macpherson's column arrives—The captured guns recovered—Melancholy reflections 428 CHAPTER LVI Attack on the Takht-i-Shah—City people join the tribesmen—Increasing numbers of the enemy—Loss of the conical hill—Captain Vousden's gallantry—The retirement to Sherpur 441 CHAPTER LVII Sherpur—Defence of Sherpur—Arrest of Daud Shah—Rumours of an assault—Attack and counter-attack—Communication with India re-opened —Sherpur made safe 448 CHAPTER LVIII Two important questions—A Ruler required—News of Abdur Rahman Khan —Abdur Rahman in Afghan-Turkestan—Overtures made to Abdur Rahman 456 CHAPTER LIX Jenkins attacked near Charasia—Sir Donald Stewart reaches Kabul— Difficulties with Abdur Rahman—Abdur Rahman proclaimed Amir 462 CHAPTER LX Affairs at Kandahar—The Maiwand disaster—Relief from Kabul suggested —A force ordered from Kabul—Preparations for the march—The Kabul- Kandahar Field Force—Commissariat and Transport 468 CHAPTER LXI The order of marching—Ghazni and Kelat-i-Ghilzai—Food required daily for the force—A letter from General Phayre—Kandahar—Reconnoitring the enemy's position—A turning movement 478 CHAPTER LXII Commencement of the fight—72nd Highlanders and 2nd Sikhs—92nd Highlanders and 2nd Gurkhas—Ayub Khan's camp—Difficulties about supplies—Parting with the troops—A pleasing memory 487 [page xvii] [page xviii] CHAPTER LXIII Reception in England—A fruitless journey—Andaman Isles and Burma— The Madras Army—Measures for improving the Madras Army—Memories of Madras—An allegory 495 CHAPTER LXIV Disturbing action of Russia—Abdur Rahman Khan —The Rawal Pindi Durbar —Unmistakable loyalty of the Natives 503 CHAPTER LXV The Burma expedition—The Camp of Exercise at Delhi—Defence of the North-West Frontier—Quetta and Peshawar—Communications versus fortifications—Sir George Chesney 507 CHAPTER LXVI Nursing for the soldier—Pacification of Burma considered—Measures recommended—The Buddhist priesthood—The Regimental Institute—The Army Temperance Association 514 CHAPTER LXVII Defence and Mobilization Committees—The Transport Department— Utilization of Native States' armies—Marquis of Lansdowne becomes Viceroy—Rajputana and Kashmir—Musketry instruction—Artillery and Cavalry training 521 CHAPTER LXVIII Extension of command—Efficiency of the Native Army—Concessions to the Native Army—Officering of the Native Army—The Hunza-Naga campaign —Visit to Nepal—A Nepalese entertainment—Proposed mission to the Amir—A last tour—Farewell entertainments—Last days in India 529 APPENDIX 544 INDEX 581 PIEWAR KOTAL. [page xix] [plate 3] LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS I. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS (From a Photograph by Bourne and Shepherd, Simla, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) PAGE Frontispiece II. THE KASHMIR GATE AT DELHI Over List of Contents III. THE PEIWAR KOTAL Over List of Illustrations IV. PORTRAIT OF GENERAL SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS, G.C.B. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 10 V. PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN NICHOLSON, C.B. (From a Painting by J.R. Dicksee in possession of the Rev. Canon Seymour, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 32 VI. PORTRAIT OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HARRY TOMBS, V.C., G.C.B. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Grillet and Co., engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 84 VII. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR JAMES HILLS- JOHNES, V.C., G.C.B. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Bourne and Shepherd, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 96 VIII. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART, BART., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., C.I.E. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Elliott and Fry, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 98 IX. PLAN OF THE ENGAGEMENT AT NAJAFGARH. (From a Plan made by Lieutenant Geneste, by permission of Messrs. Wm. Blackwood and Sons) To face page 116 X. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE SIEGE AND ATTACK OF DELHI, IN 1857 To face page 140 XI. PORTRAITS OF GENERAL SIR COLIN CAMPBELL (LORD CLYDE) AND MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM MANSFIELD (LORD SANDHURST). (From a Photograph taken in India, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 166 XII. PORTRAIT OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JAMES OUTRAM, G.C.B. (From a Painting by Thomas Brigstocke, R.A., engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 188 [page xx] XIII. PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, K.C.B. (From a Photograph taken at Lucknow, engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 194 XIV. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW, IN 1857 To face page 198 XV. PLAN OF CAWNPORE To face page 208 XVI. PLAN OF THE ENGAGEMENT AT KHUDAGANJ To face page 214 XVII. PORTRAIT OF GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BROWNE, V.C., G.C.B., K.C.S.I. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Elliott and Fry, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 228 XVIII. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF LUCKNOW, IN 1858 To face page 230 XIX. PORTRAIT OF LADY ROBERTS (WIFE OF SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS). (From a Sketch by Carpenter, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 252 XX. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY EARL CANNING, K.G., G.C.B., G.M.S.I., VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Mayall, engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 278 XXI. THE STORMING OF THE CONICAL HILL AT UMBEYLA BY THE 101ST FOOT (BENGAL FUSILIERS). (From a Sketch by General Sir John Adye, G.C.B., R.A., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 288 XXII. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA, G.C.B., G.C.S.I. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Maull and Fox, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 328 XXIII. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF LYTTON, G.C.B., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Maull and Fox, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 334 XXIV. THE ATTACK ON THE PEIWAR KOTAL. (From a Painting by Vereker Hamilton, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 356 XXV. GENERAL ROBERTS'S GURKHA ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire To face page 360 XXVI. GENERAL ROBERTS'S SIKH ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire To face page 362 [page xxi] XXVII. ONE OF GENERAL ROBERTS'S PATHAN ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 364 XXVIII. ONE OF GENERAL ROBERTS'S PATHAN ORDERLIES. (From a Water-colour Sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E., engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 366 XXIX. THE ENTRANCE TO THE BALA HISSAR—THE LAHORE GATE AT KABUL. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 412 XXX. SKETCH SHOWING THE OPERATIONS IN THE CHARDEH VALLEY ON DECEMBER 10TH AND 11TH, 1879 To face page 440 XXXI. PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE DEFENCES OF SHERPUR AND THE OPERATIONS ROUND KABUL IN DECEMBER, 1879 To face page 454 XXXII. CROSSING THE ZAMBURAK KOTAL. (From a Painting by the Chevalier Desanges, engraved upon wood by W. Cheshire) To face page 480 XXXIII. PLAN OF THE ROUTE TAKEN FROM KABUL TO KANDAHAR To face page 484 XXXIV. SKETCH OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF KANDAHAR To face page 492 XXXV. PORTRAITS OF THE THREE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA (SIR DONALD STEWART, SIR FREDERICK ROBERTS, AND SIR ARTHUR HARDINGE). (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 500 XXXVI. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., F.R.S., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From an engraving by the Fine Art Society of a portrait by the late Frank Holl, R.A., re-engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 502 XXXVII. PORTRAIT OF HIS HIGHNESS ABDUR RAHMAN, AMIR OF AFGHANISTAN. (From a Photograph, engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 504 XXXVIII. MAP OF CENTRAL ASIA To face page 506 XXXIX. PORTRAIT OF LADY ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Johnson and Hoffmann, engraved upon wood by George Pearson) To face page 514 XL. PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE, K.G., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA. (From a Photograph by Messrs. Cowell, Simla, engraved upon wood by Swain) To face page 524 [page xxii] XLI. PORTRAIT OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS ON HIS ARAB CHARGER 'VONOLEL.' (From an Oil-painting by Charles Furse, made from an Instantaneous Photograph, and engraved upon wood by E. Whymper) To face page 530 FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA. CHAPTER I. Forty years ago the departure of a cadet for India was a much more serious affair than it is at present. Under the regulations then in force, leave, except on medical certificate, could only be obtained once during the whole of an officer's service, and ten years had to be spent in India before that leave could be taken. Small wonder, then, that I felt as if I were bidding England farewell for ever when, on the 20th February, 1852, I set sail from Southampton with Calcutta for my destination. Steamers in those days ran to and from India but once a month, and the fleet employed was only capable of transporting some 2,400 passengers in the course of a year. This does not include the Cape route; but even taking that into consideration, I should doubt whether there were then as many travellers to India in a year as there are now in a fortnight at the busy season. My ship was the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Ripon, commanded by Captain Moresby, an ex-officer of the Indian Navy, in which he had earned distinction by his survey of the Red Sea. A few Addiscombe friends were on board, leaving England under the same depressing circumstances as myself, and what with wind and weather, and the thought that at the best we were bidding farewell to home and relations for ten long years, we were anything but a cheerful party for the first few days of the voyage. Youth and high spirits had, however, re-asserted themselves long before Alexandria, which place we reached without incident beyond the customary halts for coaling at Gibraltar and Malta. At Alexandria we bade adieu to Captain Moresby, who had been most kind and attentive, and whose graphic accounts of the difficulties he had had to overcome whilst mastering the navigation of the Red Sea served to while away many a tedious hour. On landing at Alexandria, we were hurried on board a large mast-less canal boat, shaped like a Nile dahabeah. In this we were towed up the Mahmoudieh canal for ten hours, until we arrived at Atfieh, on the Nile; thence we proceeded by steamer, reaching Cairo in about sixteen hours. Here we put up at Shepherd's Hotel for a couple of days, which were most enjoyable, especially to those of the party who, like myself, saw an eastern city and its picturesque and curious bazaars for the first time. From Cairo the route lay across the desert for ninety miles, the road being merely a cutting in the sand, quite undistinguishable at night. The journey was performed in a conveyance closely resembling a bathing- machine, which accommodated six people, and was drawn by four mules. My five fellow-travellers were all cadets, only one of whom (Colonel John Stewart, of Ardvorlich, Perthshire) is now alive. The transit took some eighteen hours, with an occasional halt for refreshments. Our baggage was carried on camels, as were the mails, cargo, and even the coal for the Red Sea steamers. On arrival at Suez we found awaiting us the Oriental, commanded by Captain Powell. A number of people met us there who had left England a month before we did; but their steamer having broken down, they had now to be accommodated on board ours. We were thus very inconveniently crowded until we arrived at Aden, where several of the passengers left us for Bombay. We were not, however, much inclined to complain, as some of our new associates proved themselves decided acquisitions. Amongst them was Mr. (afterwards Sir Barnes) Peacock, an immense favourite with all on board, and more particularly with us lads. He was full of fun, and although then forty-seven years old, and on his way to [Page 1] 1852 [Page 2]