ng pickets, and
guards, &c.; add to which, the being suddenly transported from the
climate of India, to which most of them have become inured by a
residence, on the average, of twelve years, to this comparatively cold
and changeful climate, is enough of itself to shake them a little. They
have also done what no Indian troops have done before: in marching in
India, almost everything is carried for the soldier; he merely carries
what he does on parade--viz., his firelock and accoutrements. Our
regiment though, by-the-bye, has always carried a blanket, with a clean
shirt and stockings and flannel waistcoat wrapped up in it, that they
may be enabled to change as soon as they have marched in. On this march,
each man has carried his knapsack, with his kit in it, twenty rounds of
ammunition, a havresack with his day's rations, and a small round keg
containing water, the weight of all which is no joke. While at
Bominacote, we fully expected to have a little fighting after passing
Tatta, and on our arrival here we heard a report which induced us to
believe that we should have a brush with the Ameers very shortly; but it
appears now that the Ameers have seen the folly of such proceedings, and
have determined to receive us amicably, and to assist our passage
through their country, and that it was only one of the Ameers that was
inclined to be restive. He endeavoured to stop our camels, &c., and
managed to do so for some time, and collected as much of what they call
an army as he could--about 5000 of these Beloochees, but with no guns,
or anything of that sort. However, on collecting them, they represented
to him that the British troops were behaving so well, and the
inhabitants of the country were getting so much more money for their
articles of sale than they ever got before, that they considered it was
more for their profit and advantage that the English should march
through their country than that they should oppose them, and get licked
into the bargain, as they were sure they would be. All eastern nations
have an awful dread of European artillery. It also happened that the
poor Ameer had unfortunately not the wherewithal to carry on the war,
and his army made excessively high demands on him, you may be sure. The
consequence of all which was, that the army dissolved itself as quietly
as possible, and the poor Ameer found himself solus. The result is, that
a deputation is now here, with a small force from the head Ameer, at
Hydra