1 616 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
2 Sir Meredyth Plowden and Gentlemen,—I tender you my warmest thanks for the
3 very cordial address. which has been just read to me; an address which, coming as it
4 does on behalf of the community of the Panjab, gives me peculiar gratification and
5 interest, inasmuch as it shows how united is the vast and varied population of thig
6 province in their loyalty and devotion to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress ; and it will be
7 a most pleasing duty to me to repeat to Her Majesty the terms in which your heart-felt
8 sentiments of attachment to Her Majesty have been communicated. I feel I cannot
9 Interest taken by give you a better idea of the immense interest and sympathy which exist in the mind
10 Her Imperial Majesty a es oa a *, q 5 .
11 tectde wee tudlan of our beloved Sovereign towards her Indian subjects, than by telling you that, notwith-
12 subjecta, - standing her inability to visit her Indian Mmpire, a fact she never ceases to deplore,
13 Her Majesty has, by the greatest diligence, acquired some knowledge of the Hindostdni
14 language.
15 Other Provinces of India may be richer than the Panjib; some may present scenes
16 of greater beauty ; but there is no province in India that can boast, as the Panjab can,
17 that it is the bulwark of defence against foreign aggression, or that can be termed with
18 the same significance, the gnaid-room of our Eastern Empire.
19 As the Panjab is one of the greatest recruiting grounds, so it is also the home, or
20 place of service, of a large portion of the army in Northern India ; and it is particularly
21 gratifying to me to think that it is here, in the soldiers’ land, that 1 shall see, at Muridki,
22 a force of cavalry such as is seldom brought together in any part of the world,
23 At Lahore itself, L have observed to-day much that has interested and impressed
24 me; side by side, at this, one of the most ancient capitals of India, I see the signs of
25 progperity and vigorous civilisation, in the new buildings which are opening up on every
26 side and in the loyal demeanour of a contented and manly population.
27 Let me, Gentlemen, once more thank you, and, through you, all classes of the
28 Panjab, for the gratifying address and hearty welcome you have given me to-day.
29 {Te Maclakt coven On Sunday, the 26th of January, the Royal party took train for Muridki,
30 amp of exercise, 1390, ° . : '
31 ‘ where a grand review of the troops assembled there, was held in honour of
32 His Royal Highness, ‘The manceuvres were executed on the plains to the
33 west of the Commander-in-Chief’s camp. The Government of India had of
34 late recognised the necessity of instructing each branch of the army in its
35 own particular duties before it could be expected to work in combination with
36 The objectofthe other arms. The fact was also recognised, that, in the case of cavalry,
37 MaAneuvres, . . *
38 Commanders should acquire the power of handling large bodies of horsemen
39 with skill and rapidity. The breech-loader had, as observed by Sir
40 Frederick Roberts, no doubt, increased the power of infantry most
41 materially, while the introduction of smokeless powder was, in all proba-
42 bility, calculated to revolutionise modern warfare still further. Occasion
43 had been taken by the Commander-in-Chief to exhort infantry soldiers to
44 learn how to use their rifles effectively, while, addressing artillerymen lately,
45 he had pointed out the necessity for their being able to make the utmost
46 of their guns. It was equally important, maintained Sir Frederick Roberts,
47 to impress on cavalry soldiers how essential it was that they should excel in
48 ihe essential requ. the use of the sword and lance. “There is only ong method,” argued His
49 sites of cavalry solders. Excellency, “ by which a cavalry soldier can become thoroughly expert in the
50 mild peactibest use of his weapon and also in the.management of his horse, and that is by
51 snares Snare practising mounted combat.” ,
52 With this object, camps of instruction had been sanctioned during the
53 last few years, aud there had been artillery camps at Undo, Gurgdon and
54 Pur, and cavalry camps at Lawrencepore and Delhi, while at the head-
55 quarters of each of the larger districts a considerable force of *infantry had
56 been collected for some weeks every cold season. The cavalry camp of
57 exercise at Muridki had for its object the attainment of the same military
58 Work done atthe discipline. Instructive work had been carried on for some days previously,
59 camp of exercise. and there were competitions for the assault of arms, rendezvous formations,
60 sham-fights and other manceuvres. On the morning of 29th January, the
61 The geand parade ot Whol reg | : i . . .
62 woltg Scand parade of e of the huge forces of cavalry being on parade, they formed them
63 Sri Satgtirh PachP Sing’ fi HA BFary Lhe frst lincypstendingrites dep GAikBcaHAS composed