1 224 SINDE.
2 grants, on condition of bringing into the field a proportionate
3 number of men, for whom they were responsible, incurring for-
4 feitures in cases of serious misconduct. These retainers usually
5 belonged to the tribe of their chiefs, and worked in their lands
6 and households when not on military service. When called out,
7 these troops received in addition a scanty pay from the Ameers.
8 These men were either Belooches, or of the mixed race descended
9 from them and the Hindoos, and were overloaded with arms, carry-
10 ing shield, sword, matchlock, and knife. They generally move
11 to the field of battle mounted on camels, horses, mules, or ponies,
12 and there dismount, and, after a few shots from their matchlocks,
13 throw them away ; and, being excited with large doses of opium,
14 rush sword in hand, and with loud shouts, on theirenemy. They
15 are represented as ignorant of manceuvring, and, if not imme-
16 diately successful, as ready to break and take to flight; yet,
17 in their late conflicts with our troops, they displayed steady and
18 enduring bravery. Leech! estimates the total number of irre-
19 gular troops enrolled for the service of the Ameers, and avail-
20 able for emergencies, at one hundred and two thousand men;
21 but adds, that sixty thousand by the Hyderabad and Meerpoor
22 Ameers, and thirty thousand by those of Khyrpoor, are as
23 many as could be brought into the field. Even this number
24 is unquestionably too large an estimate, and the true amount
25 probably did not exceed half of it. The artillery was wretch-
26 edly inefficient, consisting of a few guns of various and
27 irregular sizes, ill-constructed originally, and for the most part
28 nearly useless from decay, mounted on rude and crazy carriages,
29 and ill-served. The gunpowder also was of inferior quality,
30 though saltpetre may be had in great abundance, and sulphur is
31 obtained from the hills on the western frontier. The forts,
32 Omercote, Hyderabad, Islamcote, Deejy, Munorah, and Bukkur,
33 are described under those respective names.
34 The population of the towns of Sinde has been very variously
35 estimated ; and the following table, though it has received much
36 care, can be regarded only as a tolerable approximation to the
37 truth :—