1 ( xvii )
2 ‘The great power of 3 machine is shown by its smooth and easy working,
3 “@ noise and struggle sliow the effects of opposition, and therefore in fact a
4 “ deficiency of power. The working of true principles is now apparent here’
5 “in almost total absence of open physical force. When we came to the
6 “ Sind Frontier in 1847, the people had no idea of any power but violence.
7 “The proceedings of the British Authorities tended to cotfirm this state of
8 “feeling. When the men of Cutchee plundered in Sind, the only remedy
9 “applied by the Governor of Sind was to encourage the Sindees to plunder
10 “in Cutchee. Both parties then were equally. guiltless or equally criminal,
11 “no idea of moral superiority was thought of. Such being the case, it
12 ‘‘was absolutely necessary, in the first instance, to have recourse to vio-
13 “lent measures to show the predatory Tribes that we possessed, in far
14 “greater degree than themselves, the only power which si respected (mere
15 “* brute force).
16 “ Our first year (1847) on the border was one of enormous bodily labor ;.
17 “we had literally to lie down to rest with our boots and swords on for many.
18 “months together. We crushed the robbers by main force and proved far
19 “ superior to them even in activity, and it may be well to observe, that at this
20 “time but one Regiment of the Sind Irregular Horse was on the Frontier.”
21 17. With regard to the observation in the Punjab Report about the posts
22 being close to the hills, Major Jacob remarks“ When our Frontier was in a
23 “ disturbed state, I had my posts close to the hills, esteeming this arrangement
24 ‘to be an’ advantage. Since quiet has been established, I have withdrawn
25 “them, save as respects some Beloochee Guides.- ‘But though we had sueceeded
26 “in forcibly subduing the Robber’ Tribes, I should have considered’ our pro-
27 “ ceedings as a failure, had it been necessary to continue to use’ violent
28 “measures. Having by the use of force made ourselves feared and respected,.
29 “we were able to apply better means and to appeal to higher motives than
30 « fear. This I had in view from the very first. The barbarians now feel (which
31 “they could hardly imagine before) that strength, courage, and ‘activity may
32 “be possessed in the highest degree by those also influenced by gentle and -
33 “benevolent. motives. Under the influence of this growing feeling, the cha-
34 “ acter of the border: plunderers has been changed, whole tribes within and
35 « without our border, amounting to more than twenty thousand souls, have
36 “totally abandoned their former predatory habits and taken to peaceable
37 “pursuits. Qur Jekranies and Doobkees, formerly the wildest of the border .
38 “ riders, are now the most honest and industrious people in all Sind; every man
39 “of the Sind Irregular Horse is looked on and treated asa friend by all the
40 * country folk.”