1 ( xx )
2 Since the year 1848 there have been no Troops whatever, either in support,
3 , reserve, or in any other way, connected or concerned with the Sind Frontier,
4 except the two Regiments of Sind Horse. There has been no Cavalry at
5 Sukkur or Shikarpoor, and no other than the Sind Irregular Horse in Sind
6 at all, since 1847. The Infantry at Shikarpoor has no connexion with the
7 Frontier, which since 1848 has formed a separate command.
8 The Sind Irregular Horse is] 5600 strong, but deducting men always ou
9 furlough, 1, 400 ; all reserves and supports are included in this number, there
10 are no others whatever.
11 On the principle of the tsalation given in the paragraph quoted from the
12 Punjab Report, the detachments on the Sind Frontier stand thus :
13 Omitting the supports at head-quarters at Jacobabad, there are ten posts,
14 _ 860 strong of all. ranks i in the aggregate along a line of 185 miles in length, or
15 ~ Jess than two men per mile.
16 The Punjab Report shows 400 Infantry and 800 Cavalry (also exclusive
17 of reserves) holding a Frontier line of 300 miles, or just four men per mile, or
18 in place. of the state of things affirmed in the Punjab Report, the State pays
19 monthly 80 Rupees per mile of Hreotier in the Derajat and 60 Rupees per
20 mile in Sind.
21 ‘With regard to the proximity of the hills, the fact is, that this is a very
22 great advantage. The mountaineers, the very best of them, are contemptible
23 in the plain, but when to veach them the Cavalry has to make a weary march
24 of 50° or 60 miles through a desert, constant toil and exposure are indeed.
25 necessary to success,
26 In former days, when I had posts at Shahapoor, Chuttur Poolijee, Koomree,
27 _&¢., close to the ‘hills, fewer men sufficed for the work. At present, our
28 Frontier line is only at its extremities near the hills, the distance from which
29 generally is about 60 miles. The most formidable plundering Tribes are
30 . however not the mountaineers, but those of the plains. The Doomkees,
31 Jekranees, Ramdanees, Kosahs, . Boordees, Muzzarees, &c. &c., are all inha-
32 bitants of the plains of Cutchee and Sind, and it was these, and not the |
33 mountaineers, who formerly laid waste the whole border country.
34 Even now, the Muzzarees, living within our own border in the Punbab,
35 between’ Mittenkote and Kusmore, are the worst-marauders in the whole
36 _-country, These men still continually plunder in the British Territory on the
37 left bank af the Indus (which’ they cross cleverly and habitually on skins)
38 in the Bhawulpore country, and occasionally in the hills. Only a few weeks
39 ago, a gang of these Muzzarees fully. armed was committing depredations -
40 in the Gotekee District. ;
41 .