1 THE ARMY OF THE PUNJADB. 61
2 of merit in the various grades, is frequently
3 effected by bribery. In the higher ranks, ad-
4 vancement is obtained by the judicious appli-
5 cation of douceurs to the palm of the favourites
6 at court, or the military chieftains about the
7 person of the sovereign. In the event of the
8 government of the Punjaub falling into the
9 hands of the British, some time would probably
10 elapse before the dissolute rabble which now
11 composes the army could be brought under a
12 state of as perfect discipline as that which exists
13 in the Anglo-Indian army; but there is no
14 doubt that ultimately the result of a system,
15 strict and severe from the commencement, when
16 supported by a stem and absolute monarchy,
17 would display itself, and render the Sikh
18 troops as devoted a body as the regular native
19 army of Hindostan. Only twenty- three years
20 have elapsed since the military force in the
21 Punjaub consisted of a large and undisciplined
22 horde. In 1822, the first European officers
23 presented themselves (according to Prinsep) at
24 Runjeet Singh's Durbar, seeking military ser-
25 vice and entertainment. These were Messrs.
26 Allard and Ventura, who had served in the
27 French army uiitil the annihilation of Napoleon
28 Buonaparte deprived them of employment. At
29 first, Runjeet Singh, with the suspicion common
30 to a native Indian prince, received them coldly ;