1 64 THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAUB.
2 of enduring the fatigue of long marches for
3 several days in succession (the author having on
4 one occasion marched with his regiment a dis-
5 tance of 300 miles within twelve days), and are,
6 generally speaking, so hardy that exposure to
7 oppressive heats or heavy rains has little effect
8 upon them. In a great measure this is the result
9 of custom. Excepting in the vicinity of Lahore
10 and Peshawur, there are few regular quarters or
11 cantonments; the men occupy small tents, or
12 bivouac in ruined Mahomedan mosques or cara-
13 vanserais.
14 The drum and fife and bugle are in general
15 use in the Sikh infantry regiments, and in some
16 of the favourite royal corps of Runjeet Singh
17 an attempt was made to introduce a band of
18 music, but a graft of European melody upon
19 Punjaubee discord did not produce, as may be
20 imagined, a very harmonious result.
21 The cavalry of the Sikh army is very inferior
22 in every respect to the infantry. While the
23 latter are carefully picked from large bodies of
24 candidates for service, the former are composed
25 of men of all sorts and sizes and ages, who get
26 appointed solely through the interest of the diffe-
27 rent sirdars. They are mean-looking, ill dressed,
28 and, as already stated, wretchedly mounted.
29 Their horse trappings are of leather of the worst
30 quality, and their saddles are of the same miser-