'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎142] (173/481)

142
be excellently managed in the Nizam's cavalry (however,
they have had little experience of desert countries as yet, I
fancy). \\ ith us, we cannot carry at the outside more than
five days' food for man and horse; but it appears to me,
that if the ^necessary supplies exist in the country through
which the regiment is marching, the bazar can supply itself
from day to day. If, again, as has often happened to the
Smd Il.oise, the supplies do not exist, no bazar, however
pei feet, could carry them for above a few days,—for this
plain reason, that the cost of transport alone of one month's
food for man and horse amounts in this country to more
than the sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. s whole pay. When, then, the country does
not afford the necessary supplies, the commissariat must
feed the irregulars as well as any other part of the army,
01 they stai ve j but if food exist in the country, the
sowars will get it somehow. The proper rule is this : let
the commanding officer of the regiment certify, on honour,
that sufficient supplies do not exist, and then only let
the necessary food be carried and supplied at a reasonable
rate by the commissariat. This is the rule in Sind. The
men detest being obliged to have recourse to the " godown "
(as they call it), and would far rather purchase elsewhere j
so that no abuse is likely to occur.
In every regiment there is a 'koti,' or bank, says our
leviewer. jNIarry is there, in every 13engal regiment!
And this koti or bank appears to me to be a crushing evil!
It paralyses every energy; nearly every man is hopelessly
in debt; frequently he cannot even pay the interest of
these debts. His self-respect is gone; he is put to all
kinds of shifts—sometimes most disreputable ones to
enable him to keep up appearances; and after all his horse
is starved, and, with his rider, alike unfit for any efficient
service away from his home. The bank is of essential