'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.' [‎164] (195/481)

164
system may, and does, after a fashion, succeed with local
corps serving at or near the men's native homes, but would
be ruinous in a corps intended for general service; the
regiment so constructed could not long exist in a foreign
country and on rough service; and if called on so to serve
permanently would assuredly fall to pieces, or rapidly dete
riorate, the actual working soldiers not having smlu.ient
interest in the service to induce them to submit to its
inconvenience under such circumstances. The Sind Irre
gular Horse labours under many disadvantages when com
pared with the service in India. To enable the men to do
the work required of them, it has been necessary to make
the corps, with regard to drill, discipline, and, in fact, to all
intents and purposes, regular cavalry; it is armed and
accoutred in a very superior manner to any cavalry I have
ever seen in India; its horses, also, though not equal to
those of the regular cavalry, are very much superior to
those of any corps of irregular cavalry with which I am
acquainted. The service in Sind is not generally liked by
the Indian soldier,—in fact, it is much disliked by the class
of men from whom the best cavalry soldiers in India are to
be obtained ; and our expenses are great: from all these
causes combined, the raw material of the Sind Irregular
Horse must at present be inferior to that of the irregular
cavalry serving in India. The men generally prefer ease
and comfort, on seven rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a month, in Bengal, to hard
work, strict discipline, and bad, or at least disagreeable
climate, on ten rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a month, in Sind.
That we have hitherto succeeded so well as we have
done is chiefly owing to the high character which we have
been so fortunate as to obtain : in fact, this has been our
greatest strength ; by reason of it we get a better class of
recruits than would otherwise join our ranks; and the men