ion
to the number actually serving in any other nation on earth.[7] Not
one of the twenty-four thousand has been brought on, or retained
upon, the list from political interest or court favour; every one
receives his pension for long and faithful services, after he has
been pronounced by a board of European surgeons as no longer fit for
the active duties of his profession; or gets it for the death of a
father, husband, or son, who has been killed in the service of
government.

All are allowed to live with their families, and European officers
are stationed at central points in the different parts of the country
where they are most numerous to pay them their stipends every six
months. These officers are at-- 1st, Barrackpore; 2nd, Dinapore; 3rd,
Allahabad; 4th, Lucknow; 5th, Meerut. From these central points they
move twice a year to the several other points within their respective
circles of payment where the pensioners can most conveniently attend
to receive their money on certain days, so that none of them have to
go far, or to employ any expensive means to get it--it is, in fact,
brought home as near as possible to their doors by a considerate and
liberal government.[8]

Every soldier is entitled to a pension when pronounced by a board of
surgeons as no longer fit for the active duties of his profession,
after fifteen years' active service; but to be entitled to the
pension of his rank in the army, he must have served in such rank for
three years. Till he has done so he is entitled only to the pension
of that immediately below it. A sepoy gets four rupees a month, that
is, about one-fourth more than the ordinary wages of common
uninstructed labour throughout the country.[9] But it will be better
to give the rate of pay of the native officers and men of our native
infantry and that of their retired pensions in one table.

TABLE OF THE RATE OF PAY AND RETIRED PENSIONS OF THE NATIVE OFFICERS
AND SOLDIERS OF OUR NATIVE INFANTRY.

_Rank_ _Rate of Pay_ _Rate of_
_per_ _Pension per_
_Mensem._ _Mensem._

_Rupees._ _Rupees._

A Sepoy, or private soldier. (Note.--
After sixteen years' service eight
rupees a month, after twenty years
he gets nine rupees a month) . . 7.0 4.0
A Naik, or corporal . . .