Mr. Hodgson, the resident, in the year 1833 wrote a paper on the advantages that would accrue to the British Government from inviting recruits from Nepal. The Gurkhas see,' ho said, in foreign service nothing but the prospect of glory and spoil.' Their individual courage was repre sented as not more remarkable than their innate sense of discipline. They possess 'all that individual confidence, each in all, which grows out of national victory and success.' They had also a contempt for all the peoples of tho plains, whom they styled Madlie.sia ; and 31r. Hodgson specified 30,000 Dakhreall, or soldiers off the roll, as furnishing a source immediately available. The Nepalese army now nurnbers more than 100,000 men, and the dis approval of the Khattnandu authorities to too many of their subjects entering a foreign service, have reduced the supply to a very limited extent. 0 wing to Mr. Hodgson's representations, a Gurkha. reghnent was included in the contingent force of Shah Shuja for the invasion of Afghanistan. It was practically annihilated in thd defence of Charikar towards the close of the year 1811. But after the second Sikh war, the Gurkhas crossed the frontier in numbers to join the regiments which had been named after them, and recruited to a great extent frotn the hillmen of Kamaon, ceded in 1816. The first, second, and third of
these regiments were raised at the time of the war with Nepal, and did good service at Bhurtpur, Aliwal, and Sobraon. They were known originally as the 66th Native Infantry, the Sirmur Rifles, and the Kamen Battalion respectively. The 4th Gurkhas was raised at a, later period ; and the 5th, or Hamra Battalion, forms part of the Panjab field force. Wherever there has been fighting on the Indian frontiers ever since the year 1838, these hardy troops have rendered the most valuable service. The whole of the Gurkha force was employed in Afghanistan, and three of their regi ments were included in General Roberts' army. The steadiness of one regiment in face of the charge of the Ghazis contributed to the success of the day at Ahmed Khel, and another regiment shared with the Gordon Highlanders the honour of leading the supreme attack on the strong. position taken up by Ayub Khan at Baba Wali. Their record of service under the Britith flag is the narrative of untarnished fidelity mid unsur passed valour.—Egerton's Tour in India ; Prinsep's ; Fraser's Himalaya Mountains.