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Rh slight in itself, convinced him that the suspicions of the men, unless removed, might lead to great danger. Accordingly, on the 23d of the month, he inspected the instruction depôt, and after the inspection he summoned round him the native officers, and, assisted by the instructor. Lieutenant Martineau, an officer of great intelligence, who spoke the language like a native, and who translated to the native officers each sentence of the Commander-in-Chief as it was uttered, addressed them frankly and sensibly on the subject of the new rifle. He told them that great improvements had been made of recent years in the manufacture of small-arms, and that it was with the view of placing in the hands of the sipáhí a superior weapon that detachments from several regiments had been sent to Ambálah for instruction; that the improved weapon required improved cartridges; that it was madness to suppose that the British Government, which had no designs whatever on the religion of the people, should take advantage of the improvement of the cartridge to endeavour to subvert their caste by a fraud; that the Government of India would never countenance any scheme which would coerce the Hindu or the Muhammadan in the matter of religion. In the case before him, neither caste nor religion was involved; but another thing was, and that was discipline. That discipline he was resolved to maintain, and he trusted that the native officers present would exert themselves to allay the fears of their men, would caution them not to give credit to the insinuations of designing persons, and would thus avert the shame which would overwhelm those who should prove false to their colours and faithless to the oaths they had taken to the Government.

It was a new thing in the history of the Bengal army to see the Commander-in-Chief condescending to explain