Yours very truly,
(Signed) W. H. SLEEMAN.

To F. J. Halliday, Esq. 
Secretary to Government,
Calcutta.

Mr. Maclagan is a Lieutenant of Engineers, and lives in Edinburgh.

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Lucknow. 10th April, 1852.

My Lord,

In September 1848, I took the liberty to mention to your Lordship my fears that the system of annexing and absorbing native States—­so popular with our Indian service, and so much advocated by a certain class of writers in public journals—­might some day render us too visibly dependent upon our native army; that they might see it, and that accidents might occur to unite them, or too great a portion of them, in some desperate act.  My only anxiety about Burmah arises from the same fears.  Our native army has been too much petted of late; and they are liable to get into their heads the notion that we want them more than they want us.  Had the 38th been at first ordered to march to Aracan, they would, in all probability, have begged their European officers to pray Government to permit them to go by water.

We committed a great mistake in not long ago making all new levies general service corps; and we have committed one not less grave in restricting the admissions into our corps to high-caste men:  and encouraging the promotion of high-caste men to the prejudice of men equally deserving but of lower caste.  The Brahmins in regiments have too much influence, and they are at the bottom of all the mischief that occurs.  The Rajpoots are too numerous, because they are under the influence of the Brahmins, and feel too strong from their numbers.

We require stronger and braver men than the Madras Presidency can afford, with all their readiness for general service.  The time may not be distant when England will have to call upon India for troops to serve in Egypt; and the troops from Madras, or even from Bombay, will not do against Europeans.  Men from Northern or Western India will be required, and, in order to be prepared, it would be well to have all new corps—­should new corps be required—­composed of men from the Punjaub or the Himmalayah chain, and ready for any service.  Into such corps none but Seiks, Juts, Goojurs, Gwalas, Mussulmans, and Hillmen should be enlisted.  Too much importance is attached to height, merely that corps may look well on parade.  Much more work can be got out of moderate sized than tall men in India.  The tall men in regiments always fail first in actual service—­they are fit only for display at reviews and on parades:  always supposing that the moderate-sized men are taken from Western and Northern India, where alone they have the strength and courage required.