CO129-016 - Sir John Davis - 1846 [1-6] — Page 308

to meet all contingencies. A small.

A small body of artillery to man the batteries would be

not

a

exclusive of the above . As this might a be deemed an adequate command for General officer, it is probable that a senior field officer, with the local rank of Brigader, may be permanently appointed.

In order to combine the greatest degree of efficiency with a due regard to economy. I would propose as under . One half of the garrison, that is, six hundred men, should consist of European Troops; and with regard to the remaining six hundred, I see every reason for substituting. Colonial Corps of Malays, in preference to Sepoys of the Indian Army.

generally

Q

The latter is a species of force that

very ill out of its own

answers

country. They have all sorts of prejudices, become discontented, and often sickly,

require

304

require frequently to be changed, and thus much expense is occasioned. The large Indian allowances have been granted to the European Regiments as long as the East India

1 Company's have acted with them, and will probably be continued until the system

is

are al

changed. The Madras Sepoys comparatively puny and fuble race, and very little respected by the Chinese, requering

a larger

numerical amount to ensure the

same ends.

a Colonial

It appears to me that all the above objections might be obviated by Corps of Malays to be raised (as for berylon ) in the Straits, which are only a week's sail from hence . A portion of the Ceylon Corps being - in the first instance detached for garrison duty in this Colony, the Songkong Corps could be

gradually raised in the

Straits and formed

on the same model,

and