or SEPOYS, natives of Indostan serving in a military capacity under the European powers, and disciplined after the European manner.

The Seapoys of the English East India Company compose perhaps the most numerous, regular, and best disciplined body of black troops in the world. They are raised from among the natives of the country, and consist of Moors or Mahometans, Raja-poots, Hindoos, Parians, besides many intermediate castes peculiar to themselves; the whole modelled in all corresponding particulars, and disciplined in every respect as the army of Great Britain.

The military establishments of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, have each their respective numbers, that of Bengal exceeding the rest. The Seapoys are formed into complete, uniform, and regular battalions, as our marching regiments at home, being intended to represent and answer fully to every purpose in India to the like troops in Europe. A battalion consists of 700 men, of complete effective strength. In each there are eight companies, including two flank ones or grenadiers. They are respectively commanded by their own black and European officers; to each company there is attached a subaltern, who takes the command, under whom are two native commissioned officers, bearing the rank of fidadar and jimindar; of eight subalterns, fix are lieutenants, the other ensigns; exclusive is a staff, of adjutant and surgeon. The black non-commissioned officers answer to our sergeants and corporals, and are called havildars and naigues. There is also to each corps an English sergeant-major, drill and store sergeant; to each battalion is a band of drums and fifes, and to each each a pair of colours. A captain commands the whole.

Their jackets, which are made entirely after the European fashion, are of a red colour with yellow facings (as worn by all the infantry of the company on the Coromandel coast). The remaining part of their attire resembles more the country or Indian habit, and consists of a dark blue turban, broad and round at top, descending deep to the bottom, the sides of which, of a concave form, are crofted by a white band, running in front, fastened under a rofe above. As an under garment, they have a jacket of linen. A dark blue fah girding, to anfwer the turban, goes round their middle. On the thighs they have short drawers, faftened by a feollooped band. Their legs are bare, which renders them more ready for action or fervice. Their arms are a firelock and bayonet; their accoutrements or crofs belts black leather, with pouches the fame.

A battalion drawn out cannot but strike the fpeculators with a lively and fanciful military impreflion, as they unite in their exterior traits reftpectively Indian and European.

They are brought to the utmoft exactness of discipline; go through their evolutions and manoeuvres with a regularity and precision equal to, and not fuperfeded by European troops. In action they are brave and steady, and have been known to stand where Europeans have given way.

Their discipline puts them on a footing with European troops, with whom they are always ready to act in concert.

Their utility and services are evident: they fecure to the company the internal good order and preservation of their territorial diftricts, which, though poftible to be enforced with a strong hand by Europeans, requires numbers, and can only be conducted with that eafe and adrefs peculiar to the native forces of the country.

They are confidered with refpect in the eyes of the other natives, though they fufficiently, and with a good grace, feel and affert their own confequence. In large garrifons, where the duty is great, as Madras, Pondicherry, Trichinopoly, Vellore, &c. two or three battalions might be prefent together, exclusive of Europeans. If fent fingly up the country, they are liable to be detached, fometimes by one or more companies being fent, to a ftation dependent on the chief garrifon or headquarters, otherwife they are difperfed through the diftricts, four or five together, with a non-commissioned officer (this is a part of the fervice which is called going on command), on hills, or in villages, to preferve order, convey intelligence, and affift the taftildar, renter, or cutwall of the place, in cafes of emergency. They alfo enforce the police, and prevent in fuch cafes the country from being infefled with thieves, which otherwife have combined, forming a banditti, to rob paflengers, and plunder cattle, of which there are fo many instances upon record. As for fuch British officers in the company's fervice as are attached to battalions, they are obliged to follow the fortunes and definations of their men, with their respective corps, leading a life often replete with adventures of a peculiar nature. An individual in fuch cafes is frequently fecluded from thofe of his own colour when up the country, or detached upon command, where in a frontier garrifon or hill fort in the interior parts of India none but natives are to be found. Here he might live as he pleafes, being perfectly absolute within his jurisdiction. Such stations being lucrative, with management may produce great fortunes. Neither is the condition hard to a perfon converfant in the language of the country, or that of the Scapoys called Moors (which moft officers in the company's fervice acquire); otherwife the lofs of society is not recompended by other advantages, as you forget your own language, grow melancholy, and pafs your days without comfort.

The peace establishment at Madras consists of 30 Seapoy battalions, but in time of war is augmented as occasion requires; or frequently each corps is strengthened by the addition of two companies, which are reduced again in time of peace, the officers remaining supernumeraries in the fervice. In garrifon they are quartered in barracks: they live agreeably to the ufage of the country, fleep on the ground on a mat or thin carpet. In their perfons they are cleanly, but appear to beft advantage in their uniform. Off duty they go as the other natives in poor circumstances; and have only a cloth round their middle and over their shoulders. As to the different castes, the Moormen or Muftulmen affert pre-eminence, as coming into the country by conquest. In their perfons they are rather robust, and in their tempers vindictive. Their religion and drefs is diftinct from the Hindoos, who are mild and passive in their temper, faithful, steady, and good foldiers. The Parriars are inferior to the others, live under different circumstances, dwell in huts, and affociate not on equal terms with the reft; they do all menial offices, are fervants to Europeans, and think themselves happy when by them employed, though they are equally good Seapoys.

Having thus treated of the company's Scapoys, we fhall obferve that they are kindly attentive to their officers when often in circumstances requiring their affiftance; are guilty of few vices; and have a strong attachment for thofe who have commanded them. That acute historian Dr Robertson has remarked, as a proof that the ingenuity of man has recourse in fimilar fìtuations to the fame expedients, that the European powers, have, in forming the eftablishment of thefe native troops, adopted the fame maxim, and, probably without knowing it, have modelled their battalions of Seapoys upon the fame principles as Alexander the Great did his phalanx of Persians.