life, and happiness in the life to come; and that then, scared and miserable by their degradation, they would seek for admission into the ranks of a religion which had established missions throughout the country for the very purpose of converting them. General Hearsey's argument that his religion was a religion of the Book was all very well when addressed to Brahmans and Rájputs, whose position was secure, whose caste was intact. But, when it should be applied to men whose caste had been broken, who had become pariahs and outcasts, deprived of consideration in this world, and of all hope in the hereafter it would have a different signification. Then the men who had lost the religion of their forefathers would be glad to read the Book, and to gain renewed hope in the religion of their masters.
The answer to General Hearsey's declamation was given by the 19th N. I. at Barhámpur. The news from Barrackpur, carried to Barhámpur by the sipáhís of the 34th, had produced the fermentation and partial outbreak described in the last chapter. And this was the news which disturbed the Government of India on the 4th of March.
It found that Government in a state of some perplexity. Lord Canning was new to the country, and was perforce on all matters pertaining to the native army, dependent on his military advisers. The capacity of his military advisers may be judged from the fact that they were the very men who had allowed him to be swayed by the shallow reasoning of the Adjutant-General regarding the issue of greased cartridges. However, many facts had spoken too loudly to be disregarded. There was the one fact that a native regiment in the Presidency Division had mutinied; another fact that the troops at Barrackpur had displayed a sullenness of demeanour difficult to account for; a third
