Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1900 — MAKE FINE FIGHTERS. [ARTICLE]

MAKE FINE FIGHTERS.

Famous Little Ghoorkas, Who Help flap British' Soldiers in India. dE The famous Ghoorkas of the Brit-r ish army are hill men from Nepaxu They positively have no fear of death, in any shape or form, and will follow their English officers anywhere, being tractable and amenable to discipline, and having an innate love of fighting. They like to be brigaded and associated with British troops, with whom they chum in an extraordinary manner, especially on active service. It i» a popular error to suppose that they don’t possess caste, as there are at least a dozen different castes amongr them, but directly they go on service they drop all caste prejudices and eat and drink with English troops without reserve. They will accept tobaeco or a cigar from an Englishman, but a man of one caste must not smoke in the company of a man of another. The Ghoorkas trace their descent from the Central Indian Rajpoots, the Thappas and Gurungs especially asserting that they have the bluest Hindoo blood in India in their They have intermarried for generations with Mongolian woman, and onw would have supposed that in time at distinctively new type would have beeen evolved, combining the leading" characteristics of both races. But this is not so, as most of the Ghookas. have either the Afyan or Chinese cast of countenance. Europeans generally suppose that all Ghoorkas are short, squat men, with broad nostrils, high cheek bones and deep-set, narrow eyes, but this is not the case. The First and Second regiments of Ghoorkas, that have covered themselves with glory in this campaign, have a large number of Thappas and Gurungs in their ranks, who are of slight build, with beautifully chiseled and sharp features, thoroughly Aryan in every way. Ghoorkas have two noted peculiarities, which give them a boyish look. They are short of stature, and, in spit® of great care, never are able to cultivate much hair on their faces. It is on record that when Lord Roberts was marching through the Kurram, the Pathan women and children stood and jeered at the little boyish Ghoorkas, whom they thought he was leading to certain destruction, but they changed their opinion when the Afghan army was driven headlong from the Piewar Kotal with the aid of the same little hill men. A story is told of an Afghan who traveled a long way to see the terrible soldiers who had defeated his countrymen in so many battles. When he saw the Ghoorkas standing on guard at the “Bala Hissar,” in Cabul, he committed suicide in “very shame.”’ It is not known generally that air association has been formed to provide for and educate the orphan sons of Ghoorka soldiers who have died in the service or been killed in action, and the sons of Ghoorka pensioners of good and deserving character, living in India, who are in destitute circumstances, with the view of their entering the army or other government employ. Each of the 15 Ghoorka battalions in the Indian service has a widow and orphan fund, to which all ranks subscribe. The maharajah of Puttiala has given land required for an asylum, and the Nepaulese princes and others have given financial help also.—Philadelphia Inquirer.