'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎453] (472/622)

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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
453
in which the young Rajah of Assam, residing at Jorehaut, was
concerned—being concocted at Dibrooghur, in Upper Assam,
the head-quarters of the 1st Assam Light Infantry, numbering
nine hundred and fifty of all ranks, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel S. F. Hannay, and sixty Native artillery,
Hindostanees, with four 6~pounder field guns and two Im
pounder howitzers, under Major David Reid. Lieutenant
Davies was immediately despatched from Calcutta with a De
tachment,* consisting of Acting-Masters M'Can and Havers,
and one hundred and ten seamen, who had been hastily enlisted
and drilled, and, passing through Dacca and Gowhatty. arrived
at Dibrooghur on the 2nd of October, when confidence was
somewhat restored among the small band of planters, who
hailed the sailors as their deliverers, and entertained them
liberally.f It speaks highly of the power to command men,
even to this distant part of our dominions, resulting in at least a partial disaffec
tion of the local troops, and, in connection with this a conspiracy, having for its
object the subversion of our rule, and I am convinced that had it not been for
the judicious measures of the authorites on the spot, and the prompt despatch of
assistance from the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , that an insurrection would have broken out,
damaging not only to the tranquillity of the province itself, but also perilling the
safety of the whole of our Eastern frontier. It was not for some time after the
occurrence of the first outbreak in the north-west that any cause for apprehension
showed itself in Assam. In July, the acknowledgments of the G-overnor-Greneral
were transmitted to the 1st Assam Light Infantry at Dibrooghur for the offer of
service which they had made to Government. How valueless these professions
of loyalty have usually been, the experience of the past few months has but too
plainly shown, but there was then but little reason for distrusting these local
corps, and at that time little doubt of their fidelity was entertained. Indeed, in
July, and for some time afterwards, the Grovernor-G-eneral's Agent, Colonel
Jenkins, was more apprehensive of any danger that might arise from the probable
breaking out of the 73rd Native Infantry at Julpigoree, and of the effect likely to
be produced on the Bhootan and other frontier tribes. It was not till September
that an uneasy feeling began to display itself amongst the men of the 1st Assam
Light Infantry at Dibrooghur. From carefully conducted inquiries. Colonel
Hannay, commanding the battalion, found that the excitement was produced by
letters from Arrah and Jugdespore, addressed to men, of whom there were many
in the regiment, enlisted in the Shahabad district. The company of artillery at
Bibrooghur was also composed of Hindoostanees, of whom there were a con
siderable number in the 2nd Assam Battalion in Gowhatty,^ though in a less
proportion than in the 1st. It was about the same time discovered by the
authorities that these men. Native officers and others, were in communication
with the Sarung Hajah residing at Jorehaut, in whose house, whilst proceeding on
furlough, they were reported to have held meetings by night. The men of the
old disbanded Assam Militia had also been tampered with."
* This appears to have been the only Detachment commanded by an officer of
the Indian Navy, raised and despatched under the authority of the Lieutenant-
Governor of Bengal, like the other " Police Brigades," the Indian Naval Brigade
being under the exclusive orders of the Supreme Government.
f A correspondent of a Bengal paper writes from Dibrooghur, under date the
10th of May, 1858 :—" At present we feel tolerably secure, as there are upwards
of one hundred and fifty men of the Naval Brigade in the province, fifty-six of
whom are at this station. Nearly all the men have ponies, such as they are, and
at all hours of the day you may see them galloping madly about at a neck-or-
nothing pace. The cutcherry has been converted into a temporary barrack for
their accommodation, at one end of which they have fitted up a theatre. I
attended a performance there the other night, and was not a little amused ; the
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