“ in géneral strong and well made; accustomed from their infancy "to the most laborious life, and hardest fare, they make marches, " and undergo fatigues that really appear aftonishing. In their "excurfions they carry no tents or baggage, except, perhaps, a "fmall tent for the principal officer: the reft fhelter themselves

under blankets, which ferve them alfo in the cold weather to wrap themselves in, and which, on a march, cover their faddles. They have commonly two, fome of them three, horfes each, of “the middle fize, strong, active, and mild tempered. The pro"vinces of Lahore and Moultan, noted for a breed of the beft "horfes in Hindoftan, afford them an ample fupply; and indeed

they take the greatest care to encrease it by all means in their power. Though they make merry on the demise of any of their "brethren, they mourn for the death of a horse: thus fhewing "their love of an animal fo neceffary to them in their profeffional

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capacity. The food of the Sicques is of the coarfeft kind, and "fuch as the pooreft people in Hindoftan ufe from neceffity. "Bread, baked in afhes, and foaked in a mash made of different "forts of pulfe, is the best difh, and fuch as they never indulge "in but when at full leifure; otherwife, vetches and tares, haftily

parched, is all they care for. They abhor fmoaking tobacco, "for what reafon I cannot difcover; but intoxicate themselves

freely with fpirits of their own country manufacture. A cup "of the last they never fail taking after a fatigue at night. Their "drefs is extremely fcanty: a pair of long blue drawers, and a

"kind of checkered plaid, a part of which is faftened round the waist, and the other thrown over the fhoulder, with a mean "turban, form their clothing and equipage. The chiefs are dif"tinguished by wearing fome heavy gold bracelets on their wrists,

and fometimes a chain of the fame metal bound round their "turbans, and by being mounted on better horfes: otherwise, no

diftinction appears amongst them. The chiefs are numerous, "fome of whom have the command of ten or twelve thousand ca"valry; but this power is confined to a small number, the in"ferior officers maintaining from one to two thousand, and many "not more than twenty or thirty horfes; a certain quota of which "is furnished by the chief, the greater part being the individual property of the horsemen."

FROM the spirit of independence fo invariably infufed amongst them, their mutual jealoufy, and a rapacious roving temper, the Sicques at this day are feldom feen co-operating in national concert, but actuated by the influence of an individual ambition, or private diftruft, they purfue fuch plans only as coincide with these motives. An example of their forces being engaged in oppofite interefts, has been noticed in the case of Mhah Sing, who fuccoured the Rajah of Jumbo, against the Sicque party, which had invaded his country. Before the chiefs of the Mountaineers country, at the head of the Punjab, were reduced to a tributary state, severe depredations were committed on them by the Sicques, who plundered and destroyed their habitations, carried off the cattle, and, if

ftrong and well formed, the male children, who were made converts to the faith of Nanock. But fince the payment of a fixed tribute has been ftipulated, which does not amount to more than five per cent. on the revenue, the Mountaineers are little molested, except when the Sicques have been called in to adjust their domeftic quarrels..

THE extensive and fertile territory of the Sicques, and their attachment and application in the midst of warfare to the occupations of agriculture, muft evidently produce a large revenue. The districts dependant on Lahore in the reign of Aurungzebe, produced, according to Mr. Bernier, a revenue of two hundred and forty-fix lacks and ninety-five thousand rupees; * and we are naturally led to suppose, from the industrious skill of the Sicques in the various branches of cultivation, that no great decrease of that amount can have taken place fince the Punjab has fallen into their poffeffion.

AN extensive and valuable commerce is alfo maintained in their country, which has been extended to diftant quarters of India; particularly to the provinces of Bengal and Bahar, where many Sicque merchants of opulence at this time refide. The Omichund who took fo active, though unfortunate, a share in the revolution, which the English effected in Bengal, was a Sicque; as

* Two millions four hundred and fixty-nine thousand five hundred pounds fterling, at two fhillings for the rupee,

is

is his adopted fon, who is now an inhabitant of Calcutta. Merchants of every nation or fect, who may introduce a traffick into their territories, or are established under their government, experience a full protection, and enjoy commercial privileges in common with their own fubjects. At the fame time it must be noticed, that fuch immunities are granted only to those who remain amongst them, or import wares for the immediate supply of the Sicque markets. But the foreign traders, or even travellers, who attempt to pass through the Punjab, are often plundered, and usually ill-treated. In the event of no molestation being offered to people of this description, the escape is ever spoken of with a degree of joyful furprize, and a thanksgiving is offered to Providence for the fingular efcape. This conduct, inimical to the progrefs of civilization, and an impediment to the influx of wealth, proceeds from an extreme jealousy of strangers, added to a rapacity of temper, which make them averfe to the encouragement of any scheme in whofe fuccefs they do not immediately participate.

THE Sicques are not rigorous in their ftipulations with the Mahometan profelytes, who, if they abstain from beef's flesh, (which is held in equal abhorrence by the Sicques as by the Hindoos), and perform the more oftenfible duties, as burning their dead, and preserving the hair of the head, an indulgent latitude is granted in all the other articles of the creed of Nanock. The Mahometans who refide in the Punjab are subject to occafional oppreffion, and often to the infult of the lower claffes of the people;

among

among whom it is not an uncommon practice to defile the places of worship, by throwing in the carcafes of hogs and other things held impure by the Muffelman law. The Mahometans are also prohibited from announcing their stated times of prayer, which, conformably to their usage, is proclaimed in a loud tone of voice. A Sicque who in the chace shall have flain a wild hog, is frequently known to compel the first Mahometan he meets to carry to his home the body of the animal; and, on being initiated into the rites of their religion, the Sicques will fometimes require a Mahometan convert to bind on his arm the tufk of a boar, that by this act of national impurity, he may the more avowedly testify a re nunciation and contempt of the tenets of his former faith. These facts will fufficiently mark the haughty and infulting demeanor, which, with few deviations, forms a prominent feature in the character of the military Sicques; but we may also afcribe a certain portion of their fevere and contumelious treatment of the Mahometans, to a remembrance of recent injuries.

THE difcordant interefts which agitate the Sicque nation, and the conftitutional genius of the people, muft incapacitate them, during the existence of these causes, from becoming a formidable offenfive power; nor are they invested with that species of execu tive ftrength which is neceffary to advance and establish a distant conqueft. In the defence and recovery of their country, the Sicques difplayed a courage of the most obstinate kind, and manifested a perseverance, under the preffure of calamities, which bear

an