A STEAM FLOTILLA FOR INDIA.
IT is peculiarly characteristic of Asia and of India, that though the latter projects some twelve hundred miles into the ocean and exposes East and-West an immense seaboard, yet previously to our own none of the invasions, whether sudden or gradual, to which India has succumbed, arrived thither by sea ; as indeed none of the great empires in any part of Asia seem to have had a mari- time origin. If anything more were wanted to enhance the con- trast between the East and the West, it would be found in the fact, that the country which stands in the same relations of cli- mate and position to Asia which Great Britain does to Europe is the one whose immemorial policy has been nonintercourse with the rest of the world,
Convulsions from within seem to follow the same analogy as invasions from without. Mutiny has temporarily triumphed
throughout the central regions of Northern India, while peace has been maintained in the Presidencies of Bombay and. Madras and the maritime portion even of the Bengal Presidency has es- caped. Had the maritime provinces anywhere risen, the resources of our navy must have been called in aid. As it has turned out it is to the army alone that the glory is due of saving our Indian empire.
The chief arm of our national strength being. thus kept in abey- ance in India, and the whole stress of maintaining that vast dominion being hitherto thrown upon the army, there seems a danger that too exclusive attention may be given to the develop.. meat of land forces in the reorganization and future defence of India. Yet already, within a few months, the drain of men is felt to be more than we would spare in the most peaceful times ; while, in the present menacing aspect of Continental Europe, to denude ourselves of all our regular force, would be extreme rash- ness, no matter what necessities may seem to justify it.
It is true, that until Russia or some other aggressive power begins to threaten India by sea our navy in its present form can- not contribute very much either to the defence or the govern- ment of that country,. But the question is, whether a special force, altogether naval in its constitution and character, might not be organized in India, which would not only vastly add to the efficiency of the land forces, but itself supply the place of some 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers, and so far lighten the drain upon our strength at home—at all events, on that portion of our population from which our army is recruited.
The necessity of trying some such experiment has indeed long been acknowledged ; and we have been gratified to see it stated in an Indian paper, that the authorities have recently taken courage to go so far as to order twenty-five steam gun-boats drawing two feet water, and that two of these boats have actually been completed. To be sure, it is shutting the stable-door after the steed has been stolen; but that is so recognized a principle in all our Govern- ment proceedings, whether home or colonial, that we suppose there is no ground for refusing the officials the credit of this recent move. Still it is worth while to consider what might have been the effect of taking this step, say seven years ago, and gradually establish- ing flotillas of this description in all the main rivers of India. The Jumua at Delhi is almost as broad as the Thames at Woolwich. A few gun-boats lying at anchor there would probably have crushed the insurrection in the bud. In the worst event they would have abridged the length of the siege, and prevented the escape of the great body of the rebels. Cawnpore is situated on the main stream of the Ganges : a couple of boats there would have prevented that horrid massacre. The Goomtee at Lucknow is but a paltry stream for India, still it is accessible for boats of two-feet draught : not many would have beenrequired to rescue that heroic garrison, without the loss of time and sacrifice of valuable lives which ultimately their liberation cost. There and every- where reinforcements could have been forwarded by the gun-boats in about one-fifth of the time requisite to send them by land. Many positions of importance could have been held solely by the boats, and thus whole districts kept quiet, and troops released to swell the forces which it was found so difficult to assemble in sufficient strength for field operations, and the want of which kept our ablest generals inactive for months. Most probably, Lawrence and Havelock, Nicholson and Banks, and the rest of the best and bravest whom we have lost, might be alive at this day, if only seven years ago the Indian Government had recognized the importance of a discovery which at that time had been a third of a century in successful operation ; the navigation of rivers in the Uni- ted States affording examples appropriate to warm climates, with models of vessels which for speed, convenience, and roominess, could not be surpassed. That something was done to promote inter- course in that way, we do not mean to deny; but the gre,at'principle of an armed riverain force was neglected until too late. Even now, we have no assurance that the experiment will be tried on that scale, on that footing of permanency, and in conjunction with that organized body of men, which would be requisite to enable it per- manently to supplement the land force. Of the suitableness of such an armament to a country like India we ought not to require to speak ; at all events, we have not time. Let our readers turn to the map of India and trace the course of
some of its principal rivers. Let them refresh their remembrance of Bishop Heber's Journal, and other graphic memorials of that kind. It need not take them long to recognize the fact that the soil of India, more especially Northern India, is permeated by the great rivers and their tributaries with a regularity and completeness which causes the map to resemble anatomical plates of the veins and arteries of the human body. There is a loud outcry about the want of roads in India; and not without reason. But the reason that there are so few roads is, that for many Go- vernment purposes the rivers and canals supply their place. For a poor and populous country like India, these "silent highways " are the best and cheapest; and neither railroads nor paved roads can ever supersede them. Wherever two feet of water or even less can be had,—Mr. Bourne has for years been offering to con- struct boats drawing only twelve inches,—the Native boats penetrate ; and so ought the armed boats of the Govern- ment, manned by a force of sailors and marines specially set apart for that purpose, trained to act equally by land or water, and encouraged by all the honours and emoluments which it is in the power of Government to bestow. We do not leave out of sight that the service would be in some regions and, at certain seasons a very unwholesome one. But by keeping the force in motion, landing them at certain intervals, and other precautions, the service could, we hope, be made as little destruc- tive to life as any other in that climate. We should be almost afraid to state at the outset the development in point of number of boats and men which, if the experiment were once fairly tried, we should expect the force eventually to reach. A considerable proportion of it would of course be Native, taken from those races which manifest the greatest aptitude for such a life. These are, we believe, not the least trustworthy ; and at all events, from the superior officers being Europeans, and each boat independent of the rest, there would be less danger from disaffection here than in any other way that Natives could be employed.
It is not stated where the twenty-five boats ordered are in pro- cess of construction. We must confess to some anxiety as to their build; or rather, we must admit a tolerable certainty that it will not be at all what is required. And yet it would be extreme folly to look chiefly to their capacities for offence, as was done rightly enough in the gun-boats somewhat tardily constructed for warfare in the Baltic. One of the special uses of the Indian river flotilla will be to carry troops from place to place. For this purpose, they ought to be as much as possible built like passenger-boats. Nor need this hinder the armament contemplated. On the con- trary, it may be found an advantage to have a high deck on which to place the gun or guns, and thus better command the country through which the boat has to pass. Nor need all the guns be of the large calibre adopted for the Baltic boats. Probably, for all purposes, the best plan would be to commission half-a-dozen boats from the builders of those that ply on the American rivers. Nowhere else has river-navigation been brought to the like perfection. The average speed of the American boats is double that contemplated for the Indian flotilla. Making every deduction for American rashness, and for the different character of American rivers, we do not exactly see why the difference should be so great.
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