29 JULY 1916, Page 12

THE DECCAN HORSE.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]

Sm,----The other day, walking southwards (the direction is important, as you will presently see), I met a young man in khaki, who, with the new and natural interest of his kind in all things military, asked me who the Deck-aim (for so he pronounced it) Horse might be, and where its gallant squadrons were raised. " I will take the liberty," I said, " of putting you through your facings. Right turn ! " He turned to the right, I to the left, and we were both, you will see, facing the East. " That, please observe, is the fore quarter, the poorb, to the pious Hindu, who, like Christians, says his prayers towards the point where the sun rises. Now, on your right hand is the right hand quarter, the dukshin, the Deccan, the South. Behind you is the posterior quarter, the Puschim, the West, the quarter of the setting sun. Finally, on your sinister side is the ootur, the higher, the remaining, the Northern quarter. In the Deccan, the great Southern plateau which rises above the fiat plains, created and irrigated by Indus and Ganges, lies the greatest of Indian States, Hyderabad, and here and elsewhere in the South live the stalwart Muslims who are the troopers of the Deccan Horse ! Left thin ! Dismiss I " As others than those in khaki may not know what Deccan means, or may have forgotten, I venture to repeat my improvised lesson. Perhaps in the coming weeks the Deccan Horse will win fresh Laurels and a wider fame. Let us at least know roughly where their