Chapter SEETULPUTTY to SEPOY of S by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

upwards of 3000 Europeans, with at least 500 Coffrys, and a number of Cephoys and Peons.”—Ext. of Diary, &c., in App. to A Letter to a Propr. of the E.I. Co., London, 1750, p. 94.

[1746.—Their strength on shore I compute 2000 Europeans Seapiahs and 300 Coffrees.”—Letter from Madras, Oct. 9, in Bengal Consultations. Ibid. p. 600, we have Seapies.]

1747.—“At a Council of War held at Fort St. David the 25th December, 1747.

Present:—

Charles Floyer, Esq., Governor.

George Gibson	John Holland
John Crompton	John Rodolph de Gingens
William Brown	John Usgate

Robert Sanderson.

* * *

It is further ordered that Captn. Crompton keep the Detachment under his Command at Cuddalore, in a readiness to march to the Choultry over against the Fort as soon as the Signal shall be made from the Place, and then upon his firing two Muskets, Boats shall be sent to bring them here, and to leave a serjeant at Cuddalore Who shall conduct his Seapoys to the Garden Guard, and the Serjeant shall have a Word by which He shall be received at the Garden.”—Original MS. Proceedings (in the India Office).

„ The Council of Fort St. David write to Bombay, March 16th, “if they could not supply us with more than 300 Europeans, We should be glad of Five or Six Hundred of the best Northern People their way, as they are reported to be much better than ours, and not so liable to Desertion.”

In Consn. May 30th they record the arrival of the ships Leven, Warwick, and Ilchester, Princess Augusta, “on the 28th inst., from Bombay, (bringing) us a General from that Presidency,¹ as entered No. 38, advising of having sent us by them sundry stores and a Reinforcement of Men, consisting of 70 European Soldiers, 200 Topasses (Topaz), and 100 well - trained Seapoys, all of which under the command of Capt. Thomas Andrews, a Good Officer. …”

And under July 13th. “… The Reinforcement of Sepoys having arrived from Tellicherry, which, with those that were sent from Bombay, making a formidable Body, besides what are still expected; and as there is far greater Dependance to be placed on those People than on our own Peons … many of whom have a very weakly Appearance, AGREED, that a General Review be now had of them, that all such may be discharged, and only the Choicest of them continued in the Service.”—MS. Records in India Office.

1752.—“… they quitted their entrenchments on the first day of March, 1752, and advanced in order of battle, taking possession of a rising ground on the right, on which they placed 50 Europeans; the front consisted of 1500 Sipoys, and one hundred and twenty or thirty French.”—Complete Hist. of the War in India, 1761, pp. 9–10.

1758.—A Tabular Statement (Mappa) of the Indian troops, 20th Jan. of this year, shows “Corpo de Sipaes” with 1162 “Sipaes promptos.”—Bosquejo, as above.

„ “A Stout body of near 1000 Sepoys has been raised within these few days.”—In Long, 134.

[1759.—“Boat rice extraordinary for the Gentoo Seapois. …”—Ibid. 174.]

1763.—“The Indian natives and Moors, who are trained in the European manner, are called Sepoys.”—Orme, i. 80.

1763.—“Major Carnac … observes that your establishment is loaded with the expense of more Captains than need be, owing to the unnecessarily making it a point that they should be Captains who command the Sepoy Battalions, whereas such is the nature of Sepoys that it requires a peculiar genius and talent to be qualified for that service, and the Battalion should be given only to such who are so without regard to rank.”—Court’s Letter, of March 9. In Long, 290.

1770.—“England has at present in India an establishment to the amount of 9800 European troops, and 54,000 sipahis well armed and disciplined.”—Raynal (tr. 1777), i. 459.

1774.—“Sipai sono li soldati Indiani.”— Della Tomba, 297.

1778.—“La porta del Ponente della città sì custodiva dalli sipais soldati Indiani radunati da tutte le tribù, e religioni.”— Fra Paolino, Viaggio, 4.

1780.—“Next morning the sepoy came to see me. … I told him that I owed him my life. … He then told me that he was not very rich himself, as his pay was only a pagoda and a half a month—and at the same time drew out his purse and offered me a rupee. This generous behaviour, so different to what I had hitherto experienced, drew tears from my eyes, and I thanked him for his generosity, but I would not take his money.”—Hon. J. Lindsay’s Imprisonment, Lives of Lindsays, iii. 274.

1782.—“As to Europeans who run from their natural colours, and enter into the service of the country powers, I have heard one of the best officers the Company