John Lawrence happened to be in camp there at the time, and looked on at the General's inspection.
At the conclusion of the parade he sent his secretary to ask me if I would like to be appointed to the Public Works Department.

I respectfully declined the offer, though very grateful for its having been made.

Some of my friends doubted the wisdom of my refusing a permanent civil appointment; but it meant having to give up soldiering, which I could not make up my mind to do, and though only officiating, I was already in the department to which of all others I wished to belong.
Nowshera was the last station we visited.

It was the beginning of April, and getting rather hot for parading troops.

I there met for the first time the present Commander-in-Chief in India, General Sir George White, who was then a subaltern in the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment.
I recollect the commanding officer of the 55th, the Native Infantry corps at this station, who had served all his life with clean-looking, closely-shaven Hindustanis, pointing with a look of contempt, not to say disgust, to some Sikhs (a certain proportion of whom had been under recent orders enlisted in regiments of Native Infantry), and expressing his regret that he could not get them to shave their beards and cut their hair.