He admitted that the troops would look immensely better, if clad in regular uniform; than as a motley band, each dressed according to his own fancy.

He pointed out, however, that while the news that the rajah was having some of his men drilled by European deserters would attract but little attention among his neighbours, the report that he was raising Sepoy battalions would certainly be received by them in a hostile spirit.
"By all means," Charlie said, "get the uniforms made for the whole force, and keep them by you in store.

They can be at once served out in case of war, and the sight of a number of Sepoy battalions, where they expected only to meet an irregular force, will have an immense effect upon any force opposed to you." The rajah saw the force of this argument, and at once ordered five thousand suits of white uniforms, similar to those worn by the Sepoys in the English and French service, to be made and stored up in the magazines.
While his lieutenants were drilling the main body, Charlie himself took in hand a party of forty picked men, and instructed them in the use of field guns.

The superiority of Europeans in artillery was one of the reasons which gave to them such easy victory, in their early battles with the native forces in India.

The latter possessed a very powerful artillery, in point of numbers, but there was no regular drill nor manner of loading.