“The governor cannot allow Captain Edward Clarke, of the Bengal artillery, to leave this island, with the detachment under his command, without expressing his thanks to that officer for the useful and active services which he has rendered to the government of Ceylon during a period of more than eight years. “He requests Captain Clarke to communicate to the non-commissioned officers and privates of the artillery, and to the detachment of lascars, his approbation of their conduct, and his wishes for their future prosperity.” In following out the services of these companies, we have anticipated a little, and it is now therefore requisite to go back a few years. Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt, coupled, as it had been, with intrigues with Tippoo Sultan, alarmed Government as to his views on India, and rendered it necessary to take some steps in self-defence, to check his career of conquest. Lord Nelson had destroyed the French fleet in the Bay of Aboukir; an army from England, under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, had effected a landing in Egypt, and to co-operate with the latter, Lord Wellesley prepared detachments from the three presidencies, which, landing at Cossier or Suez, were to hem in the French army, deprived of all communication with France between the two armies. Towards this detachment, Bengal contributed a detachment of horse and foot artillery. H.M.’s 10th regiment of foot, and 1,200 sipahi volunteers. Horse artillery, which had for some time been used in European warfare, was now about being introduced into India. It appears to have been first used by the Russians in the campaigns of 1757–8–9 against the Prussians, whose light cavalry often found themselves, at the time they felt sure of success, opposed by batteries of cannon, although no infantry were present. Frederick the Great introduced it into his army in 1759, and took great pains to exercise and instruct them himself in his camp near Landstruth, and soon found the arm of essential use. The Austrians followed the example about 1780, and since that period it has been introduced into all European armies, though with considerable variation in the weight and calibre of the guns, and in the manner of mounting the gunners. Some experimental horse artillery was raised, and part of it accompanied the expedition to Egypt; it was however embarked almost as soon as raised, so that no time was allowed for its acquiring any experience. From the returns, a portion of the Governor-General’s body-guard was attached to it, and altogether but 36 horses.