TRACKERS. 129 



'' It was never intended by Sir C. Napier that 

 the Sindh Government police should supersede 

 the indigenous village police of the country. 

 The latter consists of watchmen and trackers, 

 kept VL-p in each community according to its 

 requirements, and paid by the villagers at har- 

 vest-time, like the artificers and other village 

 servants. In Sindh, where the population is so 

 scattered, and cattle are so easily lost by stray- 

 ing or theft, the tracker is a necessary append- 

 age to each agricultural community, and I have 

 known some of the more experienced ones make 

 a very good livelihood, equal to ten or twelve 

 rupees per mensem. It is esteemed an honour- 

 able profession, and, in disputes, the word of an 

 experienced tracker is often regarded as de- 

 cisive ; I have even known robbers appeal to it, 

 and admit their guilt at once, and show where 

 the stolen property was concealed, if the track- 

 ers' fiat were against them. 



" With the appointments and emoluments of 

 this class of men. Government in no way in- 

 terferes. They are employed, paid, or dis- 

 carded, entirely as the villagers may find con- 

 venient. But every Thannahdar makes it a 

 point to ascertain who are the good village 



VOL. I. 9 



