50 THIEVES A SOURCE OF EEVENUE. 



taken by the Meer, with all that is squeezed out 

 of the thief in excess. 



In Farrington's report it is declared that 

 many of the Jagheerdars, in the time of the 

 Ameers, kept thieves on their estates, who 

 were a source of revenue to their masters. 

 Projoerty was stolen, but on the owner ap- 

 pearing it was quietly restored to the Jag- 

 heerdar on payment of one-fourth of its value. 

 This tax is called '' Choutaee " or '' ChoongaP 

 and still obtains in the territory of Meer Ali 

 Moorad. Not unfrequently an informer (an 

 accomplice from the same state) would, after 

 extorting money for his information, conduct 

 the owner to the spot where his property was 

 concealed. We may therefore conclude that 

 the Jagheerdar's sympathies would run hand in 

 hand with his own interests. 



Torture is occasionally resorted to for the 

 purpose of extracting money from those who 

 are reluctant to disgorge their dishonest gains, 

 and for the purpose also of extracting confes- 

 sions in criminal cases. 



One method is to place the party astride on 

 a charpoy ; his feet are then tied below with a 

 rope as tightly as possible, thereby causing 



