TYRANNY OF FOREST LAW. 151 



brother's Jagheer. Bad as this appears, I think 

 however that a farallel case might be found in 

 Scotland. 



Meer Ali Moorad is, I believe, naturally a 

 humane and kind-hearted man, but His High- 

 ness has no pardon for a poacher, and any one 

 caught so offending is sure to be heavily 

 punished, for he has been heard to say that he 

 values the life of a hog more than that of a 

 man ; not that he ever takes human life, 

 though possessing the power to do so^ but an 

 accused party can hardly expect fair play when 

 he feels assured that the case is already prejudg- 

 ed; and witnesses are never wanting to substan- 

 tiate an-accusation, conviction on which will, they 

 know, be agreeable to their sovereign, or any 

 other high functionary. At the same time, it is 

 very probable that the parties accused may be 

 really guilty of the breach of Khyrpoor forest 

 law charged against them, for a peaceful culti- 

 vator must possess more than ordinary patience 

 quietly to see a sounder of hog destroying his 

 crop without taking a shot at the animals. 



Both prince and peasant in Sindh are equally 

 the creatures of impulse, and in hunting excur- 

 sions all respect of persons is lost sight of in the 



