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guard the Natives of the interior of the coun- 

 try from being deceived and enticed from their 

 homes on false, or what was nearly as bad, on 

 insufficient information. He believed that if we 

 could follow the recruiters of emigrants into the 

 interior of the country, and if we could watch their 

 proceedings more closely than had hitherto been 

 done, we should find them holding out the most 

 exaggerated prospects to the most ignorant class 

 of the population, and making promises as extra- 

 vagant as those of the recruiting Serjeant to the 

 bumpkins of a village in England, when a few fine 

 men were wanted for service in India. The Natives 

 in the interior completely misapprehend the posi- 

 tion and powers of these recruiting agents. These 

 agents displayed before their eyes a Purwannah, 

 as they styled the document they receive from the 

 Emigration Agent, and they were invested, in the 

 oyes of the people, with a certain degree of official 

 authority. They were listened to all the more 

 readily in consequence of its being supposed that 

 their objects had the support and approval of the 

 Government. When once a gang of Coolies was 

 collected, care was taken to gain over a few of the 

 most intelligent among them. These were appoin- 

 ted as Sirdars over small companies of the Coolies, 

 were favored by the recruiter, and combined with 

 the recruiter to keep up the illusions which caused 

 the Coolies to enlist. These Sirdars obtained, 



