66 APPENDICES. 



country as colonists. The duty lies rather in affording informa- 

 tion and assistance to those who voluntarily come forward as 

 settlers, in taking pains to secure as colonists men of approved 

 good character, in inducing Englishwomen to come to the 

 country, and in making provision for the rearing and education 

 of their children. 



Major Lake, commissioner of the Trans-Sutlej States, is of 

 much the same opinion. He doubts whether, in a large majority 

 of cases, European soldiers will make successful colonists. As 

 a general rule, they have a great dislike for the natives of the 

 country, and are imperfectly acquainted with their language 

 and habits, and, from having had everything provided for them 

 during a long course of years, they are quite at a loss when 

 they have to depend on themselves. In regard, however, to the 

 general question of providing lands suitable for European colo- 

 nists, he thinks the three following courses open to Govern- 

 ment : 



First. To hold the waste lands of the Kangra hills at the dis- 

 posal of Government. 



Second. To appropriate such lands on the terms prescribed 

 for lands taken up for public purposes. 



Third. That in every village, all surplus lands not required for 

 grazing purposes should be separately marked off and divided 

 into lots ; that the district authorities determine what would be 

 a fair Government demand on each lot, and that on these terms 

 the land be made available to European settlers and others. 

 This last method, the commissioner observes, has the advantage 

 of maintaining the proprietary rights of the zemindars, while it 

 enables European settlers to hold their lands at fixed rates, 

 much like hereditary cultivators. 



Mr. Melvill, the officiating commissioner of the Trans-Sutlej 

 States, considers a large quantity of land in the Kangra district 

 might be obtained on lease; but he, too, thinks that the real 

 question is not whether land is available, but whether discharged 

 soldiers would be successful in maintaining themselves. Capital 

 is the main thing. While the capitalist has every chance of 

 success, the prospect of the man who has nothing but his own 

 energies to depend upon is hopelessly discouraging, 



The scarcity of land in the vicinity of the Murree hills is 

 urged by the deputy commissioner of Rawul Pindee (Captain 

 Cracroft) as a great drawback towards giving effect to the pro- 

 posed scheme to any large extent. Although the area of the 



