THIEVING. :jr>r> 



friends," exclaims the, Indian Government, " let us be 

 moral above all things. Let us contemplate our cimmic 

 financial pressure." An awful phrase is that terrible " I'man- 

 c,i;i,l pressure," the ready excuse For doing many things which 

 ought not to be done,, and living undone many things which 

 OUght to be done, (Considering the length <>!' Mine, l,!i;i,l, I, hi:; 

 chronic disease has sei/ed upon its vitals, the |iie:;i-ion 

 naturally arises, How has the Government survived, ;md 

 how, under its torments, is it able, at short intervals, to 

 break out into the most extravagant frolics and diversions? 

 There is little thieving now in camp in Bengal and 

 Orissa, but in Behar it is necessary to be on guard, more 

 especially on the Trunk Ko;i,d between Govindpoor and Sher- 

 gotty. Prior to 18(53, this great highway to the North- 

 Western Provinces was strongly protected by police; outposts 

 and stations, the, Former at intervals of three, and the latter 

 of twelve miles, with patrols, horse and foot, passing con- 

 stantly between them night and day ; but subsequent to 

 the establishment of the present force, the outpost:: have 

 gradually been reduced under successive "financial pres- 

 ii res," till at length they have all disappeared, and some 

 weakly-manned stations and the, thieves alone remain. The 

 extension of the East Indian Railway having caused a 

 material diminution of the traffic on that road, a reduction 

 of the police upon it is justifiable, but hardly to the extent 

 it has been carried out. Be that as it may, the traveller 

 and the sportsman camping along it, as well as in some 

 other parts of Behar, will do well in keeping up some sort 

 of a night-watch, for which duty he will find his dogs far 

 more efficient than his servants or the village police. Not 

 long ago three attempts were made upon my camp, pitched 

 alongside of a police station, during the, same night; but, 

 thanks to my dogs, only one was BUCCes i'ul, and that upon the. 

 person of a policeman, who ought to have been on the watch, 

 but who slept so soundly that his purse, containing some 

 silver and copper coins, was taken From his waistcloth ! A 

 friend, whose custom was to "turn in" almost fully dressed 



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