66 NARRATIVE OF A JOUnNEY 



tants, that hundreds were reduced to the humiliating 

 neceffity of lelUng their children, to procure a Icanty 

 meal for themfelves. But the deficiency of rain, 

 though feverely felt, was not the only caufe of all this 

 diftrefs. The fcarcity was artificially increafed, by the 

 rapacity of Cablee Mull, the perfon entrullcd by 

 SiNDiAH with colledling the revenues of the diftridt. 

 His wealth and influence enabled him to hoard up large 

 magazines of grain, and thereby keep the price far be- 

 yond its natural ftandard. And when Sudasheu 

 Naick, an eminent banker, whofe difinterefted bene- 

 volence deferves to be recorded by a much more elo- 

 quent pen, attempted to throw open his own ftores, 

 and fell the grain at a moderate price, no means of 

 obftroclion and intimidation, that the union of artifice 

 with power could afford, were left unemployed, to 

 make him delift from his purpofe; fo that he was 

 obliged to confine the exertions of his humanity to 

 feeding the poor at his own houfe ; and in this man- 

 ner thoufandb owed the prefervation of their lives to hiij 

 bounty. 



The patient forbearance of the Hmdii, under this 

 dteadful calamity, has been noticed by feveral writers. 

 In this inflance, the indignation of the inhabitants at 

 the unfeeling avarice of their rulers, could not be con- 

 cealed. But, inflead of breaking open their granaries, 

 demolifliing their houfes, mal-treating their perfons, 

 or contumelioufly burning them in effigy, the ufual 

 proceedings of an Gnvaged Europea/i mob, they contented 

 themfelves with making a reprefentation of funeral 

 rites, and proclaiming that the Hdkem was dead, and 

 Sudasheu Naick appointed to fill his place. 



The abundant rain which fell this feafon triumphed 

 over all oppofition. Before we marched, wheaten flour 

 had fallen to twenty feers per rupee. The greedy mo- 

 nopolifts faw thofe hoards which the anguifli of the 

 famifhed poor CDuid not unlock, configned to putre- 



fa(ftion> 



