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nued our journey to Dolcah, a large town eighteen miles from 

 Ahmedabad, where the offer of a summer-palaee, surrounded by a 

 charming garden, fountains, and groves of fruit-trees, tempted us 

 to remain till the next morning. 



Dolcah, a cusbah or town, inhabited by landholders on military 

 tenure, is four miles in circuit, not fortified, but surrounded by a 

 mud wall ; the gates are strong, and the town furnishes twenty 

 thousand Cusbattees, who form a sort of equestrian militia; many 

 of them are warlike, of good family, and men of property. Dol- 

 cah is celebrated for several spacious tanks lined with stone: one 

 of them is adorned with an island and bridge like that at Kokarea. 

 Near these lakes are several ruined palaces, mosques, and tombs, 

 once splendid and beautiful. The surrounding country was culti- 

 vated in large enclosures, planted with mango, tamarind, and kir- 

 ney trees. In times of tranquillity the Dolcah purgunna yields a 

 revenue of eight lacs of rupees, but the Coolies and Cotties already 

 mentioned were then so very troublesome, that cultivation only 

 flourished near the towns; the distant plains were assuming the 

 appearance of a forest overrun with a variety of game. The inha- 

 bitants of Dolcah assured us that their farmers and ploughmen 

 were attended by warriors to keep off the banditti ; and near every 

 village we found centinels stationed on the highest trees to give 

 notice of their approach. As soon as a watchman discovers a 

 troop of Cotties he blows a horn, or makes a loud cry, which is 

 perfectly understood both by the peasants and cattle; this is re- 

 peated by other centinels, and in a few minutes the whole country 

 is alarmed ; swains, flocks, and herds hastily retreat to the vil- 

 lages, always surrounded by mud walls or strong milk-bush hedges. 



