216 



the walls. There they met their friends every morning, and talked 

 over the news of the day, a subject the Indians of all denomina- 

 tions are fond of: the same remark, by Pococke and Russell, illus- 

 trates this passage in Ezekiel " the children of thy people are 

 talking concerning thee by the walls, and at the doors." A few 

 peaceful Hindoos were one morning assembled on a verdant slope 

 without the Gate of Diamonds, when two armed Gracias on horse- 

 back rode up, and asked them if I was at the durbar; being an- 

 swered in the affirmative, one of these cruel wretches threw a letter 

 to a brahmin, saying, " deliver this to your sirdar; but that you 

 may not forget it, take this also, by way of remembrance;" at the 

 same instant thrusting a spear into his side. The other delivered 

 a letter intended for me to a banian; and, by way of enforcing a 

 similar message, cut him across the breast with a scimitar. The 

 wounds did not prove mortal, but they were both a considerable 

 time under the care of a surgeon. 



A frequent repetition of these outrages compelled me to urge 

 the governments of Baroche and Bombay to send a military force 

 against these banditti. Many villages were entirely depopulated, 

 and the inhabitants, on emigrating into other countries, declared 

 that notwithstanding the justice and clemency of the English laws, 

 and the enviable blessings they enjoyed under their benign in- 

 fluence, they would rather become the subjects of an Asiatic des- 

 pot who would protect them from the Gracias. In consequence 

 of these representations, the garrison of Dhuboy was reinforced 

 by a strong detachment of infantry and artillery from Baroche; 

 which enabled me to send a sufficient force against Mandwa, the 

 capital of Gomany Sihng, the chief Gracia rajah. This fortress, 



