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their dwelling near each other, within the village fence of mud 

 walls and milk-bush hedges. Bamboos, planted for that purpose, 

 form a very strong boundary. Cattle are never left out at night 

 in the village pastures. 



It was dreadful to think that the inhabitants of this earthly 

 paradise groaned under the most oppressive despotism. Compared 

 with the government of the Brodera chieftain, a Mogul prince 

 appears a noble character ; but even the latter loses much when 

 contrasted with ihe ancient Hindoo rajahs. Surrounded as they 

 were by wealth and splendor, there was something patriarchal in 

 their style of administration, which, by delegated authority, per- 

 vaded the most distant provinces. A retrospective view of orien- 

 tal history carries us to a time of great simplicity — to something 

 like the golden age of the poets, when virtuous princes sat on the 

 throne, and a religion unadulterated by modern brahminism, pre- 

 vailed throughout the empire. Of such a climate, such a country, 

 and such a sovereign, it may be truly said, that " blessed of the 

 Lord was the land, for the precious things of heaven, the precious 

 thincs of the earth, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the 

 sun ; for the chief things of the mountains, and the precious things 

 of the hills; for blessings which distil as the dew, and as showers 

 upon the grass! that he might eat the increase of his fields ; butter 

 of kine, milk of sheep, and kidneys of the wheat ; that he might 

 suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock!" 



Futty Sihng completely reversed this benevolent portrait of the 

 ancient Hindoo rajahs. He thought himself under a necessity of 

 paying attention to the English chief of Baroche, with several 

 members of his council, and suitable attendants, travelling through 



