469 



every thing necessary, but would willingly have pressed more upon 

 us than we wanted. This benevolent rajah is of the Rajepoot caste, 

 tributary to Futty Sihng, of whose rapacity he made bitter com- 

 plaints, and was then in extreme distress, from his having placed 

 a guard of fifty horse over his person, and ordered him immediately 

 to repair to his durbar at Brodera, or to pay down a large sum. 

 The aged patriarch spoke with much feeling and spirit on the oc- 

 casion: " God/' said he, " has blessed me with a numerous off- 

 spring, and now that I have lived to see most of them attain to 

 man's estate, I am threatened with being deprived of the means of 

 providing for them. My possessions are in a hazardous state. I 

 have every thing to apprehend from the rapacity and injustice of 

 Futty Sihng, but I will not suffer myself to be led into his presence 

 by an armed force. If he will withdraw his troops, I may perhaps 

 obey his other command ; if not, my life on such terms as he 

 would force a compliance, is not worth preserving." 



During this conversation a very handsome youth, about six- 

 teen years of age, entered the tent; our venerable guest immedi- 

 ately arose, and introduced him as the heir to his rajahship, being 

 the child of his eldest son, who is dead. Most of the Hindoo suc- 

 sessions run in that line. The town contains upwards of three 

 thousand inhabitants, mostly Rajepoots and Gracias; the latter 

 are probably the aborigines of the country, who were never so 

 completely subdued as to give up their ciaim on a certain portion 

 of the landed property, the produce of which they claim to this 

 day. If their demand is not complied with, they are, after admo- 

 nishing the defaulter, frequently guilty of the greatest cruelty, kill- 

 ing or maiming man and beast belonging to the village which re- 



