.306 



Guzerat. In my letters on those occasions, I related events as 

 they occurred, without much reflection, or comparison with other 

 countries. Every incident had the charm of novelty; and, like 

 some other travellers, I might have viewed passing events superfi- 

 cially, and formed hasly conclusions. 



In subsequent situations, particularly when collector of Dhu- 

 boy, and acting as judge in that district, I had much greater op- 

 portunities of scrutinizing the Hindoo character. In this investi- 

 gation my opinion materially changed, and a further intercourse 

 with the religious brahmins at Dhuboy and Chandode, did not 

 raise them in my estimation. Nor did the moral conduct of the 

 Yogees, Senassees, and other devotees frequenting the jaltaras of 

 the Nerbudda, prejudice me in their favour. But when I deve- 

 loped the character of the secular brahmins and Hindoos of vari- 

 ous description, employed in the revenue department, from the 

 consequential zemindar to the village palell, how was I astonished! 

 Their cruelty, avarice, craftiness, and duplicity, occasioned a thou- 

 sand grievances, which I could neither counteract nor redress; 

 and displayed such shocking traits, rooted and strengthened by 

 religious opinions, prejudice of caste, and habits of oppression, as 

 baffled all my endeavours to relieve the poor ryots, suffering un- 

 der their tyranny. I mentioned these things as they occurred ; 

 they were written at the moment, and are so fully confirmed by 

 enlightened French and English travellers, during the two last 

 centuries; by recent documents of the Reverend Dr. Claudius 

 Buchanan, and observations of the discriminating Dr. Francis 

 Buchanan, that I hazard nothing in differing from the representa- 



