1837.] Lodiana to Mithankot by the Satlaj river. 175 



We came to about a mile beyond Sidhuan ; estimated distance from 

 Bhundri eight kos. 



There is a ghat at Sidhuan. It is in the road to Ropur, in the 

 Doab bist Julimdar, and has ten boats, but the traffic by this route is 

 inconsiderable. The duties are levied by the officers of Maha-raja 

 Ranji't Singh and Sirdar Fatteh Singh Alawalla, on either side 

 respectively. The village of Sidhuan is large, but has no bazar ; 

 contains from two hundred to two hundred and fifty mud and paka 

 dwelling houses ; with three baniahs' shops or hattis which supplied 

 our people with food. 



On the 12th we left Sidhuan. The channel continued under the 

 left bank for upwards of two miles, when it passed the village of 

 Shuffipura, and, crossing over to the right with considerable winding, 

 brought us in the fourth reach nearly opposite to Tihara ; there divid- 

 ing into two branches, the smaller one ran directly under that town, 

 while the larger struck off to the right towards Kannian and Bhaggian. 



Tihara is the site of extensive ruins, which shew that it was once a 

 place of some consequence ; native authorities mention its being 

 inhabited so long ago as the time of the Persian Secander Shah's 

 expedition. The ruins now standing are of more modern date. It 

 has suffered great damages from the inroads of the river. The pre- 

 sent dwelling houses of the inhabitants are of mud, and mingle dis- 

 agreeably with the half dilapidated but substantial brick walls of its 

 former buildings. In the time of the Dehli emperors, it was attached 

 to the Suba of Lahdr. It was taken from the descendants of Rai 

 Ahmad Munj (after they had been driven from Mamdot by the Pathan 

 family of Kusur) by Ranji't Singh, and given by him in jaghir to 

 Fatteh Singh Alawalla. The soil in the vicinity is good, and 

 there are a number of fine paka wells, but little cultivation. The 

 zemindars are Arrdins, more commonly called Mollies, to the eastward ; 

 a class who seldom engage in cultivation on a large scale. 



About six miles beyond Tihara is the village of Tariwdla, opposite 

 to which the right branch of the river again divides, the main stream 

 making an immense circuit to the north-west, and leaving an island 

 of three or four miles in breadth between it and the left channel 

 which ran under Tihara. Night overtook us before we arrived at the 

 junction of the three branches, and we were obliged to stop opposite 

 to a village on the right bank called Rame'-ke. We were separated 

 from our land party, and Rame'-ke could furnish no provision for our 

 boatmen and camp-followers. From Sidhuan to Rame'-ke fourteen 

 kos. 



