1837.] Lodiana io Mithunkot by the Stitlaj river. 201 



closed in before we arrived, and they burnt blue lights, the effect of 

 which with their salute was good, but so much cannot be said for the 

 stunning noise of their barbarous drums and fifes which accompanied 

 it. The battalion mustered about three hundred firelocks ; besides 

 these, there were two small pieces of artillery with a few gulandaz 

 dressed in red pagris, brown vests, and blue cossack puijdmas. They 

 were very cleanly in appearance, and I was told that the whole of the 

 Khan's troops had been newly clothed in anticipation of the arrival of 

 the mission. 



On the 6th to Goth Nur Muhammad ; estimated distance by the river 

 8-g- kos. The Khairpur district extended for two-thirds of the way, 

 when we entered that of Goth Nur Muhammad. In consequence of the 

 unusual drought of the last four years, and the floods from the river 

 having inclined to the right bank, the districts from Khairpur to the 

 eastern frontier now barely pay the expenses of collecting the revenue. 



Throughout this extensive tract of country, embracing a length of 

 more than one hundred kos, there are only three officers in authority 

 for the collection of revenue and the preservation of order. One is at 

 Khairpur, one at Goth Qdim Rdis, twelves miles beyond, and the 

 other moves alternately from Gurjidna to Mubdrakpur, but resides 

 chiefly at the latter place. In harvest time, mutsaddis or muharirs 

 are dispatched from Ahmadpur to collect the revenue in these parts, 

 but they never remain long. So little authority does the Nawab 

 possess over the districts east of Mubdrakpur, that he may be said to 

 levy rather an occasional tribute from them than any fixed revenue. 

 The property of the zemindars consists chiefly of cattle, and is conse- 

 quently moveable ; and as the Nawab finds it more troublesome than 

 advantageous to be continually sending large forces to overawe them, 

 they frequently escape two or more seasons successively without 

 paying any thing to his treasury, either by crossing to the opposite 

 side of the river, or concealing themselves and their cattle for a time 

 in the large tracts of jungle which every where abound. Once in two 

 or three years a force is sent, when, if the zemindars refuse to come 

 in and pay their rents, their houses and the little land they cultivate 

 are laid waste, and all their cattle that can be found seized and car- 

 ried oft'. They are at liberty to release them on paying what is called 

 the " trinni" or tax for pasturage, and the arrears of their tribute in 

 kind. The amount of this varies with the means which the govern- 

 ment officers have of enforcing, or the ryats of resisting the demand. 

 A tax is also levied from them, commonly designated and known 

 among them as the " theft licence," with a view, perhaps, of eradicat- 

 2 D 



