204 PINJOR 



figured. The ladies of the harem naturally were 

 horrified ; it was bad enough to be brought 

 into these wild outlandish jungles, without this 

 new and added terror. For the poor coolie 

 women, well instructed beforehand, had told 

 how the air and water of Pin j or caused this 

 disease, which no one who lived there long ever 

 escaped. A panic reigned in the zenana ; its 

 inmates implored to be removed at once from 

 such a danger ; and finally, Fadai Khan had to 

 give way, and take his ladies to some other 

 place less threatening to their beauty. Had it 

 been the terrible Emperor himself instead of his 

 foster-brother, the cunning Rajas would have 

 met their match. But Fadai Khan, thoroughly 

 deceived, rarely came back to visit his lovely 

 gardens, and the Rajas and their fields were 

 left in peace for a time. 



With the eighteenth century, and the breaking 

 up of the Mughal Empire, the Gurkas rose to 

 power, and " came upon the hill people," as it 

 was graphically described to me. Much more 

 tiresome neighbours these, even than the Mughal 

 omrahs, with their raids and plunderings over all 

 the country round. No tricks would stop these 

 hardy little men from taking what they wanted ; 



