1839.] Report on the District of Azimgurh. 129 



135th. The assessment is light. It has been collected now for two 

 years without any balance, or the smallest difficulty. In June of each 

 year, the whole demand for the Fussly year, beginning on the 1st of 

 October, has been collected. 



136th. There is no reason to believe that the boundary work has 

 been otherwise than well done, and that thoroughly. A few cases 

 about which doubts existed, have since been examined and put to 

 rights. 



137th. The rights of proprietors and rent rates have been generally 

 recorded, but the complete form, subsequently introduced, was not 

 then in use. Voluntary agreements were not then entered into by 

 the proprietors, and the partition of the waste land in each village 

 amongst the several co-parceners has not been so thoroughly done here 

 as elsewhere. The rule of partition has always been fixed, but that 

 rule has not yet been universally carried into effect. 



138th. The survey and settlement of Pergunnah Belhabans were 

 completed in the same season of 1834-5. The survey was conducted 

 under the immediate superintendence of Lieut. Fordyce, then an 

 Assistant to Capt. Simmonds, and was executed in a superior manner. 

 The Pergunnah is held by one large brotherhood of Bais Rajpoots, who 

 agreed to their Jumma in the gross, and distributed it themselves 

 equally on every beegah of cultivation throughout. This singular 

 proceeding was prevented from falling unequally on the several 

 members of the communities, from the circumstance of the property of 

 each being scattered about different Mouzahs, and in the mode generally 

 known as Met khut, so that every man had land of each sort. It 

 must however be borne in mind, that this measure has produced a 

 very unequal village assessment, as those which have poor lands are 

 taxed equally with those that contain good lands. Each Mehal must 

 always be held responsible for its Jumma, not each Mouzah. 



139th. The assessment is light, but some difficulty will always be 

 experienced in collecting it, for the people are very unruly, and bear a 

 bad reputation in the district. They are said, it is to be feared with 

 reason, to harbour thieves and bad characters of all descriptions, and 

 no doubt to participate in their gains. 



140th. Something is wanting in the Pergunnah in working out the 

 principle laid down at the time of settlement regarding the division of 

 the waste land in each village amongst the several Puttees. This has 

 not been regularly enforced, and no doubt cases exist, where an actual 

 partition is necessary, and ought to be immediately carried through. 



141st. Pergunnah Deogaon was surveyed by Mr. Terraneau in the 

 season of 1834-5, and settled by myself in 1835-36. 



