$+. A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



of our baggage. The receipt written upon a flip of birch bark 

 was no fooner beheld by the mod riotous of the men than he cealed 

 to attempt any further moleftation, although it was clear that he 

 had not read its contents.— As however one fellow was Hill a little 

 impertinent, my friend infilled upon his relieving a carrier from 

 his load, which he actually took part of the way up the hill j and 

 then flipping from under the load Aid down a face of rock, and 

 though old, fkipped away from point to point of a rough road with 

 the agility of a deer. As many loads were left behind, it was deem- 

 ed prudent to take the third man along with us as an hoftage for their 

 fafe paflage. As he went along, he told us that the Chaudri Catydn, 

 had farmed the cufloms of this place for ^oo rupees a year; and that 

 the woman, who was fo clamorous, was one of his wives, of whom 

 lie had feventeen. The other two women were her (laves. 



To a poor woman, who had had much difficulty in carrying 

 her burthen over a very rough road, I gave a Timaflia, which in 

 a few minutes was taken away from her by a man whom I fuppofed 

 to be her hulband. On learning that he was no relation, I got it 

 from him, fent him about his bufinefs, and returned the coin to 

 the woman i but when fhe departed, I had ths mortification of 

 ©bferving him at a considerable diflance flart from a place of con- 

 cealment and again force the money from her. This man was a 

 Zemindar of the village in which the poor woman lived, and though 

 he had been obliged by the Negi to carry a load, he flill exercifed 

 bis petty tyranny over one more defencelefs than himfelf. 



The gratification of the calls of hunger feems to be the firit 

 object amongft the inhabitants of a country, which, if under a well 

 jegulafced government, would fee capable of exporting a furplus of 



