OF KAMAON. 31 



officers employed in the collection. The gross receipts of the inhabitants 

 from every source of production, were inadequate to answer such ex- 

 cessive impositions, the capital and stock of individuals were gradually 

 dissipated in their liquidation, and ultimately a load of debt was incurred 

 for that purpose. When both the means and credit of the individual were 

 exhausted, emigration became his only resource ; in this manner, the 

 depopulation of the ghats was rapidly taking place, when the magnitude 

 of the evil led to the interference of the Supreme Government. An officer 

 of reputation, Captain Bhagti Thapa was especially deputed from Nepal, 

 for the re-settlement of the Shot Mehals ; under his vigorous superin- 

 tendance, the present difficulties of the Bhotias were, in a great degree, 

 removed by the enforced restoration of a portion of the exactions, and 

 by the reduction of the demands of their creditors to the mere principal 

 sum actually advanced ; while the principal source of these difficulties 

 was cut off by a remission in the public revenue, reduced to 4,700 for 

 Niti, 8,000 for Jmvdr, 7,000 for Darma, 2,700 for Bijanse, The establish- 

 ed principle of liquidation, half in money and half in merchandise, con- 

 tinued in force, but no longer afforded to the Bholias its former advan- 

 tages. The whole of these Mehals were included in the Military 

 assignments, and their revenues were either collected by the Assignees 

 themselves, or were leased by them to some responsible individual ; in 

 either case, the demand for the half in merchandise was commonly 

 disposed of in gross to some of the Almora Sahds, by whose skilful 

 management it was raised to a full equality in value with the money half, 

 at the expence of the Bhotias. 



The government Jama was imposed on each Ghat in one gross sum, 

 and the detailed assessments left to be settled by the Burhas among 

 themselves : in this measure they always assumed the original amount of 

 the village tribute, as the standard for calculation. 



On 



