138 



Description of the Vailey of Sondur. 



[July 



arrived with the force at the barrier of the western pass leading into 

 the valley of Sondur on the 27th October 1817 ; where he was met by 

 the present chief Siva Row, with a few attendants, who conducted him 

 through the pass to the fort, on the glacis of which he delivered up the 

 keys, throwing himself on the protection of the British Government. I 

 cannot resist giving Colonel Munro's interesting description of his 

 interview with this descendant of a long line in his own simple graphic 

 language. He thus writes to Mr. Elphinstone from Tamberhilli, 1st 

 November 1817. 



" My letters of the 27th and 31st October will have informed you of 

 the quiet surrender of Sondur by its chief Sheo Row. I wrote to him 

 on the I8th October, apprising him. of the object of my march, and of- 

 fering him a jagheer of eight thousand rupees in any part of the Com- 

 pany's territory. I did not consider this sum as being an adequate 

 compensation for the loss of his district, but as I was aware that many 

 demands would be brought forward for relations and dependents, I 

 thought it best to begin upon a low scale. 



" On the 22d October, I received his answer, which expressed in a 

 gencia' v,'ay, that it was his wish to conform to the desires of the Bri- 

 tish Government, and stated that he would send two vakeels to treat 

 with me. The vakeels arrived in camp on the 24th October, bringing 

 w^ith them a paper containing a long list of Sheo Row's demands, 

 among which were a jagheer of twelve thousand rupees for himself, 

 smaller ones for his brother and sister, and provision for his principal 

 servants. I promised that he should have a jagheer of nine thousand 

 rupees ; that the vakeels should receive an allowance of fifteen star 

 pagodas monthly, and that the other claims should be taken into 

 consideration on my arrival at Sondur. The vakeels objected to the 

 smallness of the jagheer ; they said that their master might submit, but 

 that he would not consent to the arrangement. They were dispatched 

 from camp on the 25th October with my answer, and were directed to 

 inform Sheo Row, that if he intended to submit, I should expect him 

 to meet the detachment on the outside of the pass which leads into his 

 valleys. 



" On the 27th October, the detachment, on approaching near the pass, 

 was met by Sheo Row, attended by a few horsemen and peons. He 

 conducted it through the defile and barrier which defends the entrance 

 into the valley of Sondur. On reaching the glacis of the fort, he 

 drew up his party, and as he delivered the keys, he said, that he threw 

 himself entirely on the protection of (he British Government. He 

 then asked leave to go away, and having obtained it, he call- 



