POONAH m 
Residency were many, not only by food, but attendance and wine, 
when necessary. The poor wretches, during the rains, perished by 
hundreds, even in sight of the house. General relief was impossible. 
Not only would they have sold their children, but they would have 
been grateful to any one who would have accepted them. Now 
the evil is over. Leasing is allowed in India, which at this moment 
feeds many. Any person may earn sufficient to maintain him by 
going to the fields and working, or even bringing in a bundle of 
grass. The camp sustains many hands. In no country are the means 
of life procurable with greater facility than in the Mahratta states; 
it is a garden, which would produce crop after crop as fast as they 
could be sown. Tanks might everywhere be formed, so as to render 
a supply of water certain at all seasons. The wretched objects were 
not numerous as I passed through the town. 
I had intended, on the lath, to receive the Vakeels of the native 
powers, who might be at Poonah; but the Vakeel of Scindiah being 
on the eve of hi^ departure, obtained permission to pay his com- 
pliments this day. His name is Juswunt Rao Goreporah ; his family 
is very respectable; one of his relations, Morari Row, held Gooty 
from the Poonah Government, and was one of its Generals : he is 
mentioned by Orme. From the respectability of the family, the 
British, on the conquest of Mysore, gave to them the little district 
of Sondoor, a beautiful valley, situated between Chittledroog and 
Neydroog, and completely surrounded by the British territory. 
Juswunt Rao Goreporah himself is high in Scindiah 's confidence, 
and was the Vakeel appointed by him to negotiate the late treaty 
of peace with General Weilesley. His other Vakeel, Naroo Hurry, 
also waited on me : the former alone spoke. The conversation was 
