80 
DEPUTY GOVERNMENTS. 
white appearance makes the place a conspicuous object: a few 
willows are the only trees near it. My quarters were in the 
house of one of the principal inhabitants, and I found them 
clean and plenteously served, though the host himself, a melan¬ 
choly looking man, in the midst of his civilities indulged heavily 
in complaints of poverty and distress, owing, he said, to the 
exactions of the kalentour, or deputy-governor of the valley. 
The hakim, or governor, Uzuph Khan, is the present chief of the 
royal goolams, or garde de corps of His Majesty ; and, therefore, 
must be a constant resident with the Shah ; consequently the 
whole management of the district rests with the kalentour. His 
duties are to levy the revenue and occasional contributions ; and, 
that it may be done with justice, part of his train are to be em¬ 
ployed in learning the character, and estimating the property of 
each inhabitant of the soil. He also ought to hear the griev¬ 
ances of the peasant, and report them for redress, when he makes 
his annual visit to his master at court. But middle-men of all 
countries seem to have nearly the same inclination towards the 
gravitating point of baseness and oppression. And many of 
these deputy-governors in Persia, far from the eye of their em¬ 
ployer, appear to care as little about the principle of uprightness, 
as any tithe or tax man in the world. Not doing the first duty, 
of examining into the means of the people, such a man will 
hardly perform the second, of- carrying their grievances before 
his lord; and the consequences too often are, rapacity, extortion, 
checked industry, poverty, and a bankrupt exchequer. Thus, 
unreflecting avarice defeats itself, in drying up the very source 
of wealth ; which comprehensive blessing to a country, all wise 
governments regarding as the vital spring of their power, 
amongst many judicious remarks on the subject, we find one 
