J. Beames —Notes on the History of Orissa. 
256 
1883.] 
the hope of starving us out. They have ceased to import from Sambhal- 
pore as they used to, for the same reason, and having long had relations 
with the ryots many of whom still hold their advances for grain unliqui¬ 
dated they are able to prevent them from bringing in grain to Cuttack. 
2. The ryots have hitherto always been accustomed to give up 
nothing until they were compelled. The Marathas took what they wanted 
by force, and the ryots did not understand our mild method of asking for 
and paying for what we wanted, they took it for weakness, and were so 
elated at their release from oppression, that they thought themselves quite 
independent and would do nothing to oblige any one. 
3. The Amils were in league against us, as they had for a long time 
taken advantage of their position to hold the lion’s share of the profitable 
export trade to Madras,'and did not wish to sell in Cuttack. 
4. The Commissariat officers were shamefully inert and incompetent, 
and notwithstanding all the above drawbacks could, if they would only 
exert themselves, collect a much larger supply than they did. Colonel 
H arcourt appears to have taken some effective steps to remedy this state 
of things, for no further rice was required from Balasore during the rest 
of 1804 or in 1805. 
Raja Tripati Raj was at this time sent from Cuttack to Balasore 
to act as Amil or Collector of the Revenue, and was put under Captain 
Morgan’s orders ; and Amils were appointed at Soroh, Bhadrakh and Dol- 
gram. who also were directed to send in their accounts to that officer. 
They all appear to have been thoroughly untrustworthy ; making use of 
every conceivable pretext to avoid doing what was required of them, and 
carrying that exasperating policy of passive resistance at which the Oriyas 
are such adepts to the highest pitch. The correspondence teems with 
complaints against them. They would not collect the revenue punctually, 
they never knew anything that they were asked about, they could not be 
found when wanted, denied having received this or that order, sent in their 
accounts imperfectly drawn up, long after time, and sometimes not at 
all, and on the whole behaved as badly as any set of men in their position 
well could. This indeed appears to have been the general tone of every 
one in the Province. Well aware of our ignorance of the country, they 
all with one accord abstained from helping us in any way, no open resis¬ 
tance was ventured upon, but all stolidly sat aloof—papers were hidden, 
information withheld, boats, bullocks and carts sent out of the way, the 
zamindars who were ordered to go into Cuttack to settle for their estates 
did not go, and on searching for them at their homes could not be found, 
were reported as absent, on a journey, no one knew where. But if from 
ignorance the English officers committed any mistake, then life suddenly 
returned to the dull inert mass, and complaints were loud and incessant. 
