ocess of absorbing the estates of their
neighbours, and the property of men of substance in the countries
around, would be a tedious and unprofitable task; and I shall content
myself with mentioning a few that are most prominent in the
recollection of the people of the district. About ten years ago,
Gunga Buksh and his gang attacked the house of Lalla Shunker Lal, a
respectable merchant of Dewa, plundered it, killed the tutor of his
three sons, and carried them and their father off to his fort, where
he tortured them till they paid him a ransom of nine thousand rupees.
On their release they left Dewa, and have ever since resided in
Lucknow. Two years after they attacked the village of Saleempore, two
miles east from Dewa, killed Nyam Allee, the zumeendar, and seized
upon his estate. About six years ago Munnoo, the son of Gunga Buksh,
with a gang of near two thousand men, attacked the King's force in
the town of Dewa, killed four sipahees, two artillery-men, and two
troopers, and plundered the place. About six months ago this gang
attacked the house of Ewuz Mahommed, in Dewa, plundered it, levelled
it with the ground, and took off all the timbers to their fort of
Kasimgunge. Soon after he made the attack in which he killed twenty-
nine persons in Dewa, as above described.

Thakur Purshad, about fourteen years ago, attacked the village of
Molookpore, two miles east from Dewa, plundered it, took possession
of the land, seized and carried off the proprietor, Sheikh Khoda
Buksh, and put him to death in his fort of Bhetae. Three years after
he attacked the house of Gholam Mostafa, in Dewa, killed him, and
seized upon all the lands he held. Three years ago he attacked the
house of Janoo, a shopkeeper, plundered it, and confined and tortured
him till he paid a ransom of two hundred and fifty rupees. Three
months after he seized and carried off to his fort Roopun, another
shopkeeper, and confined and tortured him till he paid a ransom of
three hundred rupees. Last year he seized and took off Jhow Dhobee
from Dewa, and extorted forty rupees from him. Six months ago he
attacked a marriage-procession in Dewa, plundered it, took off the
bridegroom, Omed Allee, and confined and tortured him till he paid
eleven hundred and fifteen rupees. These men all levy black mail from
the country around; and it is those only who cannot or will not pay
it, or whose lands they intend to appropriate, that they attack. They
created the jungle above