best pay master has certainly the best
chance. It is humiliating and distressing to see a whole people
suffering such wrongs as are every day inflicted upon the village
communities and town's people of Dureeabad, Rodowlee, Sidhore, and
Dewa, by these merciless freebooters; and impossible not to feel
indignant at a Government that regards them with so much
indifference.*

[* Poor Aga Ahmud was put into gaol, for defalcation, at the end of
the season; but Girdhara Sing was received with great favour by the
Court. The government of the district, for the next season, was
confirmed, and the usual dress of honour was conferred upon him, but
the Resident deemed it to be his duty to interpose and insist upon
his not being sent out. The government of the district was, in
consequence, taken from him, and made over to Rajah Maun Sing.]

A respectable young agricultural capitalist from Biswa, Seetaram,
rode along by my side this morning, and I asked him, "over whom these
suttee tombs, near Biswa, and other towns were for the most part
raised."--"Sir," said he, "they are chiefly over the widows of
Brahmins, bankers, merchants, Hindoo public officers, tradesmen, and
shopkeepers." "Are there many such tombs in Oude, over the widows of
Rajpoot landholders?"--"I have not seen any, sir, and have rarely
heard of the widow of a Rajpoot landholder burning herself." "No,
sir," said Bukhtawar Sing, "how should such women be worthy to become
suttees? They dare not become suttees, sir, with the murder of so
many innocent children on their heads. Sir, we Brahmins and other
respectable Hindoos feel honoured in having daughters; and never feel
secure of a happy life hereafter till we see them respectably
married. This, sir, is a duty the Deity demands from us, and the
neglect of which we do not believe he can ever excuse. When the
bridegroom comes sir, to fetch our daughter, the priest reads over
the marriage-service, and the parents of the girl wash her feet and
those of her bridegroom; and, as they sit together after the
ceremonies, put into her arms a tray of gold and silver jewels, and
rich clothes, such as their condition in life enables them to
provide; and then invoke the blessing of God upon their union; and
then, and not till then, do they feel that they have done their duty
to their child. What can men and women, who murder their daughters as
soon as they are born, ever hope for in this life or in a future
state? What can widows, con