ld not agree to pay
the seven thousand, but went off to request some capitalists to
furnish securities for the punctual payment of the rent.

The agent sent off secretly to Rughbur Sing to say, that unless he
came at the head of his forces he saw no chance of getting the
revenues from the Rajah or his tenants, who were all assembled and
might be secured if he could contrive to surprise them. Rughbur Sing
came with a large force at night, surrounded his agent's camp, where
the tenants and the Rajah's officers were all assembled, and seized
them. He then sent out parties of soldiers of from one hundred to two
hundred each, to plunder all the towns and villages on the estate,
and seize all the respectable residents they could find. They
plundered the town of Bondee, and pulled down all the houses of the
Rajah, and those of his relatives and dependents; and, after
plundering all the other towns and villages in the neighbourhood,
they brought in one thousand captives of both sexes and all ages, who
were subjected to all manner of torture till they paid the ransom
demanded, or gave written pledges to pay. Five thousand head of
cattle were, at the same time, brought in and distributed as booty.

The Rajah made his escape, but his agents were put to the same
tortures as his tenants. Rughbur Sing, among other things, commanded
them to sign a declaration, to the effect that his predecessor and
enemy, Wajid Allee Khan, had received from them the sum of thirty
thousand rupees more than he had credited to his government, but this
they all refused to do. Rughbur Sing remained at Bondee for six
weeks, superintending personally all these atrocities; and then went
off, leaving, as his agent, Kurum Hoseyn. He continued the tortures
upon the tenants and officers of the Rajah, and the captives
collected in his camp. He rubbed the beards of the men with moist
gunpowder; and, as soon as it became dry in the sun, he set fire to
it. Other tortures, too cruel and indecent to be named, were
inflicted upon four servants of the Rajah, Kunjun Sing, Bustee Ram,
Admadnt Pandee, and Bhugwant Rae, and upon others, who were likely to
be able to borrow or beg anything for their ransom.

Finding that the tenants did not return, and that the estate was
likely to be altogether deserted, unless the Rajah returned, Kurum
Hoseyn was instructed by Rughbur Sing to invite him back on any
terms. The poor Rajah, having nothing in the jungles to which he had
fle