he had dismissed from all
employ the villain Maharaj Sing, and appointed to his place Kurum
Hoseyn, who would make all reparation and redress all wrongs. This
letter he sent by a very plausible man, Omed Rae, the collector of
the Rahooa estate. Kurum Hoseyn resumed charge of his office, and
went unattended to the Rajah, with whom he remained some days
feasting, and swearing on the Koran, that all had been without his
connivance or knowledge, and that he had come back with a full
determination to see justice done to his friend, the Rajah, and his
landholders and cultivators in everything. Having thus soothed the
poor old Rajahs apprehensions, he prevailed on him to go back with
him to Bondee, where he behaved for some time with so much seeming
frankness and cordiality, and swore so solemnly on the Koran to
respect the persons of all men who should come to him on business,
that the Rajah's tenants and agents lost all their fears, and again
came freely to his camp. The Rajah now invited all his tenants as
before, to enter into engagements to pay their rents to officers
appointed by the collector as jumogdars; and the people had hopes of
being permitted to gather their harvests in peace. Kurum Hoseyn now
suggested to Beharee Lal, to come suddenly with the largest force he
could collect, and seize the many respectable men who had assembled-
at his invitation.

He made a forced march daring the night, appeared suddenly at Bondee
with a large force, and seized all who were there assembled, save the
Rajah and his family, who escaped to the jungles. Detachments of from
one hundred to two hundred were sent out as before, to plunder the
country, and seize all from whom anything could be extorted. All the
towns and villages on the estate were plundered of everything that
could be found, and fifteen hundred men, and about five hundred women
and children, were brought in prisoners, with no less than eighty
thousand animals of all kinds. There were twenty-five thousand head
of cattle; and horses, mares, sheep, goats, ponies, &c., made up the
rest. All with the men, women, and children were driven off, pell-
mell, a distance of twenty miles to Busuntpoor, in the Hurhurpoor
district, where Beharee Lal's headquarter had been fixed. For three
days heavy rain continued to fall. Pregnant women were beaten on by
the troops with bludgeons and the butt-ends of muskets and
matchlocks. Many of them gave premature birth to children and died on