could have assisted her was seized, with forty other
respectable persons, and taken off to the camp at Parbatee-tola,
where they were all tortured till they paid the ransom demanded, and
a gratuity, in addition, to the soldiers who had seized them. One of
the persons died under the tortures inflicted upon him.

In the Gungwal district similar atrocities were committed by Rughbur
Sing's agents and their soldiers. These agents were Gouree Shunkur
and Seorutun Sing. The district formed the estate of Rajah Sreeput
Sing, who resided with his family in the fort of Gungwal. The former
Nazim, Suraj-od Dowlah, had attacked this fort on some frivolous
pretence; and, having taken it by surprise, sacked the place and
plundered the Rajah and his family of all they had. The Rajah died
soon after of mortification, at the dishonour he and his family had
suffered, and was succeeded by his son, Seetul Persaud Sing, the
present Rajah, who was now plundered again, and driven an exile into
the Nepaul hills. The estate was now taken possession of by the
agents, Goureeshunker and Seorutun Sing. Seorutun Sing seized a
Brahmin who was travelling with his wife and brother, and, on the
pretence that he must be a relation of the fugitive Rajah, had him
murdered, and his head struck off on the spot. The wife took the head
of her murdered husband in her arms, wrapped it up in cloth, and,
attended by his brother, walked with it a distance of fifty miles to
Ajoodheea, where Rughbur Sing was then engaged in religious
ceremonies. The poor woman placed the head before him, and demanded
justice on her husband's murderers. He coolly ordered the head to be
thrown into the river, and the woman and her brother-in-law to be
driven from his presence. Many other respectable persons were seized
and tortured on similar pretext of being related to, or having served
or assisted, the fugitive Rajah. Moistened gunpowder was smeared
thickly over the beards of the men, and when dry set fire to; and any
friend or relatives who presumed to show signs of pity was seized and
tortured, till he or she paid a ransom. All the people in the country
around, who had moveable property of any kind, were plundered by
these two atrocious agents, and tortured till they paid all that they
could beg and borrow. Many respectable families were dishonoured in
the persons of wives, sisters, or daughters, and almost all the towns
and villages around became deserted.

In Rajah Nirput Sing's