, or a son of a sister, or any descendant in
the female line, while there is one of the male line existing.
Seoruttun Sing was the next heir in the male line; but the Rajah,
having married a young girl in his old age, adopted as his heir to
the principality her nearest relative, the present Rajah, who is of a
different _gote_. The desire to keep the land in the same family has
given rise to singular laws and usages in all nations in the early
stages of civilization, when industry is confined almost exclusively
to agriculture, and land is almost the only property valued. Among
the people of the Himmalaya hills, as in all Sogdiana, it gave rise
to polyandry; and, among the Israelites and Mahommedans, to the
marriage of many brothers in succession to the same woman.

[* Rajah Deer Sing died in April 1851, leaving a very young son under
the guardianship of his uncle, Golab Sing.]

The Rajah of Dharoopoor, who resides at Rampoor, our last halting-
place, holds, as above stated, a tract of land along the left bank of
the Ganges, called the Kalakunkur, in which he has lately built a
mud-fort of reputed strength. He is a very sensible and active man of
pleasing manners. He has two grown-up sons, who were introduced to me
by him yesterday. The Government authorities complain of his want of
punctuality in the payment of his revenue; and he complains, with
much more justice, of the uncertainty in the rate of the demand on
the part of Government and its officers or Court favourites, and in
the character of the viceroys sent to rule over them; but, above all,
of the impossibility of getting a hearing at Court when they are
wronged and oppressed by bad viceroys. He went twice himself to
Lucknow, to complain of grievous wrongs suffered by him and his
tenants from an oppressive viceroy; but, though he had some good
friends at Court, and among them Rajah Bukhtawar Sing, he was obliged
to return without finding access to the sovereign or his minister, or
any one in authority over the viceroy. He told me that all large
landholders, who had any regard for their character, or desire to
retain their estates, and protect their tenants, were obliged to arm
and take to their strongholds or jungles as their only resource, when
bad viceroys were sent--that if they could be assured that fair
demands only would be made, and that they would have access to
authority, when they required to defend themselves from false
charges, and to complain of the