man. His deputy, Nourouz Allee, withdrew the garrison, and left the
jungle to the Kumpureeas, who, in return, assigned to him three or
four of their villages, rent free, in perpetuity, which in Oude means
as long as the grantee may have the power or influence to be useful
to the granters, or to retain the grants. Since that time the
Kumpureeas have recovered all the lands they had lost, restored all
the jungle that had been cut down, and they are now more powerful
than ever. They have strengthened their old forts and built some new,
and added greatly to the number of their armed followers, so that the
governor of the district dares not do anything to coerce them into
the payment of the just demands of Government, or to check their
usurpations and outrages.*

[* This Nourouz Allee was, 1851, the agent of the Kumpureea barons of
this jungle, at the Durbar, where he has made, in the usual way, many
influential friends, in collusion with whom he has seized upon many
estates in the vicinity of the jungle, and had them made over to
these formidable barons.]

The present Nazim has with him two Nujeeb Regiments, one of nine
hundred and fifty-five, and the other of eight hundred and thirty
men; a squadron of horse and fourteen guns. The two corps are
virtually commanded by fiddlers and eunuchs at Court. Of the men
borne on the muster rolls and paid, not one-half are present; of the
number present, not one-half are fit for the duties of soldiers; and
of those fit for such duties, not one-half would perform them. They
get nominally four rupees a-month, liable to numerous deductions, and
they are obliged to provide their own clothing, arms, accoutrements,
and ammunition, except on occasions of actual fighting, when they are
entitled to powder and ball from the Government officer under whom
they are employed. He purchases powder in the bazaars, or has it sent
to him from Lucknow; and, in either case, it is not more than one-
third of the strength used by our troops. It is made in villages and
supplied to contractors, whose only object is to get the article at
the cheapest possible rate; and that supplied to the most petted
corps is altogether unfit for service.

The arms with which they are expected to provide themselves are a
matchlock and sword. They are often ten or twelve months in arrears,
and obliged to borrow money for their own subsistence and that of
their families, at twenty-four per cent. interest. If they are
disable