of this sort in which the
King's troops have been attacked and beaten back, and their prisoners
rescued by the landholders of Bangur, and the adjoining districts of
Mahomdee and Sandee Palee. They are never punished for doing so, as
the King is too weak, and the aid of the British troops, for the
purpose, has seldom been given.

It would be of advantage to remove the Regiment of Oude Local
Infantry from Seetapoor to Tundeeawun, where its presence and
services are much more required. The climate is as good, and all that
native soldiers require for food and clothing are cheaper. The
drainage is good; and to the east of the town there is one of the
finest plains for a cantonment that I have ever seen. There are but
few wells, but new ones can be made at a trifling cost; and the Oude
Government would willingly incur the outlay required for these and
for all the public buildings required for the new cantonments, to
secure the advantage of such a change. The cost of the public
buildings would be only 12,000 rupees; and the same sum would have to
be given in compensation for private buildings-total 24,000. The
refractory landholders would soon be reduced to order, and prevented
from any longer making their villages dens of robbers as they now do;
and the jungles around would all soon disappear. These jungles are
not thick, or unhealthy, consisting of the small dhak or palas tree,
with little or no underwood; and the surface they now occupy would
soon be covered with fine spring crops, and studded with happy
village communities, were people encouraged by an assurance of
protection to settle upon it, and apply their capital and labour to
its cultivation. The soil is everywhere of the finest quality, the
drainage is good, and there are no jheels. A few ponds yield the
water required for the irrigation of the spring crops, during their
progress to maturity, from November to March: they are said all to
become dry in the hot season. It is, I think, capable of being made
the finest part of this fine country of Oude.

It was in contemplation to make the road from Lucknow to Shajehanpoor
and Bareilly pass through this place, Tundeeawun, by which some
thirty miles of distance would be saved, and a good many small rivers
and watercourses avoided. Why this design was given up I know not;
but I believe the only objection was the greater insecurity of this
line from the bad character of the great landholders of the Bangur
and Sandee Pale