land is quite barren and free
from cultivation. The cruelty with which Europeans in general act
towards these poor captives is really disgraceful, and cannot but be
censured by all who cherish the least trait of humanity with their
breast.

When an European passes through any of the villages, and is in want of
any coolies, or porters, to carry his baggage, he orders his guards to
press every man he can meet with, and compel him to carry whatever his
barbarous protector chooses he should labour under, and if there is
not sufficient men, to press the women, without considering whether
they have any family to provide for. It has been frequently known,
that the mother has been forced to leave her infant babe from her
breast upon the bare earth to provide for itself, to carry the baggage
of a merciless enemy, whose only payment, after going fifteen or
sixteen Indian miles, is, if she complains, a _bambooing_, (that is a
caning,) and, perhaps, after she gets home, which cannot be till the
next day, she finds her poor infant dead for want.

We passed through Parmunsa, and arrived at Moorkandah, which is a
small village, and in a very ruinous condition, as it is at the foot
of the Ghaut; the inhabitants are but few in number, and are
principally Brahmins, consequently provisions are very scarce; on my
requesting the cutwall, or headman of the village, to bring some
fowls, he refused, and said there were none in the place, although I
repeatedly heard the crowing of a cock. The impudent manner in which
the man answered me, made me doubt the truth of what he said; in order
to ascertain it, I took two peons and my gun and went round the
village, and found a full grown cock; I caught it, and ordered it to
be carried to my tent and killed; the natives by this time were in
arms, and before any of us were aware of it, they had secured the
peons and surrounded me, demanding the cock: when they were informed
of its death, they all began to weep and raised a most lamentable cry,
and said it was devoted to their god, and that the heaviest curses
would follow me. I expected their denunciations would have paid for
it; but in that I was greatly mistaken, for they demanded payment for
it; and to avoid any injury to my peons, I offered them one rupee,
considering that it would be equal to the price of eighteen cocks; but
they disdainfully refused it, and said that they must offer gifts to
their god to appease his anger, and to pay their sadur