fatal mark upon the necks of no less than eight of the King’s wives, Nishat-mahal, Koorshed-mahal, Sooleeman-mahal, Huzrut-mahal, Dara Begum, Buree Begum, Chotee Begum, and Huzrut Begum.  The chief priest was summoned, and the divorce, from the whole eight, pronounced forthwith; and the ladies were ordered to depart with all that they had saved while in the palace.  Some of their friends suggested to his Majesty, that Mahommedans were but unskilful judges in such matters, and that a Court of Brahmins should be assembled, as they had whole volumes devoted exclusively to this science.  The most learned were accordingly collected, and they declared that though there were marks resembling in some degree the sampun, it was of no importance; and the evil it threatened might be averted by singeing the head of the snake with a hot iron.  The ladies were very indignant, and six of them insisted upon leaving the palace, in virtue of the divorce.  Two only consented to remain, the Buree Begum and Chota Begum.

December 14, 1849.—­Came on twelve miles to Gonda.  The country well studded with groves and fine single trees; the soil naturally fertile, and water near the surface.  Cultivation good about Gonda, and about some of the villages along the road it is not bad; but there is nowhere any sugar-cane to be seen beyond a small garden patch.  The country is so wretchedly stocked with cattle that little manure is available for tillage.

The Bulrampore Rajah, a lively, sensible, and active young man, joined me this morning, and rode along by the side of my elephant, with the capitalist, Ramdut Pandee, the Nazim, Mahommed Hussan, and old Bukhtawar Sing, the brother of the late Dursun Sing, whom I have often mentioned in this Diary.  Rajah Bukhtawar Sing is the King’s Mohtamin, or Quartermaster-General of the Resident’s’ camp.  The Rajah of Toolseepore also, who has been ousted by his son from his estate, joined me last night; but he was not well enough to ride with me.  Dogs, hawks, and panthers attend for sport, but they afford little or no amusement.  Hawking is a very dull and very cruel sport.  A person must become insensible to the sufferings of the most beautiful and most inoffensive of the brute creation before he can feel any enjoyment in it.  The cruelty lies chiefly in the mode of feeding the hawks.  I have ordered all these hunting animals to return to Lucknow.

Although the personal character of the Toolseepoor Rajah is not respected, that of his son is much worse; and the Bulrampoor Rajah and other large landholders in the neighbourhood would unite and restore him to the possession of his estate, but the Nazim is held responsible for their not moving in the matter, in order that the influential persons about the Court may have the plucking of it at their leisure.  The better to insure this, two companies of one of the King’s regiments have been lately sent out with two guns, to see that the son is not molested in the possession.  The father was restored to his estate in 1850, and the son fled again to the Goruckpoor district.  He became reconciled to his father some months after, through the mediation of the magistrate, Mr. Chester, and returned to Toolseepoor.  The father and son, however, distrusted each other too much to live long together on amicable terms, and the son has gone off again to Goruckpoor.