[* The greater part of this property is understood to have been confided, in trust, to the old subadar, by some other minion of the Court, and the chief object of the gang was to get hold of it; as their patron, Akber-od Dowlah, had become aware that his fellow-minion had intrusted his wealth to the old subadar, after he had taken up his residence near Bulla.  The estate was made over, in farm, to Benee Madho, as the best man to cope with Mohiboollah, should he return and form a new gang.]

I requested the King to take the estate from this ruffian and restore it to its old proprietors, whose family had held it for several centuries, or bestow it in lease to some other strong and deserving person.

The Tilokchundee Byses take the daughters of other Rajpoots, who are a shade lower in caste, in marriage for their sons, but do not give their daughters in marriage to them in return.  They have a singular notion that no snake ever has destroyed or ever can destroy one of the family, and seem to take no precautions against its bite.  If bitten by a snake they do not attempt any remedy, nor could Benee Madho recollect any instance of a Tilokchundee Bysee having died from a bite.  He tells me that some families in every Rajpoot tribe in Oude destroy their female infants to avoid the cost of marrying them, though the King prohibited infanticide and suttee in the year 1833.  That infanticide does still prevail among almost all the Rajpoot tribes in Oude is unquestionable.

January 6, 1850.—­Yesterday evening we moved to Omrowa West, [Transcriber’s note:  this appears to be a misspelling for Morowa West] a distance of twelve miles, over a plain of bad oosur soil, scantily cultivated near the road.  To the left and right of the road, at a little distance, there are some fine villages, thickly peopled, and situated in fine and well-cultivated soil.  The country is well wooded, except in the worst parts of the soil, where trees do not thrive.  We saw a great deal of sugar-cane in the distance and a few pawn-gardens.  The population of the villages came to the high road to see us pass; and among them were a great many native officers and sipahees of our Regiments, who are at their homes on furlough, Government having given a very large portion of the native army the indulgence of furlough during the present cold season.  They all seemed happy; but, to my discomfort, a vast number take advantage of this furlough and my movements to urge their claims against the Government, its officers, and subjects.  Nothing can be more wretched than the appearance of the buildings in which the people of all grades live in these villages—­mud walls without any appearance of coverings, and doors and windows worse than I have seen in any other part of India.  Better would not be safe against the King’s troops, and these would certainly not be safe against a slight storm; a good shower and a smart breeze would level the whole of the villages with the ground in a few hours.  “But,” said the people, “the mud would remain, and we could soon raise up the houses again without the aid of masons, carpenters, or blacksmiths.”  It is enough that they are used to them.