where there is so little pasture for cattle.  The wheat has almost everywhere received an orange tint from the geerwa, or blight, which covers the leaves, but, happily, has not as yet settled upon the stalks to feed on the sap.  This blight, the cultivators say, arises from the late and heavy rain they have had, and the easterly wind that prevailed for a few days.  The geerwa is a red fungus, which, when it adheres to the stems, thrusts its roots through the pores of the epidermis and robs the grain of the sap as it ascends.  When easterly winds and sultry weather prevail, the pores of the epidermis appear to be more opened and exposed to the inroads of these fungi than at other times.  If the wind continue westerly for a fortnight more, little injury may be sustained; but should easterly winds and sultry weather prevail, the greater part may be lost.  “We cultivators and landholders,” said Bukhtawur Sing, “are always in dread of something, and can never feel quite easy:  if little rain falls, we complain of the want of more; if a good deal comes down, we are in dread of this blight, and never dare to congratulate ourselves on the prospect of good returns.”  To the justice and wisdom of this observation all assented.*

[* Westerly winds and cold weather prevailed and the blight did little apparent injury to the crops; but the wheat crops, generally, over Oude and the adjoining districts, was shrivelled and deficient in substance.  It had “run to stalk” from the excess of rain.]

The landholders of this purgunnah are chiefly Janwar Rajpoots.  Kymara, a fine village, through which we passed, about five miles from Kurunpoor, is the residence of the present head of this family, Rajah Ajeet Sing.  He has a small fort close by, in which he is now preparing to defend himself against the King’s forces.  The poor old man came out with all his village community to meet and talk with me, in the hope that I might interpose to protect him.  He is weak in mind and body, has no son, and, having lately lost his only brother and declared heir to the estate, his cousins and more distant relations are scrambling for the inheritance.  The usual means of violence, collusion, and intrigue have been had recourse to.  The estate is in the Huzoor Tuhseel, and not under the jurisdiction of the contractor of Khyrabad.  The old man seemed care-worn and very wretched, and told me that the contractor, whom I should meet at Teekur, had only yesterday received orders from Court to use all his means to oust him from possession, and make over the estate to his cousin, Jodha Sing, who had lately left him in consequence of a dispute, after having, since the death of his brother, aided him in the management of the estate; that he had always paid his revenues to the King punctually, and last year he owed a balance of only one hundred and sixty rupees, when Anrod Sing, his distant relative, wanted him to declare his younger brother, Dirj Bijee Sing, his heir to the estate, in lieu of Jodha Sing.