February 25, 1850.—­Halted at Dureeabad.  I here saw the draft-bullocks attached to the guns, with Captain Orr’s companies of Frontier Police.  They are of the best kind, and in excellent condition.  They have the same allowance of a seer and half of grain a-day, which is drawn for every bullock attached to his Majesty’s artillery.  The difference is that they get all that is paid for in their name, while the others get one-third; and really got none when on detached duty till lately.  On Fridays, Captain Orr’s bullocks get only half; and this is, I believe, the rule with all the others that get any at all.  His bullocks are bred in the Nanpara, Nigasun, Dhorehra, and other districts in the Oude Tarae, and are of an excellent quality for work.  They cost from 40 to 75 rupees a-pair.  In these districts of the Tarae forest, the cows are allowed to go almost wild in large grass preserves, where they are defended from tigers; and the calves are taken from them, when a year old, to be taken care of at home, till sold for the dairy or for work.  Captain Orr’s bullocks have no grazing-ground, nor are they sent out at all to graze—­they get nothing but bhoosa (chaff) and corn.  Of bhoosa they get as much as they can eat, when on detached duty, as they take it from the peasantry without payment; but when at Lucknow, they are limited to a very small quantity, as Government has to pay for it.  On the 15th of May, 1833, the King prohibited any one from taking bhoosa without paying for it, either for private or public cattle; and directed that bhoosa, for all the Artillery bullocks, should be purchased at the harvests, and charged for in the public accounts; but the order was disregarded like that against the murder of female children.

February 26, 1850—­Sidhore, sixteen miles, W.S.W.  The country, a plain, covered as usual with spring crops and fine foliage; but intersected midway by the little river Kuleeanee, which causes undulations on each side.  The soil chiefly doomut and light, but fertile.  It abounds more in white ants than such light soil generally does.  We passed through the estate of Soorujpoor Behreylee, in which so many of the baronial robbers above described reside, and through many villages beyond it, which they had lately robbed and burnt down, as far as such villages can be burnt.  The mud-walls and coverings are as good as bomb-proofs against the fire, to which they are always exposed from these robbers.  Only twenty days ago, Chundee Behraleea and his party attacked the village of Siswae, through which we passed a few miles from this—­plundered it, and killed three persons, and six others perished in the flames.  They served several others in the neighbourhood in the same manner; and have, within the same time, attacked and plundered the town of Sidhore itself several times.