The town of Ramnuggur, in which Gorbuksh resides occasionally, is on the road some five miles from the river.  It has a good many houses, but all are of the same wretched description; mud walls, with invisible coverings or no coverings at all; no signs of domestic peace or happiness; but nothing can exceed the richness and variety of the crops in and around Ramnuggur.  It is a fine garden, and would soon be beautiful, were life and property better secured, and some signs of domestic comfort created.  The ruined state of the houses in this town and in the villages along the road, is, in part, owing to the system which requires all the King’s troops to forage for themselves on the march, and the contractors, and other collectors of revenue, to be continually on the move, and to take all their troops with them.  The troops required in the provinces should be cantoned in five or six places most convenient, with regard, to the districts to be controlled, and most healthy for the people; and provided with what they require, as ours are, and sent out to assist the revenue collectors and magistrates only when their services are indispensably necessary.  Some Chundele Rajpoot landholders came to me yesterday to say, that Ghoolam Huzrut, with his bands of armed ruffians, seemed determined to seize upon all the estates of his weaker Hindoo neighbours, and they would soon lose theirs, unless the British Government interposed to protect them.  Gorbuksh has not ventured to come, as he was ordered, to pay his respects to the Resident; but has shut himself up in his fort at Bhitolee, about six miles up the river from our camp.  The Chouka is a small river which there flows into the Ghagra.  He is said to have four or five thousand men with him; and several guns mounted in his fort.  The ferry over the Ghagra is close to our tents, and called Byram-ghat.

December 5, 1849.—­Crossed the river Ghagra, in boats, and encamped at Nawabgunge, on the left bank, where we were met by one of the collectors of the Gonda Bahraetch district.  He complained of the difficulties experienced in realizing the just demands of the exchequer, from the number and power of the tallookdars of the district, who had forts and bands of armed followers, too strong for the King’s officers.  There were, he said, in the small purgunnah of Gouras—­

1.—­Pretheeput Sing, of Paska, who has a strong fort called Dhunolee, on the right bank of the Ghagra, opposite to Paska and Bumhoree, two strongholds, which he has on the left bank of that river, and he is always ready to resist the Government.

2.—­Murtonjee Buksh, of Shahpoor, who is always ready to do the same; and a great ruffian.

3.—­Shere Bahader Sing, of Kuneear.*

4.—­Maheput Sing, of Dhunawa.*

5.—­Surnam Sing, of Arta.*

6.—­Maheput Sing, of Paruspoor.*

[* All four are at present on good terms with the Government and its local authorities.]