esley.

The country was then divided into equal shares, according to the
rent-roll at the time. The half made over to the British Government
has been ever since yielding more revenue to us, while that retained
by the sovereign of Oude has been yielding less and less to him; and
ours now yields, in land-revenue, stamp-duty, and the tax on spirits,
two crore and twelve lacs a-year, while the reserved half now yields
to Oude only about one crore, or one crore and ten lacs. When the
cession took place, each half was estimated at one crore and thirty-
three lacs. Under good management the Oude share might, in a few
years, be made equal to ours, and perhaps better, for the greater
part of the lands in our share have been a good deal impoverished by
over-cropping, while those of the Oude share have been improved by
long fallows. Lands of the same natural quality in Oude, under good
tillage, now pay a much higher rate of rent than they do in our half
of the estate.

Almas Allee Khan, at the close of his life, was supposed to have
accumulated immense wealth; but when he died he was found to have
nothing, to the great mortification of his sovereign, who seized upon
all. Large sums of money had been lent by him to the European
merchants at Lucknow, as well as to native merchants all over the
country. When he found his end approaching, he called for all their
bonds and destroyed them. Mr. Ousely and Mr. Paul were said to have
at that time owed to him more than three lacs of rupees each. His
immense income he had expended in useful works, liberal hospitality,
and charity. He systematically kept in check the tallookdars, or
great landholders; fostered the smaller, and encouraged and protected
the better classes of cultivators, such as Lodhies, Koormies, and
Kachies, whom he called and considered his children. His reign over
the large extent of country under his jurisdiction is considered to
have been its golden age. Many of the districts which he held were
among those transferred to the British Government by the treaty of
1801; and they were estimated at the revenue which he had paid for
them to the Oude Government. This was much less than any other
servant of the Oude Government would have been made to pay for them;
and this accounts, in some measure, for the now increased rate they
yield to us. Others pledged themselves to pay rates which they never
did or could pay; and the nominal rates in the accounts were always
greater than