support them in any enterprise, and can always add to their number on
emergency. There is never any want of loose characters ready to fight
for the sake of plunder alone. A tallookdar, however, when opposed to
his government, does not venture to attack another tallookdar or his
tenants. He stands too much in need of his aid, or at least of his
neutrality and forbearance.

_January_ 18, 1850.--Halted at Sundeela. To the north of the town
there is a large uncultivated plain of _oosur_ land, that would
answer for cantonments; but the water lies, for some time after rain,
in many places. The drainage is defective, but might be made good
towards a rivulet to the north and west. There is another open plain
to the west of the town, between the suburbs and the small village of
Ausoo Serae, where the Trigonometrical Survey has one of its towers.
It is about a mile from east to west, and more from north to south,
and well adapted for the location of troops and civil establishments.
The climate is said to be very good. The town is large and still
populous, but the best families seem to be going to decay, or leaving
the place. Many educated persons from Sundeela in our civil
establishments used to leave their families here; but life and
property have become so very insecure, that they now always take them
with them to the districts in which they are employed, or send them
to others. I observed many good houses of burnt brick and cement, but
they are going fast to decay, and are all surrounded by numerous mud-
houses without coverings, or with coverings of the same material,
which are hidden from view by low parapets. These houses have a
wretched appearance.

The Amil has twelve guns with him; but the bullocks are all so much
out of condition from want of food that they can scarcely walk; and
the Amil was obliged to hire a few plough-bullocks from the
cultivators, to draw out two guns to my camp to fire the salute. They
get no grain, and there is little or no grass anywhere on the fallow
and waste lands, from the want of rain during June, July, and August.
The Amil told me, that he had no stores or ammunition for the guns;
and that their carriages were all gone, or going, to pieces, and had
received no repairs whatever for the last twelve years. I had in the
evening a visit from Rajah Murdun Sing, of _Dharawun_, a stout and
fat man, who bears a fair character. He is of the Tilokchundee Bys
clan, who cannot intermarry with each ot