Without such late rain, the crops ripen
prematurely, the grain becomes shrivelled, and defective both in
quantity and quality. While the rain lasts, however, a large camp is
a wretched scene; for few of the men, women, and children, and still
fewer of the animals it contains, can find any shelter at all!
_January_ 12, 1850.-At Nawabgunge, still detained by rain. The
Minister had ordered out tents for himself and suite on the 8th, but
they had not come up, and I was obliged to lend him one of my best,
and some others as they came up, or they would have been altogether
without shelter. When he left them on the 10th, his attendants cut
and took away almost all the ropes, some of the kanats or outer
walls, and some of the carpets. He knew nothing about it, nor will he
ever learn anything till told by me. His attendants were plundering
in all the surrounding villages while he remained; and my people
tried in vain to prevent them, lest they should themselves be taken
for the plunderers. Of all this the Minister knew nothing. The
attendants on the contractors and other local officers are, if
possible, still worse; and throughout the country the King's officers
all plunder, or acquiesce in the plunder, utterly regardless of the
sufferings of the people and the best interests of their Sovereign.
No precaution whatever is taken to prevent this indiscriminate
plunder by the followers of the local authorities; nor would any one
of them think it worth his while to interpose if he saw the roofs of
the houses of a whole village moving off on the heads of his
followers to his camp; or a fine crop of sugar-cane, wheat, or
vegetables cut down for fodder by them before his face.
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