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Mr. Thomas had time to direct his attention to the fituation of his own troops. The fick and wounded were conducted to a place of fafety, together with the hoftages which had been received from the enemy on the commencement of the late negotiations; and having refted and refreshed his men, Mr. Thomas recommenced hoftilities on the enemy's country, and, by a fucceffion of exactions and fines, foon obtained money sufficient to defray his and fatisfy his troops for their arrears.

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By this time, the rajah of Jypoor, sensible of the injury which his country would sustain by these depredations, once more fent persons to offer terms to Vavon Row, for the evacuation of his territories. The terms were accepted, a fum of money paid, and hoftilities ceased.

On the conclufion of the tranfactions, Mr. Thomas determined to retaliate on the rajah of Beykaneer, and punish him for the aid which he had afforded the prince of Jypoor the preceding year.

To comprehend, however, the nature of this

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expedition, it will be neceffary in this place to recur to a geographical and statistical sketch of this remarkable country.

The province of Beykaneer is bounded on the north by the country of the Batties, west by the defert, fouth-west by Jeffelmere, and south by Joudpoor; fouth-east by Jypoor, and east by the district of Hurrianah. It is one hundred and twenty cofs from north to fouth, and from fifty to eighty from eaft to weft; but is broadeft in the centre. The country is elevated; the foil a light brown fand, from the nature of which rain is swallowed up as foon as fallen. This circumstance renders neceffary a recourse to the construction of wells in all parts of the country. Thefe, which are made of brick, are ingeneral from one to two hundred feet in depth, though towards the Jeffelmere frontier they extend to no lefs than three hundred feet. For the ordinary purposes of life, and domestic confumption, each family is careful to provide ciftern for the reception of rain water; as a dearth of this precious article frequently compels the inhabitants, by whole families, to migrate to a more favourable foil.

With the exception of a few villages towards the eastern boundary, the cultivation of Beykaneer is precarious; bajerah, and other forts of Indian pulse, being all that are produced. But horfes and bullocks are numerous. From the causes above stated, the inhabitants of Beykaneer are obliged in a great measure to depend upon their neighbours for the neceffary fupplies of provisions; as even in the few, places most favourable for cultivation the produce of the fields fcarcely recompenfes the labour of the peafant.

The city of Beykaneer is fpacious, well-built, and furrounded by a wall of conker.

One mile fouth-weft of the city is the fort where the rajah refides. It is a place of confiderable ftrength, built in the Indian ftyle, and encompaffed by a broad and deep ditch; but the chief fecurity of both the city and fort is owing to the scarcity of water in the furrounding country.

The form of government in Beykaneer refembles that of Joudpoor, for here also both

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the property and lives of the fubject are entirely at the difpofal of the prince.

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Soorut Sing, the present ruler of Beykaneer, has been of late years compelled to maintain of mercenaries for the fecurity of his authority. For though at his acceffion to the government he found himself poffeffed of a full treasury, which the wisdom and forefight of his ancestors had hoarded up with frugality and care; yet from boundless profusion and thoughtless extravagance this was quickly diffipated; and his neceffities compelling him to have recourse to extortions to fupply his extravagance, he has, by becoming cruel, tyrannical, and oppreffive, thereby alienated the love of his subjects.*

* In the year 1799, the rajah of Beykaneer committed an act deserving of the highest reprobation, and which stands confirmed on the authority of Mr. Thomas.

A party who were sent by Vizier Ali, the spurious nawaub of Oude, to the country of Zemaun Shah, were, by order of Soorut Sing, the present sovereign, not only detained prisoners in their passage through his territories, but plundered of their property and treasure to the amount of twenty-seven lacks of rupees, and finally put to death.

The inhabitants of Beykaneer are in general Rajpoots, and spring from the parent stock of Oudipore, as will be hereafter noticed in the historical sketch of that remarkable country. This of course attaches to them a fimilarity of habits and manners. It has however been remarked that although Rajpoots, and of the Rhatore tribe, the Beykaneerians are cruel in difpofition, cowardly, and treacherous. These degenerate symptoms may be attributed partly to their indolent and inactive ftate for a long period of years; and partly to a relaxation in their ancient fimplicity of manners, occafioned by the bad example fet them by their own princes.

The revenues of Beykaneer amount to about three lacks of rupees; though the rajah has occafionally found means, by laying duties and vexatious impofts on the merchants paffing through his country, to realize nearly double that fum.

The trade formerly paffing from the port of Soorat to Tatta on the Indus, entered from

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