ftances of the wearers; but among the chiefs of the refpective tribes, the horse-furniture, in which they take the greatest pride (and which, with the exception of the inlaying of their fire-arms, is their luxury), is uncommonly fplendid; for, though a feik will fcruple to expend the most trifling fum on his food or clothing, he will fpare no expence in endeavouring to excel his comrades in the furniture of his horse, and in the richness and brightnefs of his armour; a circumstance which appears to bear no inconfiderable resemblance to the customs of the ancient Spartans.*

Confiderable fimilarity in their general cuftoms may be traced with thofe of the Jauts. Though these in some districts apparently vary, the difference is not material; and their permitting an interchange of marriages with the Jauts of the Dooab and Harrianah, amounts almost to a conclufive proof of their affinity of origin.

The Seiks allow foreigners of every defcription to join their standard, to fit in their com * See Cornelius Nepos, and Pausanias..

pany, and to have their beards; but, excepting in the inftance of the Jauts, they will not confent to intermarriages; nor will they eat or drink from the hands of an alien, except he be a bramin, and for this caft they always profefs the highest veneration.

If, indeed, fome regulations which are in their nature purely military, and which were introduced by their founder Nanick, be excepted, it will be found that the Seiks are neither more or less than Jauts in their primitive ftate.

Thus far, fays Mr. Thomas, we have seen the fair fide of the picture; let us now confider the reverfe.-The Seiks are falfe, fanguinary, and faithlefs; they are addicted to plunder, and the acquirement of wealth by any means, however nefarious. Inftances have occurred of a child's arm being raised against his parent, and of brothers deftroying each other.

Women amongst them are held in little eftimation, and though ill treated by their

husbands, and prohibited from accompanying them in their wars, thefe unhappy females nevertheless attend to their domeftic concerns with a diligence and fedulousness deferving of a better fate.

Inftances, indeed, have not unfrequentlyoccurred, in which they have actually taken up arms to defend their habitations from the defultory attacks of the enemy, and throughout the conteft behaved themselves with an intrepidity of spirit highly praifeworthy.

In the feik army, the modes of payment are

various but the most common is at the time of harvest, when every foldier receives the amount of his pay in grain and other articles, the produce of the country; to fome is given money in small fums, and to others lands are allotted for their maintenance. Three-fifths of the horses of the Punjab are the property of the different chieftains: the remainder belong to the peafantry who have become fettlers.

Afeik foldier has alfo his portion of the plunder acquired in the courfe of a campaign: this is fet afide as a reward for his fervices; and

H

in addition to it, he fometimes increases his gain by fecreting part of the public plunder.

The nature of the feik government is fingular, and probably had its origin in the unfettled ftate of the tribe when first established in their poffeffions. Within his own domains each chief is lord paramount. He exerts an exclufive authority over his vaffals, even to the power of life and death; and to increase the population of his districts, he proffers a ready and hofpitable afylum to fugitives from all parts of India. Hence, in the feik territories, though the government be arbitrary, there exifts much less cause for oppreffion than in many of the neighbouring ftates; and hence likewife, the cultivator of the foil being liable to frequent change of mafters, by the numerous revolutions that are perpetually occurring, may be confidered as one of the caufes of the fluctuation of the national force.*

* In the above sketch of the situation and resources, of the seik nation, Mr. Thomas does not include the territories of Zemaun Shah lying east of the Attock; part of which were, during the reigns of the emperors, included in the Punjab, and may therefore be considered as belonging te it.

CHAPTER VI.

Mr. Thomas defeats the Seiks-concludes an advantageous treaty-difagreement with Bappoo Scindia-Mr. Thomas forms the defign of eftablishing himself as an independant chief-for that purpose felects the province of Hurrianah —his establishment at Hanfi.

SUCH

was the tribe against which Mr. Thomas now prepared to march. Leaving a force competent to the defence of Jyjur, which he expected would be attacked by Vavon Row, he marched to Karnâl, near which the Seiks lay.

Four fucceffive actions took place, attended with confiderable lofs on both fides; Mr. Tho mas having loft five hundred men, and the Seiks double that number. Both parties inclining to peace, a treaty was concluded, by which the Seiks agreed to evacuate the province, which was accordingly done.