moved in the adjusted quarrel, while the partizans of the other party were, at the same time, secretly encouraged to prepare to strike a blow; a sudden attack was made in which six persons of the branch, which, relying for protection upon our authority, had neglected measures to protect itself, were cruelly slain. The tribes allied to it, highly incensed by the deception of Sam Bisaye and its consequences, prepared to avenge them. Sam Bisaye, alarmed at the length to which matters were proceeding, then did all that was possible, with the aid of another sirdar, from the low country, to allay the storm, and it was fortunately kept under until my arrival. Had this not been effected, a conflict must have arisen involving at least the whole great district of Athara Mútah in deadly strife, which must have been fatal to the hope of accomplishing at present any of the objects of the Government, of which peace is plainly the first condition.

I investigated this matter in the presence of the chief people of Athara Mútah, and they, with the parties, and Sam Bisaye, gave their evidence, and stated their opinions freely upon every point. All were agreed as to the facts of the case. And in these discussions, I must observe, that the desire of peace was plainly the leading idea in every mind. The greatest happiness which we seek for, said all the patriarchs, "is this, that the only axe known in Athara Mútah shall be the wood-axe, and that every man shall enjoy his own in peace." The complaining parties spoke out plainly and truly. They said that they had suffered this affliction entirely from the Government's not having protected them, while it had prevented them, through Sam Bisaye-by whose warning to their allies both these and they were deceived-from protecting themselves, which they were perfectly able to have done; and all present went with them.

I trust that the mode in which I have acted in this case, under the constraint of circumstances wholly different from any that are contemplated by our laws, will be approved.

The matter was plainly to be dealt with upon the broadest view of the circumstances, and with reference to our general objects. It was obviously necessary to demonstrate, that the first object of the Government was to establish peace, and also, that what its authority had bound, was not to be unloosed. But war betwixt branches of tribes is necessarily, in no degree criminal in the sight of the Khonds. The institutions which render it at once unnecessary and unlawful, do not exist amongst them; and we have not declared it criminal. Its punishment as a crime in this case, would therefore, have been quite unintelligible to them, would have been impossible with justice, with reference to the numbers concerned, and would have put an end to confidence in our views of justice, as necessary for the preservation of the peace. I have simply imprisoned the two chief offenders at Nowgaum until security shall be obtained for their conduct, or until the state of Society shall warrant their release, and I do not conceive that they should be the object of farther proceedings. The effect of their confinement has been most satisfactory. They are constantly visited by the Khonds; all parties concur in the justice of their punishment as excitors of discord, and as breakers of faith with the Government, and express themselves with freedom to them respecting it: and they have no reply but "that they acted in the old way, misled by Sam Bisaye." The decisions formerly passed by the local authority, which were tending to give way, stand firm. Those since passed have been promptly obeyed; all has been tranquillity, confidence, and good feeling; and the number and the variety of matters which have since been brought by the Khonds for settlement have been endless. It will, I hope, be possible to liberate the confined patriarchs with good effect a few months hence."

Having thus succeeded, at an earlier period than, in his most sanguine mood, he had ever ventured to anticipate, in gaining the confidence of these wild and barbarous, though, in many respects, simple and unsophiscated people, he next began, in terms of his appointment, to make cautious inquisition into the all-important matter of the abolition of human sacrifice. He addressed himself first to the Khonds of Bara Mútah. his express invitation, the Patriarchs and men of influence came and remained with him at Nowgaum for above a fortnight. The time was spent in discussing every point connected with their situation, their religion, their relations with other Khonds, and to the Government. His chief or primary object was to ascertain exactly their ideas and feelings, and to communicate to them a few distinct conceptions of the general views of the Government towards them. He was anxious to avoid the formal consideration of future arrangements with them, until he should be able to visit the Hill country with adequate power to complete them. Such reticence with respect to the future was soon found, however, to be impossible; neither did it, at length, appear to be desirable, entirely to avoid the contemplation of prospective measures. In the end, as the result of friendly but almost interminable discussions, various definite propositions were made to him, indicative of the willingness of the Khonds to relinquish the rite of human sacrifice, upon certain conditions of which the more material were the following:

"That they shall be received into the immediate protection of the Government, and shall always obtain justice from it.

That if any Khond of Bara Mútah shall infringe the engagement to abstain from the sacrifice, and from the use of human flesh, he shall suffer very severe punishment at the hands of the Government, as such an infraction, besides being a breach of faith with the Government and with his own people, may involve the latter in ruin from the wrath of their gods.

That the Khonds shall be at liberty to sacrifice buffaloes, monkies, goats, &c. to their deities, with all the solemnities which are now observed on occasions of human sacrifice.

The Khonds of Bara Mútah promise to abstain from the great rite in perfect freedom from fear or constraint, seeking to obtain from the Government the constant protection and the justice above specified. But they beg permission to say, that if Sam Bisaye and the Khonds of Hodzoghoro shall be allowed to continue the sacrifice, the difficulty of abstinence from it upon their part will be so very greatly increased, that it is a question with them, whether it will be possible for them to observe absolute abstinence at least for more than five years."

The proposers of these terms were then sent back to their hills, there to reconsider them, and to submit them to the Councils of the tribes. They were so submitted; and in eight days, the Agent was informed that they were "universally agreed to."

He had reason to believe that this spontaneously proffered agreement was made in sincerity, and that some ground was thereby afforded on which to act. Still, on this subject, by way of precaution, he deemed it proper to record the following calm, candid, and moderate remarks:

"I estimate at a low rate the power of barbarous men to emancipate themselves from the bonds of ancient superstition. Permanent abstinence from the vital ordinances of a deity, the faith in whose omnipotence is unshaken, is, I conceive, entirely beyond the strength of men, supported only by the few and imperfectly perceived reasons and by the comparatively weak and superficial feelings which at present influence these people, the most advanced of whom look tremblingly to the multiplication of their lesser sacrifices, and to the shelter of the plea of virtual constraint by our authority, as a compensation, or an apology for the omission of their chief rite. The punishment of the breach of an obligation so to abstain is plainly a matter of great difficulty. But when the general state of opinion and feeling shall, through the operation of the influences which we can apply, render it advisable and possible any where to deter individuals from this worship by punishment, there is fortunately room to hope that it may be done effectually, as the Khonds apprehend from their gods temporal punishments alone, which, or their equivalents, we can employ."

no excuse.

He next communicated with the tribes of Athara Mútah. Nineteen out of their twenty-one Patriarchs of branches came and remained for some time with him. One of the chiefs who did not appear (the Patriarch of Loheringiah) sent a representative and an apology; the other (the chief of Cottingiah) offered The ideas and feelings of these people differed very materially, in their details, from those of the Khonds of Bara Mútah, to whom they are in every point of view inferior. Although Captain Macpherson was, in their case also, very anxious to waive the consideration of distinct arrangements for the future, these Patriarchs, after very long and anxious discussions upon almost every subject to which their knowledge or their imaginations reached, could not be prevented from offering to relinquish the rite of sacrifice, "upon the condition of their receiving protection and peace and justice from the Government."

They were then requested to return home, in order to submit the question to the Tribes and their Councils; and they left, in the confident assurance, that they would be able to send in their victims in a few days, in token of their general consent. As was anticipated, however, their people were not to be so easily swayed. There was at first much and even strenuous opposition. But at the end of seven weeks, Captain Macpherson received the intimation that "all were finally agreed," with the exception of the people of Loheringiah and Cottingiah, whose Patriarchs had absented themselves when

"would

originally summoned, and who now declared that they not abandon their ancient worship." The evil genius of Sam Bisaye had been at work with these people and their chiefs, whose country borders on Hodzoghoro. An agent of his was actually found to be resident among these two Branch Tribes; and it could not be doubted that, under his malign influence, they were prevailed upon to assume an hostile attitude. The victims, scattered throughout the tracts occupied by the other nineteen tribes, with the exception of about a dozen, were punctually delivered up to Captain Macpherson.

Success, so great and unexpected, might well have elated the mind of the agent, and hurried him impetuously forward in his new career. But he knew when and where to pause, as well as where and when energetically to operate. His ardour was only matched by his prudence; and his activity by his penetrating foresight. Hitherto every step had been taken with the greatest circumspection and caution. Knowing that it was vain to attempt to reach the body of the people otherwise than through their own venerated chiefs, he judiciously sent for these, with the view of indoctrinating their minds with his own views and wishes. Knowing, at the same time, from the constitution of Khond society, that the chiefs, of themselves, could decide nothing authoritatively for their respective tribes, and that any decision binding on the tribe could only emanate from an assembled council of chiefs and people, he, as judiciously, sent back the Patriarchs to consult with their followers. And now, while burning with desire to push on the advantage he had gained, he, at the same time, was resolutely determined to do nothing rashly. He longed to advance with rapid pace to the realization of his fondest wishes; but, fearful of making a false step and keenly alive to the fatal consequences that might ensue therefrom, he deliberately reined in his zeal,-preferring to walk slowly for the sake of treading surely. He had succeeded in obtaining a hold of the people of the two principal Khond districts of Goomsur, which promised a great and permanent triumph, and his purpose was to devote himself to the strengthening of that hold, in order to secure a firm stepping stone for after progress, rather than, by premature efforts, run the risk of failure and its disastrous issues elsewhere. By these and such like considerations was his conduct now regulated. With the people of Chokapad, the third of the Khond districts of Goomsur, there had of late been little communication. Judging from the demeanour of the few of its Patriarchs whom he had seen, he shrewdly inferred that their minds were not quite prepared for the free discussion of their religion, as

of any other vital subject; and so he made up his mind to wait a more favourable opportunity for dealing with them. In like manner from the character, position and known antagonism of Sam Bisaye, he felt that there would be extreme difficulty in dealing with him and his people. In order to such effective dealing, he felt that it was necessary to ascertain exactly the ideas and feelings, upon many subjects, of the Khonds and Hindus of Sam's own district, and of the tracts beyond, where he had influence and this, by direct communication with them, which the wily chief lately prevented by the most jealous prohibition of their approach to him. When such full information was obtained, a decided course should be resolved upon. In the meanwhile, the greatest care should be taken to prevent him from formally assuming the character towards which his actions. tended, that of head of the determined votaries of the ancient ritual. Having ascertained that the people of the two recusant tribes of Athara Mútah had resolved to sacrifice several victims at the return of next full moon; and being duly apprized by the Patriarchs of the other tribes, that, if these sacrifices should be permitted, all or nearly all their people would be strongly tempted to break through their weak resolutions and share in the flesh;-he turned his most serious attention simply to the adoption of measures to prevent these and other public offerings, without alienating the minds of the inhabitants of the tracts with which he had not yet communicated.

Having now done all which, with his limited powers, it was competent for him to undertake, and a great deal more than, in so short a time and with such incommensurate means, could well have been anticipated; and having, above all, been now privileged, though under very disadvantageous circumstances, to exemplify the nature and demonstrate the efficacy of his proposed plan of grappling with the Meriah difficulty, by partially reducing it to practice ;-he resolved to address Government anew on the subject. He could not but feel that he might now do so, with enhanced effect. He came forward, no longer as a mere theorist however sound, but as an experimentalist who had actually verified the soundness of the theory, to the utmost, which the inadequacy of the means at his disposal, could possibly allow. His scheme, viewed as a theory, was not a mere ingenious hypothesis-a mere conjecture or guess. It was, from the first, based on actually observed facts, and direct inevitable references from these facts; wise men might, therefore, not be ashamed or afraid to take it up and try it, lest it might prove an utter chimera. But now, when tested and authenticated by results