none of them less populous than Chester,-two (Patna and Mirzapoor), more so than Birmingham; and one, Benares, more peopled than any city in Europe, except London or Paris. And this, besides villages innumerable. I observed to Mr. Corrie, that

I had expected to find agriculture in Hindostan in a flourishing state, but the great cities ruined in consequence of the ruin of the Mussulman nobles. He answered, that certainly very many ancient families had gone to decay, but he did not think the gap had been ever perceptible in his time, in this part of India, since it had been filled up by a new order rising from the middling classes, whose wealth had, during his recollection, increased very greatly. Far indeed from those cities which we had already passed decaying, most of them had much increased in the number of their houses; and in what is a sure sign of wealth in India, the number and neatness of their ghâts and temples since he was last here. Nothing, he said, was plainer, to him, from the multitude of little improvements of this kind, of small temples and bungalows, partly in the European style, but obviously inhabited by natives, than that wealth was becoming more abundant among the middling ranks, and that such of them as are rich, are not afraid of appearing so. The great cities in the Doab, he said, were indeed scenes of desolation. The whole country round Delhi and Agra, when he first saw it, was filled with the marbled ruins of nullas, mosques and palaces, with the fragments of tanks and canals, and the vestiges of inclosures. But this ruin had occurred before the British arms had extended thus far, and

while the country was under the tyranny and neverending invasions of the Persians, Affghans and Mahrattas. Even here a great improvement had taken place before he left Agra, and he hoped to find a much greater on his return. He apprehended that on the whole, all India had gained under British rule, except, perhaps, Dacca and its neighbourhood, where the manufactures had been nearly ruined'.'

In another place the lamented Heber says

One of the strongest proofs that I have met with of the satisfaction of the Hindoos with their rulers, was the mutual felicitations which the archdeacon overheard between two villagers near Cawnpore, and which was not intended for his ear. 'A good rain this for the bread' said one of the villagers to another; 'Yes,' was the answer,' and a good government under which a man may eat his bread in safety.'

But Bishop Heber is not the only testimony on which the shadows of partiality cannot be cast; Major General Sir Lionel Smith, K.C.B., an old king's officer, who visited various parts of India, resided there a great number of years, and describes himself as very partial to the natives, says—' I should say the condition of the people had been highly ameliorated by the government since the conquest.' (5532,)2— Do not you think the people are better protected, and that they pay less than under the native government? A. Yes; the government in several bad years made remissions to them in the amount of the taxes.' (5508.)

1 Life of Bishop Heber, p. 314.

2 Evidence before Parliament in 1832.

Mr. Robertson, in his interesting remarks on the civil government of India, thus alludes to the condition of the people, and the cultivation of the country

I have never served in the Benares province, but of Behar I can speak with confidence as being cultivated to an extent that, in many places, hardly leaves room for carriage roads. The people do not generally bear any marks of poverty.

I have, as magistrate of Patna, often been surprised at the readiness with which fines of twenty or thirty rupees, commutable into only one month's imprisonment, have been paid by common villagers; and my own belief is, that the labouring peasantry of that province are, with reference to the climate and their wants, fully as well off as the peasantry of England, certainly beyond all comparison, in a better condition than the same class in Ireland, and in many parts of Scotland.'

Mr. Harris, an extensive indigo planter, in speaking of the condition of the peasantry during the years when they fell under his observation, from 1808 to 1822, says,Their condition was greatly improved latterly, from the time I first went there, to the time I came away; their houses were better, and their condition greatly improved '.' The whole country (the district of Tipperah) is cultivated like a garden, there is not a spot of ground where they could feed a bullock, scarcely "."

W. Malcolm Fleming, an Indian judge, was

1 Lords, 4288.

2 Lords, 4279.

asked1:-'Did the country improve during the time you were acquainted with it?-Very much. Both in population and in wealth ?—Yes. Did it appear to you that there was more agricultural capital in the country when you left it than when you went to it?— Yes; certainly, much more. Was there more applied to the cultivation of land ?-Yes. Was there more applied to manufactures or trade?—I do not think that there was; but there was a great deal more land brought into cultivation. Did the people appear to you more comfortable than when you first knew it ?-Much more so.'

Mr. Christian described the whole country to be improved, and, with reference to the Upper Provinces, particularly stated, that cultivation has extended very considerably 2.'

Mr. R. D. Mangles, says :- -The incomes of the proprietors of land in the Lower Provinces, taken on the average, are equal to the government revenue; all agricultural produce has risen very considerably, and the extension of cultivation is very great'.'

Mr. Sullivan describes the progress of population, increase of stock, improvements in agriculture, and the creation of capital employed in different works in Coimbatoor *.'

Mr. Rickards admits the ' efforts of the government for the encouragement of agriculture *.’

Mr. Fortescue describes the population of the Delhi territory as rapidly increasing";' and, in ano

ther place, thus depicts the blessings which have resulted from the occupation of the country by Great Britain. 'Did the people appear to be satisfied with the administration of justice?—I do think they were particularly so. Has the revenue increased in that country of late years, since we first got possession of it?-Extremely; almost beyond calculation. And the population?-Yes; and the population also. When we took possession there were about 600 deserted villages; when I came away, there were about 400 of them that had been re-peopled again, chiefly by the descendants of those who had a proprietary right in those villages, and this in consequence of our administration'.'

While on the subject of deserted villages, I cannot help directing the reader's attention to an Appendix in the late Sir John Malcolm's Central India, in which will be found detailed accounts of the villages restored, or rather recovered from the tigers and wild animals, who were their sole inmates. The total of khalsa, or government villages re-peopled in Holkar's country, were:-In 1818, 269; 1819, 343; 1820, 508 leaving of villages uninhabited, but since peopled, 543.

In Dhar, the restoration of villages were:- -In 1818, 28; 1819, 68; 1820, 52: leaving then uninhabited, 217.

In Dewas, villages restored :-In 1818, 35; 1819, 106 leaving then uninhabited, 141.

In the Bhopal, the restorations were:-In 1817,

1 March 1830, Lords.