moonshee go, after insult and abuse, and with threats of future vengeance should he ever dare to thwart or oppose them.  This was pretty ‘hot’ you think, but it was not all.  Fearing my complaint to the superintendent, or to the authorities, might get them into trouble, they laid a false charge against me, that I had obstructed them in the discharge of their duty, that I had showered abuse on them, used threatening language, and insulted the majesty of the law by tearing up and spitting upon the respected summons of Her Majesty.  On this complaint I was accordingly summoned into Purneah.  The charge was a tissue of the most barefaced lies, but I had to ride fifty-four miles in the burning sun, ford several rivers, and undergo much fatigue and discomfort.  My work was of course seriously interfered with.  I had to take in my assistant as witness, and one or two of the servants who had been present.  I was put to immense trouble, and no little expense, to say nothing of the indignation which I naturally felt, and all because I had set my face against a well known evil, and was determined not to submit to impudent extortion.  Of course the case broke down.  They contradicted themselves in almost every particular.  The second constable indeed admitted that I had offered them a letter to the magistrate, and had not moved out of the verandah during the colloquy.  I was honourably acquitted, and had the satisfaction of seeing the lying rascals put into the dock by the indignant magistrate and prosecuted summarily for getting up a false charge and giving false evidence.  It was a lesson to the police in those parts, and they did not dare to trouble me much afterwards; but it is only one instance out of hundreds I could give, and which every planter has witnessed of the barefaced audacity, the shameless extortion, the unblushing lawlessness of the rural police of India.

It is a gigantic evil, but surely not irremediable.  By adding more European officers to the force; by educating the people and making them more intelligent, independent, and self-reliant, much may be done to abate the evil, but at present it is admittedly a foul ulcer on the administration of justice under our rule.  The menial who serves a summons, gets a decree of Court to execute, or is entrusted with any order of an official nature, expects to be bribed to do his duty.  If he does not get his fee, he will throw such impediments in the way, raise such obstacles, and fashion such delays, that he completely foils every effort to procure justice through a legal channel.  No wonder a native hates our English Courts.  Our English officials, let it be plainly understood, are above suspicion.  It needs not my poor testimony to uphold their character for high honour, loyal integrity, and zealous eagerness to do ‘justly, and to walk uprightly.’  They are unwearied in their efforts to get at truth, and govern wisely; but our system of law is totally unsuited for Orientals.  It is made a medium for chicanery and trickery of