By thus regularly attending to matters of this description, the villagers will come forward with more alacrity; though, it must be confessed, they are generally very unwilling to engage as _coolies_; which is not to be wondered at, since the _jemmadars_ generally extort from them at least half their earnings on such occasions: the evil being incurable, as matters now stand, must be borne as gracefully as our feelings may allow; and we must remain content with the reflection of doing justice ourselves, though we know for certain that our liberality, in the end, flows into a wrong channel.
When practicable, it is highly expedient to obtain from the European collector’s office, or even from any of the natives under his immediate authority, who may be deputed to, or resident at, such places as lie near the road, a _rhahwaunah_, or pass-port, wherein it should be set forth, that, whatever necessaries, or _coolies_, or _chokey-dars_, or _dowraws_, (guides,) may be requisite, should be furnished by such _jemmadars_ of villages as should be called upon for supplies of the above description. This always ensures respect and attention, and causes the whole of the persons, to whom it is addressed, to be vigilant in the discharge of their duties, lest complaints should be preferred to the collector, who would speedily summon them to his court, and punish them in a suitable manner.
However audacious the thieves, whether house-breakers, or collectors on the highways, may be, they very rarely make an immediate attack on Europeans. This, no doubt, proceeds from the sense they entertain of the importance we attach to the safety of our countrymen, the murderer of whom would be assuredly detected, and suffer the full sentence of the law. Besides, all the people of Hindostan know, that, with the exception of watches, which, for want of pawn-brokers, and accomplices skilled in the melting of metals, are of no use to the predatory tribe, Europeans never carry about with them any thing valuable. No gentleman ever has money about him; though his servants sometimes have, in their waists, a few rupees, intended for such disbursements as cannot be delayed without inconvenience.
Hence, the boxes, &c., of gentlemen, are generally aimed at, because the cash and valuables are contained in them; for the same reason, the most confidential servants are most commonly selected as objects of attack. Your true Hindostanee robber is, in general, very active, robust, and capable of great deception: he will patrole about a tent, during a dark night, in the manner of a dog, or of a jackal; the howl of which he can, perhaps, imitate so well as to deceive the sentries, and throw them completely off their guard.