RANCHEE CIRCLE.
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to finish the inspections left necessarily by Mendhie Hossein incomplete. Meanwhile I was
anxious to see some of the villages done since my previous visit, but was deterred from doing
so by the assurance that it would at once put a stop to all work. It was obvious that this
might be a pretext on the part of the men to prevent imposture on their part being
detected, but I was aware from my own knowledge that my previous visit had had the
effect in several places of stopping the continuance of work then in progress, and both then
and subsequently the assertion was confirmed by information from many independent sources,
native gentlemen, both official and non-official, as well as the native superintendents, indeed
long before I had been warned that this might probably occur by Dr. Delpratt, the experienced
Civil Surgeon of Hazareebagh.
Subsequently it was found that three of the men of this party made grossly false returns,
and they have been fined and dismissed. The other reports of work done were found to
be accurate.
21. Being thus foiled near Domchah I thought it best to work to the south-eastwards
so as to join Ishak Khan's party again at Khurruckdiha, thinking that with them inspection
might be less difficult.
Here I may mention that having occasion to send an urgent message to Ishak Khan,
the special messenger (a kahar) was questioned on his way as to his business, and whence he
came; at several places as soon as the villagers found that he was from my camp they were
most uncivil to him, and in some he was driven out of the village, fire and food refused to
him, and he had to lie out in the fields with nothing to eat but uncooked rice.
It is not surprising that my men positively refused to be employed on such special
messages in future.
22. On the road an instance occurred of a tekait openly ordering his bunniahs not to
furnish any supplies; and in another instance they hid themselves away and nothing could
be got, doubtless by their tekait's direction, though he and his karpardaz denied it.
This opposition occurred often, it would be tedious to mention every instance, so I only
allude it now to show the general feeling of the people.
23. February 9th, on leaving camp Khesmee a report reached me of outbreak of small-
pox near Semeria, to the south-west of Hazareebagh. From comparing dates the disease
must have existed for some time previous, probably fourteen days or more. Throughout
the tour, I may mention, the greatest difficulty was found in maintaining regular dâk
communication with the native superintendents and others.
Their reports often took many weeks on the road, and one of my letters to the Deputy
Commissioner even did not reach him till nearly seven weeks had elapsed, and the contents
had become useless.
Orders were at once sent to Mendhie Hossein (who it was supposed must about then have
joined the party at Ramgurh), being the nearest, to move up his men without delay to the
infected place.
24. My camp reached Khurruckdiha on February 12th, here I found Ishak Khan, who
had by great exertion succeeded in inducing the people of that considerable town to accept
vaccination, which had (unknown to me of course) been fixed for the very day of my arrival.
My disappointment therefore may be imagined at finding that, on hearing of the approach
of my camp, the people had changed their minds and now refused entirely.
The absurd story from Mirzagunge had frightened them, and they were encouraged to
refuse by the successful resistance of the tekait of Ghorrunjee.
The news of my return at once confirmed the waverers in their objections, and notwith-
standing every aid of the Inspector of Police, who took opportunities of explaining to the
people the groundlessness of their fears, and of the Moonsiff who did the same publicly in the
kutcherry, nothing could be done.
25. It now was reported to me that some of my men, whose homes were on the
Ghorrunjee tekait's estate, had been threatened by him that he would turn them out of his
illaqua altogether if they continued vaccinating as Government servants. This was duly
reported by me to the Deputy Commissioner.
26. Every effort to get vaccination done here being exhausted in vain, I was anxious to
inspect some more of the villages that had been already done. Here however the same
objections were raised as near Domchah.
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