A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with the Camp of Jung Bahadoor: Including a Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at HomeOliphant, Laurence
History
A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with the Camp of Jung Bahadoor: Including a Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at Home
Oliphant, Laurence
Nepal -- Description and travel
This province is governed by Krishna Bahadoor, a younger brother of the
prime minister, an active and energetic officer. Any complaint of the
peasantry is in the first instance brought to his notice, and referred by
him to his brother, if his decision does not give satisfaction. His
subordinates are a sirdar, or judge, and several subahs, or collectors.
The Terai is a long narrow strip of territory, extending for three
hundred miles along the northern frontier of British India, and is about
twenty miles in breadth. The whole tract is a dead level. For the first
ten miles after crossing the frontier the country is used chiefly for
grazing by the inhabitants of the adjoining British provinces, who drive
thousands of cattle across the border, paying a considerable revenue to
the Nepaul government for the privilege of so doing.
Ten miles from the frontier commences the great saul forest, which is
also ten miles in breadth. It is composed almost entirely of the
valuable saul-tree, and a great quantity of timber is annually exported
to Calcutta down the Gandaki, which is navigable to the foot of the
Cheriagotty hills. The licence to fell the saul timber is confined
exclusively to Nepaul merchants, and the payment demanded by Government
for such permission is so enormous that the trade is not very profitable.
The principal sources of revenue derived from this district are the land-
tax and the receipts from the sale of licences for felling timber and for
grazing cattle. The large amount thus received, together with the number
of elephants which are annually caught in the great forest, renders the
Terai a most valuable appendage to the Nepaul dominions.
It is, however, entirely owing to the excellent management of Jung that
the revenue of the Terai is now so considerable. In 1816 this province
did not yield more than one-tenth its present revenue, which is now
computed to amount to fifty lacs (500,000 pounds). Still the Terai might
be made yet more profitable. At present no use whatever is made of the
hides and horns of the hundreds of head of cattle that die daily in this
district, which are left to rot on the carcases of the beasts. It would
remain to be proved however whether, even if permission were granted by
the Nepaul Government, any would be found possessing the capital or
enterprise to engage in a speculation which would, unquestionably, ensure
a handsome return.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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