In 1866, the time of the great crisis, the revenue expenditure increased by L241,690, creating a deficit of L200,653 for the year. The loan expenditure for the year was L965,346, bringing the total debt up to L2,214,123, equal to over L23 per head of the population. The total expenditure for the year, including loan, reached nearly L17 per head. It is not surprising that a mere handful of people, plunging into debt at that reckless speed, found their credit suddenly shattered. In 1869, the last year of the decade, though the revenue had advanced to nearly three-quarters of a million, there was a deficit for the year of L37,217. For the ten years the net accumulated revenue deficit was L386,527, and the aggregate indebtedness nearly 31/4 millions. The interest charge was then about L225,000 per annum, and the entire weight of it fell upon consolidated revenue. The population being 109,897, the interest burden was at the rate of over L2 per head. It may here be remarked that in 1907-8 it was only L2 16s. 9d. per head, less railway net earnings of about L1 12s., reducing the net burden to about L1 5s. per head. Recurring to the debacle of 1866, it should be mentioned that the catastrophe was largely due to the failure of the Agra Bank, when all railway works were suddenly suspended, and the colony was plunged into the depths of extreme depression. During the two preceding years the loan expenditure had been largely in excess of revenue disbursements, no less than L685,246 of borrowed money having been spent in 1865. This was at the rate of nearly L8 per head of the total population, and its sudden cessation threatened thousands of the people of the colony with ruin. For not only had their sources of income been suddenly cut off, and landed property become almost valueless, but increased taxation had to be imposed.