Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/233

This page needs to be proofread.

IV

poor to march immediately to co-operate with Captain Stewart, but to act separately in order to have the better chance of falling in with them. At the same time I ordered another battalion to march from the Dinapoor Station through Tyroot and by the northern frontier of the Purneah province, following the track which the Sannyasies usually took, in order to intercept them in case they marched that way. This battalion after acting against the Sannyasies, if occasion offered, was directed to pursue their march to Cooch Behar, where they are to join Captain Jones and assist in the reduction of the country.

Several parties of the Sannyasies having entered into the Purneah province, burning and destroying many villages there, the Collector applied to Captain Brook who had just arrived at Panity near Rajmahal, with his newly raised battalion of light infantry. That officer immediately crossed the river and entered upon measures against the Sannaysies, and had very near fallen in with a party of them, just as they were crossing the Cosa river, to escape out of thatd province. They arrive on the opposite bank before their rear had entirely crossed, but too late to do any execution among them. It is apparent now that the Sannaysies are glad to escape as fast as they can out of the Company's possession, but I am still in hopes, that some of the detachments now acting against them may fall in with some of their parties, and punish them exemplarily for their audacity.

It is impossible but that on account of the various depredations which the Sannaysies have committed that revenue must fall short in some of the company's districts as well from real as from pretended losses. The Board of Revenue aware of this last consideration, have come to the resolution of admitting no pleas for a reduction of revenue but such as are attended with circumstances of conviction: and by this means they hope to prevent, as much as is in their power, all impositions on