Many of' the Batties appear to be entirely nomadic, changing their residence from place to place, as sub sistence fails. Their exports are horses, camels, bullocks, buffaloes, and ghee ; and they sell some surplus grain above what is necessary for their own consumption; but their traffic is very incon siderable ; and what they do carry on is with the petty merchants of Bchadra, Nohur, and other towns, through the means the disciples of the • Sheik Fereed, their favourite saint. A large portion of the country is unproductive ; but along the banks of the river Cuggur, from Batneer to the town of Futtahbad, the soil is uncommonly rich, and well adapted for cultivation. The inundations of this river fertilize its banks, and the subsidence of the waters leaves them to a great distance, prepared for plentiful crops of wheat, rice, and barley, amply re warding the labours of the husbandman. It is the scarcity of water which occasions the barrenness of the ground ; nevertheless, there is more raised than the inhabitants can consume. Their horses are numerous, but it is computed that they lose a fourth of them annually by the sting or bite of a winged insect ; for the injured part degenerates into an in curable cancerous sore.
We are unacquainted with any river of note, ex cepting the Cuggur, which is lost in the sands to the westward of this district. According to the tradition of the natives, its original bed being choked up by immense quantities of earth, forced down from the mountains, its course was altered.
The chief towns of the Batties are Batneer the ca pital, which lies in a situation almost inaccessible to an enemy, for no water is to be procured within 12 miles, but what supplies the inhabitants ; however, it was taken in 1398 by Timour, and more recently by General Thomas. Their other principal towns are Arroah, Futtahbad, Sirsa, and Ramgah, and there are many forts, which, though defenceless against the skill of European troops, are impreg nable to the irregular marauders of Hindostam Numbers of the Battles have, of late years, emigrated from their native country, to establish themselves in the western parts of the dominions of Oude; and se veral families of them are to be met with in Itohilcund. They are practised travellers, and well trained to it by the laborious journies undertaken in crossing the great desert to the west of their territories. These ex peditions are frequently made by large parties, for the purpose of a predatory incursion on some peaceable country more remote; and they exemplify both skill and determination in attaining their object. Camels previously laden with provisions are dispatched to different stations in the desert, which is about 180 miles in breadth, and deposited there. The most in telligent of the party, about to follow, are selected as guides, and receive the most implicit obedience from their companions during the journey, which closes at the frontier of the hostile country, or rather that to which their hostility is directed. The guides, by long experience, become expert, without com pass or land-mark : they seldom fail to conduct the party to the appointed station where the provisions will be found, and thence across the remainder of the desert in safety. But should they accidentally miss the points of rendezvous. and those where their
necessities shall be relieved, they are exposed to in evitable destruction, and any of their party heedless ly straying from the rest, become the victims of the accumulated evils of hunger, thirst, and fatigue. The adventurers steer their course by the sun in the day-time, and by the polar star at night ; and by similar aids they are enabled to retrace the way they have travelled. Should provisions fail, a bul lock is killed, roasted, and partitioned on the spot, and, after a hasty meal, the journey is resumed. The history of the Betties has attracted the notice of few European authors. They seem to carry on fre quent wars with neighbouring states, and are the most formidable enemies that oppose the Rajah of Beykaneer. The latter invaded their territories some yeari ago, but without success, which is not surprising, considering the comparative smallness of the force which he can bring into the field, and the nature of the country. Temporary advantages were, notwithstanding, obtained over the Betties, and the Beykaneer Rajah erected a fortress in Batinda, which, if not within their territory, is on its imme diate confines. This contributed to overawe them for a time, and repressed their incursions into his own domains ; as, independent of. the garrison. he stationed a large body of cavalry in the fort, whose frequent sallies and captures of cattle annoyed the Betties so much, that they contemplated a total emigration from their own country. But a mili tary adventurer, George Thomas, an Irishman by birth, who, endowed with singular talents and intre pidity, had founded an independent state in the north west of rndia for himself, was then at war with the province of Beykaneer. Having reached its frontiers, the Betties solicited his alliance, and, to induce him to espouse their cause the more readily, offered him 40,000 rupees, if he would reduce the obnoxious fort. It appears, that the Beykaneer forces were now mas ters of Batneer, the capital, whither General Tho mas, who had accented the nreeosals of the Battles.
marched to dislodge them. He found a numerous garrison, and, having brought up his artillery, began to batter the place, preparatory to an assault. This, however, the enemy avoided by capitulation, and was allowed to evacuate the city with the honours of war, while the Betties were put in possession. In further prosecution of the war, several actions ensued, and va rious fortresses were taken ; but it would appear, that one of the Battie chiefs, at variance with General Thomas, commenced hostilities against him, about the period now alluded to;. and, in this new warfare oath his late allies, his forces were so much reduced by repeated encounters, that, being scarcely able to stand an engagement, he fortified his camps. The . Betties, after frequent attacks, withdrew their troops by night, whereon General Thomas took and burnt Futtahbad, and other places, and might have occu pied the whole country ; but a neighbouring chief, having concluded an alliance with the Battles and sent 1000 cavalry to their aid, General Thomas re treated to Jyjur, a town within his own territory, in order to relieve his people from the fatigues and dis eases of the preceding campaign. • (s.)