1 HISTORY OF THE 8IKHS, 291
2 the posture of affairs between them will speedily
3 assume. Goolab Singh has promised to pay
4 seventy-five lakhs of rupees for the sovereignty of
5 Cashmere and other hill provinces; and the Money Goolab Singh
6 left by his brother Soochet Singh, and lodged at ante
7 Feerozpore, has been assigned to him as nearest of Set atibh
8 kin. This grant in his favour will enable Goolab
9 Singh to liquidate the balance with greater ease,
10 The money is already on the left bank of the
11 Gharra, and can be more easily conveyed to the
12 Honourable Company's treasury than if it were in
13 the stronghold of Goolab Singh at Jummoo.
14 Goolab Singh will speedily make the people of
15 Cashmere and his other hill territories, make up
16 the balance which he owes to the British, and pos-
17 sessing as he does the protection of the latter, none
18 can dispute his claim with any chance of success.
19 It is to be hoped, that he will exert a mild govern-
20 ment in Cashmere, for the resources of this fruitful
21 valley might be greatly increased. It is only
22 through the rapacity of the Sikhs, that its inhabit- The miserable
23 ants have been induced to flee from théir native canna
24 country, and endeavour to gain a precarious liveli-
25 hood at Umritsir and Loodianah. Were there arly
26 inducement held out to these poor people, they
27 would, one and all, return to Cashmere ; and, there-
28 fore, it is to be lamented, that the British rule can-
29 not prudently be extended over that province.
30 The manufacture of shawls is carried on to a
31 considerable extent at Umritsir and Loodianah, and
32 there is no reason why the quality of the enec.f..