| caption: |
to Sachimah; meeting with a dobashi of Mozema who suggests lowering the fines, but Butler says it must all be paid |
| note: |
inaccurate spelling in the original text |
| text: |
1st December. Having sent off Head Constable Koromsing with six men direct to Meozemah to assist Inspector Maemaram in case of need for I received reports from him today in which he tells me that the Penmahs are in a great state of fright as to what I am going to do and are having no end of meetings but that he cannot make out for certain what they have decided upon. I marched into Sachimah today where I met Laurunu the wily Dobasha of Meozemah who had come out to meet me. Laurunu tells me that at present he cannot answer for his clan in any way that they have had several meetings at which half have spoken in favour of obeying my orders and paying up the fine whilst the other half have declared they would sooner die than pay up and Lunivun himself is very anxious that I should lessen the amount of the fine saying "if you will take Rs.50 I think it will be paid up but Rs.l20 is a very large sum and I do not know whether they will ever consent to pay it etc. etc.". However I have told him to go back and let his clan distinctly understand that my orders are that they must either pay up the whole Rs.l20 or give up the offenders and that I shall march in Mozemah tomorrow morning and hope that I shall have no [22] further difficulty about this matter. That if the Penmahs have got anything to say to me or any valid excuse to make I shall be happy to listen to them but they must clearly understand that I am not going to stand any nonsense. That I am very angry at their not having carried out my orders at once. I cannot understand how the Vihutzumah clan of all others "chief among its equals", a clan which has repeatedly assured me that they would always be ready to do whatever I told them and even to die for me if necessary should not behave in the way they have. |
| text: |
I cannot get any of the Pephemah and Sepemah coolies who have accompanied me so far to go on with me into Mozemah tomorrow which is not a good sign. |
