Darrang. He refunded 6,000 rupees paid to his mercenaries, agreed to pay an annual tribute of fifty eight thousand rupees in lieu of the feudal obligation to supply soldiers and labourers and became a land-holder, really speaking, the political and administrative control vesting in the Bar Phukan. Of fifty eight thousand, three thousand rupees was in lieu of customs duty between Darrang and Bhutan. Krishna Narayan’s mercenaries who had fled to Bhutan, re- appeared but were dispersed easily. The task of restoring confidence and consolidating the Raja’s position proved difficult. ‘The dismissed Bar Barua and Soladhara Phukan were intriguing and causing mischief and were deported to Rangpur. Now the three great Gosains and many officials and feudatory Chiefs signified their adherence to Captain Welsh. Lieutenant MacGregor was sent to Koliabar and supplies were sent up to make Koliabar the base of operations against the Moamarias. The pacification of Nowgong was effected, the Banditti that infected the river and interrupted communications between Gauhati and Goalpara were suppressed. With great ifficulty could Gaurinath be persuaded to leave Gauhati, such was his mental torpor and physical lethargy due to excessive consumption of opium! He had doubts whether Welsh with his small force could withstand and overcome the Moamaria host. 82 ASSAM IN THE AHOM AGE difficulty could Gaurinath be persuaded to leave Gauhati, such was his mental torpor and physical lethargy due to excessive consumption of opium! He had doubts whether Welsh with his small force could withstand and overcome the Moamaria host. In 1794 the whole expedition advanced to Koliabar. Here Gaurinath complained of his bad ministers and officers with whom he had neither ability nor inclination to transact business and asked Welsh therefore to concert the necessary measures with them ; Gaurinath also wrote to the Governor General to permit Captain Welsh to use the troops under his command in any man- ner he thought fit to restore order and undertook to pay 3 lakhs of rupees annually for their maintenance, half to be collected by the Bar Phukan from the districts under his control and the other half by the Bar Barua from the rest of the Ahom dominions. In consultation with the Bar Gohain, the Bar Patra Gohain and the Solal Gohain, Captain Welsh appointed the Panisilia Gohain to be Bar Barua ; the two princes who had escaped the general sentence of mutilation passed by Gaurinath on the