tribes swarmed under the clods, of many species, but
all small, and so singularly active that I could not give
the time to collect many. In the banks again, the
round egg-like earthy chrysalis of the Death’s-head
Sphynx, and the many-celled nidus of the leaf-cutter
bee, were very common.
A large columjiar Euphorbia (E. ligulata) is common
all along the Soane, and I observed it to be used
everywhere for fencing. I had not remarked the
E . neriifolia; and the E. tereticaulis had been very
rarely seen since leaving Calcutta. The Cactus is
nowhere found; it is abundant in many parts of Bengal,
but certainly not indigenous.
From this place onwards up the Soane, there was no
road of any kind, and we were compelled to be our own
engineers. The sameness of the vegetation and the
lateness of the season made me regret this the less,
for I was disappointed in my anticipations of finding
luxuriance and novelty in these wilds. Before us the
valley narrowed considerably, the forest became denser,
the country on the south side was broken with rounded
hills, and on the north the noble cliffs of the Kymore
dipped down to the river. The villages were smaller,
more scattered and poverty-stricken, with the Mahowa
and Mango as the usual trees; the banyan, peepul, and
tamarind being rare. The natives are of an aboriginal
jungle race; and are tall, athletic, erect, much less
indolent, and more spirited than the listless natives of
the plains.
So slow and difficult was our progress through fields
and woods, and across deep gorges from the hills, that
we advanced but a few miles each day; the elephant’s
head too frequently ached too badly to let him push,
and the cattle would not proceed when the draught was
not equal. What was worse, it was impossible to get
them to pull together up the inclined planes we cut,
except by placing a man at the head of each of the six,
eight, or ten in a team, and simultaneously screwing
round their ta ils; when one tortured animal sometimes
capsized the vehicle. The small carts got on better,
though it was most nervous to see them rushing down
the steeps, especially those with our fragile instruments,
&c.; and I was not surprised when one of my carts
was hopelessly broken down; advancing on the spokes
instead of the tire of the wheels.
On the 23rd and 24th we continued to follow up the
Soane, the country becoming densely wooded, very wild,
and picturesque; the woods being full of monkeys,
peacocks, hombills, and wild animals. Strychnos potatorum,
whose berries are used to purify water, forms a
dense foliaged tree, 30 to 60 feet high, some individuals
pale yellow, others deep green, though both in apparent
health. Feronia elephantum and vEgle marmelos * were
very abundant, with Sterculia, and the dwarf date-palm.
A spur of the Kymore, like that of Rotas, here projects
to the bed of the river, and was blazing at night
with the beacon-like fires of the* natives, lighted to scare
the tigers and bears from the spots where they cut wood
and bamboo; they afforded a splendid spectacle, the
flames in some places leaping zig-zag from hill to hill
* The Bhel fruit, lately introduced into English medical practice, as an
astringent of great effect, in cases of diarrhoea and dysentery.