away the rocks as we best might. We traversed the
empty bed of a mountain torrent, with perpendicular
banks of alluvium 30 feet high, and thence plunged
into a dense forest. Our course was directed towards
Mungeesa Peak, between which and a conical hill the
path led. Whether on the elephants or on foot, the
thorny jujubes, Acacias, &c. were most troublesome,
and all our previous scratchings were nothing to this.
Peacocks and jungle-fowl were very frequent, the
squabbling of the former and the hooting of the monkeys
constantly grating on the ear. There were
innumerable pigeons and a few Floricans; a kind of
bustard—considered the best eating game-bird in India.
From the defile we emerged on an open flat, halting
at Sulkun, a scattered village (alt. 684 feet), peopled by
a bold-looking race (Coles)* who habitually carry the
spear and shield. We had here the pleasure of meeting
Mr. Felle, an English gentleman employed in the
Revenue department; this being one of the roads along
which the natives transport their salt, sugar, &c.,
from one province to another.
In the afternoon, I examined the conical hill, which,
like that near Rotas, is of stratified beds of limestone,
capped with sandstone. A stream runs round its base,
cutting through the alluvium to the subjacent rock,
which is exposed, and contains flattened spheres of
limestone. These spheres are from the size of a fist
* The Coles, like the Dangas of the Bajmahal and Behar hills, and the
natives of the mountains of the peninsula, form one of the aboriginal tribes
of British India, and are widely different people from either the Hindoos
or Mussulmen.
to that of a child’s head, or even much larger; they are
excessively hard, and neither laminated nor formed of
concentric layers. At the top of the hill the sandstone
cap was perpendicular on all sides, and its dry top
covered with small trees, especially of Coclilospermum.
A few large fig-trees clung to the edge of the rocks,
and by forcing their roots into the interstices had
detached enormous masses, affording good dens for
bears and other wild animals. From the top, the view
of rock, river, forest, and plain, was very fine, the eye
ranging over a broad flat, girt by precipitous hills;—
West, the Kymore or Yindhya range rose in rugged
elevations ;—South, flowed the Soane, backed by ranges
of wooded hills, smoking like volcanos with the fires of
the natives;—below, lay the bed of the stream we had
left at the foot of the hills, cutting its way through
the alluvium, and following a deep gorge to the Soane,
which was there hidden by the rugged heights we had
crossed, on which the greater part of our camp might
be seen still straggling onwards;—east, and close above
us, the bold spur of Mungeesa shot up, terminating a
continuous stretch of red precipices, clothed with
forest along their bases, and over their horizontal tops.
From Sulkun the view of the famed fort and palace
of Beejaghur is very singular, planted on the summit
of an isolated hill of sandstone, about ten miles
off. A large tree by the palace marks its s ite ;
for, at this distance, the buildings are themselves
un distinguishable.
There are many tigers on these hills; and as one
was close by, and had killed several cattle, Mr. Felle
v o l . i . D