troops, of which we took possession. A Labiate plant
(Mesona Wallichiana) grew on the ascent, whose
bruised leaves smelt as strongly of patchouli, as do
those of the plant producing that perfume, to which it
is closely allied. The patchouli plant has been said to
occur in these parts of India, but we never met with it,
and doubt the accuracy of the statement. I t is a
native of the Malay peninsula, whence the leaves are
imported into Bengal, and so to Europe.
On the 25th we left Mooshye for Amwee in Jyntea,
which lies to the south-east. We descended by steps
OLD BRIDGE AT AMWEE.
cut in the sandstone, and fording the Oongkot, climbed
the hills on its east side, along the grassy tops of which
we continued, at an elevation of 4000 feet. Marshy
flats intersect the hills, to which wild elephants sometimes
ascend, doing much damage to the rice crops.
The pitcher-plant {Nepenthes) grows on stony and
grassy hills about Amwee, and crawls along the
ground; its pitchers seldom contain insects in the
wild state, nor can any special function be suggested
for the wonderful organ it possesses.
About eight miles south of the village is a bridge,
half of which is formed of slabs of stone (of which one
is twenty-one feet long, seven broad, and two feet three
and a half inches thick), supported on piers, and the
rest is a well turned arch, such as I have not seen
elsewhere among the hill tribes of India. I t is fast
crumbling away, and is covered with tropical plants,
and a beautiful white-flowered orchis grew in the
mossy crevices of its stones.
From Amwee our route lay north-east across the
Jyntea hills to Joowye, the hill-capital of the district.
The path gradually ascended, dipping into valleys
occupied by fields of rice in which were placed gigantic
images of men, dressed in rags, and armed with bows
and arrows, to scare away the wild elephants!
The situation of Joowye is extremely beautiful: it
occupies the broken wooded slope of a large open flat
valley, dotted with pines ; and consists of an immense
number of low thatched cottages, scattered amongst
groves of bamboo, and fields of plantain, tobacco,
yams, sugar-cane, maize, and rice, surrounded by
hedges of bamboo, Colquhounia and Erythrina.
Narrow steep lanes lead amongst these, shaded with
oak, birch, and Camellia, the larger trees being covered
with orchids, climbing palms, pepper, and Gnetum;