BEATING FOR BEAR IN CHOTA NAGPUR 37 



The next morning I was up at " crow's dawn " and, after 

 a cup of tea, climbed up the hill to have a last look at my 

 machans. I expected the party at eight o'clock, and as I 

 descended the hill I descried a dogcart about a mile away 

 — the first contingent. We were not a large party in the 

 Station in those days — a dozen all told, and ten, of whom 

 four were ladies, were to form the party, the other two men 

 being away in a distant part of the district. Three traps 

 completed the driving contingent, the other four, two of 

 them our fair unmarried spins, riding out. 



The breakfast had been laid out on tables under the 

 shade of some fine banyan trees, and we lost no time in 

 sitting down to it. To myself, after several weeks of my 

 own company, the mere fact of finding myself amongst 

 fellow-beings of my own race once more put me in roystering 

 spirits, only dimmed now and then by anxiety about the 

 verdict on the machans. I had good news to impart as to 

 the certainty of there being bears in the caves on the hill, 

 and that sent up all spirits. 



The mhowa {Bassia latifolia) tree flowers at this season, 

 and it was particularly abundant in the vicinity. Bears 

 are very fond of feeding on the shed flowers of this tree. 

 The flowers have a vile smell, but are sweet tasting, and 

 consequently loved by bruin as also by the various deer 

 and the curious antelope known as the nilgai [Portax pictus). 

 The jungle tribes distil a kind of arrack, a most potent 

 spirit, from the flowers. White ants, which abounded in 

 the district, are also much liked by the bear, who pulls 

 down with his powerful claws the conical dried mud heaps 

 of the termites and feeds noisily on the builders. 



We did not dally over breakfast, hot meal of many 

 courses — so dear to the heart of the native cook — though 

 it was. Before nine o'clock we were on the narrow 

 winding rocky path leading up the hill, the two older 

 ladies installed in the palanquins. The girls had elected 

 to walk, each accompanied where possible by two attentive 

 cavaliers. 



It was always an amusing episode (for the older people 

 at least) that walk up to the machans. The path at times 

 narrowed so that only two, and often only one, could 

 proceed at a time, and it was at such places that the atten- 

 tive swains endeavoured to displace one another, so as to 

 keep nearest the girl of their choice for the time being. 



