Seelys Wonders of Elora. 



placed, form something like the segment 

 »)f a circli-: witiiin are the families, and 

 sometimes cattle. One or two watch- 

 men are stationed on the top, while 

 fires are hnrniug in front. Their dogs 

 (the Brinjarree) are a valuable breed, 

 fierce, stron<j, and watchful — evidently 

 a cross of the wolf and domestic dog. 

 Thus will these carriers travel for 1000 

 miles with a convoy of as many laden 

 bullocks; and they are very jinnctual 

 and honest in their dealings. Without 

 their aid, according to the mode of 

 warfare in India, whole armies wonlil be 

 starved. They always go well armed, 

 and in critical times have escorts. They 

 have paths and routes known oidy 

 to themselves, which they traverse 

 from one extremity of India to the 

 other. 



THE NATIVES. 



The Hindoos, in all situations, are a 

 docile, cheerful, good-tempered people: 

 what vicious qualities they do possess 

 arc owing to the wretched and arbitrary 

 rule under which they live. It is truly 

 astonishing what arduous and long 

 journeys these poor afflicted people will 

 perform, for a few pence, in the most 

 tempestuous seasons; swimming large 

 and impetuous rivers, penetrating soli- 

 tary and unknown routes through im- 

 mense forests infested by beasts of prey 

 and banditti, exposed to the mid-day 

 sun, and sleeping on the groHud nightly, 

 lor weeks together — their whole sus- 

 tenance daily being only two or three 

 Iiandfids of parched grain, and often 

 bad water to allay their thirst; yet arc 

 these poor wretches always good-hu- 

 motired, faithtul to their employers, and, 

 as husbands and fathers, an example 

 to us. 



It is not uncommon to find a labour- 

 ing Hin<loo supporting his wile's rela- 

 tives and his own parents who are past 

 Work, with contentment and cheerful- 

 ness. It is true these people are gross 

 idolators, but they practise many vir- 

 tues which we Christians l;ick the 

 observance of. It would strike with 

 wonder a stranger to observe a body of 

 coolies conveying a pipe of wine, a 24- 

 pounder, or an 80-gallon cask of beer up 

 the dcfde, at the top of which we have 

 just arrived. 



THE G'HATS. 



Having now said something of the 

 Mahralta country and the Hindoo peo- 

 ple, it only remains to oiler a U-.w brief 

 remarks on the great range of nioim- 

 'aiiis inipropcrJy culled G'liats, and to 



579 



take a peep at the great excavated tem- 

 ple of Karii (Ekverah). This wil| oc- 

 cuity us until our arrival at the temples 

 of Elora. In the intervening country 

 there is nothing to gratify the philan- 

 thropist, instrnet the legislator, or please 

 the philosopher; no flourishing towns, 

 public institutions, or learned commu- 

 nities ; no splendid buildings, fine 

 bridges, or beautiful gardens; nothing, 

 in fact, to denote prosperity or happi- 

 ness. Compared with the British pro- 

 vinces, it may be truly called one wild 

 waste. Wherever the Mahratta comes, 

 the land is cursed. A few mud-built 

 huts, where the remnants of a scattered 

 people have horded together for mutual 

 protection, are the only signs of civiliza- 

 tion that these fertile plains present for 

 one hundred and fifty miles. Worse 

 than the locust or beast of prey, what 

 Mahratta warfare could not utterly de- 

 stroy, hordes of Bheel and Pindarries 

 were hired and introduced into these 

 countries to ellect. But I have done 

 with the sickening tale, afflicting to 

 narrate, and dreadful to view. 



Tlic chain of mountains, among which 

 we have now encamped, extends from 

 Cape Comorin, opposite Ceylon, in one 

 unbroken series (with the exception of 

 an o|)ening at Paniany in the Malabar 

 country, of about twelve miles broad), 

 sircteliing away, in a northern line, to 

 the province of Candcish, and not far 

 distant from Surat. In no part do they 

 exceed fifty miles from the sea, and in 

 one part only do they approacii closer 

 than eight miles. There arc but few 

 passes known to us; and till men of 

 scieece investigate this stupendous bar- 

 rier, we are likely to know but little 

 about them. 



'I'iie mountains of which we are now 

 s|)eaking, decrease in altitude about 

 thirty miles to the northwaid of Bom- 

 bay : to the southward of Poona the 

 |)asses, I am told, have a northern de- 

 scent; stretching along to the south- 

 ward, they separate what is generally 

 called Mahihar, supporting the JMysore 

 and Soondah countries in the form of a 

 terrace. With the exception of the 

 opening at Paniany before mentioned, 

 and the few passes formed by the indus- 

 try of man, or the action of mountain 

 torrents, it is one conneeted wall for 

 Jiearly nine hundred miles; this vast 

 belt enclosing the rich country within 

 the Ner-Budlia river. 



These mountains are said to average 

 from 3tl00 to 0000 feet in height, prolific 



