108 Extracts from the “ Journal of a Survey to explore [Avt. 
which remains in shady places, and on the northern side of the 
peak till the beginning of April ; but snow seldom falls later than 
the last week of March, at which season, while I was in the 
fort, there was a shower which covered the ground to the depth 
of two inches: the peak is a bare slaty rock, with some quartz 
intermixed. 
March 29, 1817.—Narrow path along the mountain’s side; 
then a steep descent of 2 m. 1 f. to Murlang, a small village in a 
glen on the Silgad rivulet, which falls into the Jumna three miles 
to the E. No grain here. Latitude observed 30° 36’ 53”. 
Thermometer at noon 78°. It was yesterday at noon at Birat, 
50°. 
Proceed 21 miles down the bed of the Silgad to the Jumna ; 
then leave it, and cross a ridge, and go up the bed of the Jumna 
to the confluence of the Cunti river, which joins it from the 
Keinah peak to the west. That river is about 60 feet wide, and 
14 and 2 feet deep. The Jumna is 90 feet wide, 3 to 5 feet deep, 
rapid, and not fordable. The rest of the path is a long ascent of 
the mountain, above the right bank of the Jumna to Cot’ha, a 
village of 10 houses, about 3000 feet above the level of the 
river. A fatiguing march; heavy rain. No grain here. 
The path lies generally along the side of the mountain, with 
occasional strong ascents and descents ; 1 m. 5f. of very steep 
descent into a dell, the rest lighter descent, flat and ascent from 
a rivulet to Lak’ha Mandal, on the right bank of the Jumna, and 
about 300 feet above it. 
Lak’ha Mandal is a place of some celebrity in Hindu story, as 
having been one of the temporary residences of the Pandus; 
and tradition says, that formerly there were a great number of 
statues and temples here, but I imagine the greater part to have 
been buried by the slip of the side of the mountain at the foot of 
which it is situated. Several pieces of cornices, entablatures, 
and other ornamental fragments of buildings, are seen projecting 
above the soil, which buries the remainder; they are of black 
stone, and the carving of the ornaments is very well executed. 
There are also two statues of Bhim and Arjun of the size of life, 
which are half buried im the soil; and a prodigious number of 
small idols are deposited in a little temple, which is the only one 
now remaining, and which does not appear to be of any remote 
antiquity. The ignorant Brahmin could give no account of the 
builder; he declared, as they all do, when consulted on such 
subjects, that it is not of human workmanship, but was built by 
Bhim countless ages ago. 
It does not appear that pilgrims now resort here; the place is 
nearly desolate ; it is surrounded by high rocky peaks, and may 
have been chosen as a fit seat for gloomy and recluse super- 
stition. 
- Within the temple there is a large slab of blue stone inscribed 
with Hindu characters; I cleaned it, and took off a reversed 
