CHAPTER II. 



THE NARBADA VALLEY. 



Acting ou instructions I proceeded to tbe Pucbmurree 

 (Paclimarlii) Lills — the lofty block I have described as 

 crowning the Sdtpura range to the south of the Narbada 

 river. There the centre of our operations in that ex- 

 tensive forest region was to be fixed ; a permanent 

 forest lodge was to be built in the heart of the country 

 of the Gonds and Korkiis, whose interests we were to 

 endeavour to unite with our own in the preservation of 

 the remnants of the fine forests that clothed the slopes 

 of their hills. The country to be explored was little 

 known ; but it was sufficiently ascertained that plenty 

 of rough work w^as before us in overcominor the obstacles 

 presented by the rugged nature of the land and its 

 inhabitants. 



The organisation of such a camp as is admissible in 

 such a wild country, occupies no great time. Since the 

 return of my regiment to quarters a year or so before, I 

 had been almost constantly out on detachment duty, or 

 on shooting excursions ; and had added little to the 

 modest properties I found myself possessed of at the 

 close of some three years of camping out in the sub- 

 Himalayan Terae, and subsequent hunting up of skulk- 



