40 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



and neither of them inclined to act on the offensive. The 

 Bonhra is of very common occurrence in many forest tracts ; 

 and I have myself several times been attacked by them. If 

 attacked, the only resource is to rush into the nearest thick 

 bush, break off a leafy branch, and lay about with it wherever 

 there is an opening. On one occasion, when marching in the 

 Mandla district, my baggage animals and servants were 

 attacked, and scattered in every direction. Many of the men 

 and animals were so severely stung as to be laid up for several 

 days ; and one of the baggage ponies, who could not get rid 

 of his load, was killed on the spot. Our kit was flung about 

 all over the jungle, and was not all collected for several days. 

 On another occasion a valuable elephant was attacked, and 

 driven away into the jungle ; and was so panic-stricken that 

 she could not be recovered for days. I have heard of a large 

 force of troops in the Mutiny days being routed, horse and 

 foot, by a swarm of these terrible insects, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Lucknow. The honey and wax of this and the other 

 species of bee are regular articles of export from our forests. 

 The people who engage in the business of taking them seem 

 to possess not a little of the art of the bee-master ; but they 

 usually resort to more forcible measures, and rob the combs 

 after suffocating the tenants at night with the smoke of 

 torches. Their richest harvests are got from cliffs like this 

 on the Narbadd ; and some of their slender ladders of bamboo 

 slips may usually be seen at the Marble Eocks, hanging from 

 the edge of the cliffs over the abyss of water. The honey is 

 inferior in quality to that of the domesticated bee of Europe ; 

 and is sometimes even of a poisonous quality, owing to the 

 bees having resorted to some noxious flower. It is easy to 

 procure a comb by slicing it off the face of the rock with a 

 rifle ball ; and I once had the gratification of thus operating 



