78 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTKAL INDIA. 



their being vigorously defended by their possessors ; and they 

 were generally surrendered after a short investment. Doubt- 

 less the chief cause was usually want of provisions, masses of 

 people being suddenly huddled into the place, and being un- 

 able to carry with them the scanty provender afforded by a 

 poor country in the face of danger. In 1564 the great Akber 

 sent his lieutenant to reduce the Gond chieftain of MandM. 

 The Gond troops, led by the heroic Diirgawati, the Eajput 

 widow of the last chief, made a noble resistance to the invader 

 near Jubbulptir ; but, the battle at last going against them, 

 their leader stabbed herself rather than suffer the disgrace of 

 defeat ; and this fort of Chaoragarh immediately afterwards 

 fell into the hands of the Moslem, together with property and 

 treasure valued in the chronicles at an altogether fabulous 

 amount. The summits of these old forts usually contain a 

 little water in the old tanks ; and being generally covered 

 with thick jungle are favourite resorts of the tiger and other 

 animals in the hot weather. 



From my camp at Chaolpani a single peak of the Puch- 

 murree hills was visible. It had not a very imposing appear- 

 ance, however, as I find it recorded as " like half an egg 

 sticking out of an immense egg-cup ! " A couple of bears 

 came close up to the camp at night and commenced to fight, 

 making a fearful noise, it seemed to me, as I awoke, inside 

 the tent ropes. The horses were tearing at their pickets, and 

 all the camp in a hubbub. I started out with a gun, but the 

 people said they had just passed through the camp, rolling 

 over each other and growling ; and it was so pitch dark that 

 I could not see any distance before me, and had to come back. 

 The next march was fourteen miles to Jhilpa, the last village 

 before the ascent of the hills begins. The view of Puchmurree 

 was lost during this march from our being too close under the 



