CHAPTER III. 



THE MAHADEO HILLS. 



The M&hadeo Mountains Sacred Hills Ascent to Puchmurree Aspect of the 

 Forest Park-like Scenery A Moist Night Solitary Snipe Description of 

 the Plateau Fine Views The Denwa Valley The Andeh K6h Legends 

 of the Place Ancient Eemains The Great Ravine The Sonbhadra Gorge 

 The Great Red Squirrel A Hill Chief Caprice of the Hill Men Their 

 System of Tillage Destruction of the Forests Incursions of Wild Animals 

 Gond Legend Dense Jungles Restlessness of the Aborigines Their 

 Precarious Livelihood Produce of the Jungles The Seeding of the Bamboo 

 Scarcity in the Hills Bunjara Carriers Project a Forest Lodge Find 

 Lime The Indian Bison His Habits and Range Growth of his Horns A 

 Grand Hunt; Kill a Stag Sambar A Bull shot by the Thakur Power of 

 the Bison A Hill TigerA Mother's Defence Description of Gonds and 

 Korkus A Midnight Revel The Wild Men are conciliated We teach 

 them to Build and Plough The Denwa Sal Forest The twelve-tined Deer 

 Jungle-fowl Spur-fowl Gazelles and Hares Fire-hunting by night 

 Bears and Panthers A troublesome Panther Fox-hunting at Puch- 

 murree Bison Stalking A brace of Bulls Tracking the Bison A. hard 

 day's work Death of the Bull. 



In the eyes of the Hindu inhabitants of the neighbouring 

 plains, the whole of the range of hills which culminated in the 

 Puchmurree plateau is sacred to their deity Sivd, called 

 Maliadeo, or the Great God ; and the hills themselves are 

 called by his name, the M&hadeos. A conception of awe and 

 mystery had always been associated with their lofty peaks, 

 embosomed among which lies one of the most sacred shrines 

 of the god, to which at least one pilgrimage was a necessity in 

 the life of every devout Hindii. But excepting at the ap- 

 pointed season for this pilgrimage, no dweller of the plains 



