THE MAHADEO HILLS. 85 



Jawfoolana), and the common Mango dotted the plain in fine 

 clumps ; and altogether the aspect of the plateau was much 

 more that of a fine English park than of any scene I had before 

 come across in India. By-and-by, through the vistas of the 

 trees, three great isolated peaks began to appear, glowing red 

 and fiery in the setting sun against the purple background of 

 a cloud bank. The centre one of the three, right ahead of us, 

 was the peak of Mdhadeo, deep in the bowels of which lies 

 the shrine of the god himself ; to the left, like the bastion of 

 some giant's hold, rose the square and abrupt form of Chau- 

 rd,deo ; while to the right, and further off than the others, 

 frowned the sheer scarp of Dhupgarh, the highest point of 

 these Central Indian highlands. 



We had little leisure to enjoy this splendid view, however, 

 for a blinding rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, 

 now came on ; and some distance still intervened from the 

 village when we were compelled to seek shelter in a grove of 

 trees. Fortunately there was among them a large hollow 

 banyan tree, within which we all found shelter, including 

 " Quail " and " Snipe," who I forgot to say were of the party, 

 and had revelled in spur fowl all the way up. 



I sent on the two guides to the village to procure us some 

 firewood and water ; for I determined to encamp here, rather 

 than go further, and probably fare worse, among the unknown 

 disagreeables of a Korku village. A swampy hollow lay be- 

 twixt us and the village, and after we heard the guides go 

 splashing through this and disappear in the darkness it was 

 full two hours before we heard them floundering back again 

 with three or four Korkus carrying bundles of sticks, grass, 

 pots of water, and the various natural productions which have 

 always to be procured from the village where camp is pitched. 

 Meanwhile we sat in our tree and smoked, and very cold and 



