416 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



accessible barrier excepting at the point we ascended, where a 

 pathway has been formed by excavation, and piling up huge 

 blocks of rocks. . The entrance itself lay through a massive 

 double gateway of great blocks, laid without mortar ; and a low 

 wall, of similar cyclopean structure, had surmounted the top of 

 the precipice. Much of this had now fallen into ruins, which 

 could be seen lying in great heaps in the jungle below ; but in 

 some places, particularly at the bastions, it was still almost 

 complete. The top was a tolerably level plateau, broken by a 

 few knolls, and was at that time covered by long yellow grass, 

 and dotted with trees. Among the latter I found some speci- 

 mens of the ebony tree,* which had evidently been cultivated, 

 their plum-like luscious fruit being much larger and more 

 fleshy than the wild species, and with very small stones. The 

 only building on the top is a small temple dedicated to the 

 consort of Siva\ The extreme elevation of the hill, on a rising 

 ground above my tent, was shown by the aneroid barometer 

 to be 3,410 feet, which is almost identical with that of the 

 source of the Narbada* at Amarkantak. 



I stayed up here till the 1 5th of May, rapidly recovering 

 from my attack, for which I took no medicine but siedlitz 

 powders, to the discomfiture of the " doctor/' who wanted to 

 drench me with cathartics, diaphoretics, and goodness knows 

 what else, out of his tin boxful of very miscellaneous dis- 

 pensary kit. The only physic I ever took from our worthy 

 medico was what he called a " carminative," valuable in fits of 

 ague brandy and soda, to wit. But he had a great effect, 

 with his purges, and emetics, and seven-leagued medical talk, 

 on the native following. The thakiir was exceedingly kind, 

 visiting me constantly, and sitting for hours talking about 

 the affairs of his jungly domain. He was a fine, tall, middle- 



* Diospyros melanoxyh'n . 



