ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 185 



in this part of India. It is of large size, with heavy rich foli- 

 age of a dark green. During March and April few leaves 

 remain, but at this season the flower, which is edible, ripens 

 and falls. These flowers are thick and fleshy in substance, 

 pale yellow in colour, with a sweet sickly taste, and of the 

 form of a large hollow grape. They grow in bunches of from 

 four to ten or more, at the extremities of the branches ; each 

 flower being supported by a long spike running through it. 

 As they mature, they fall to the ground ; and the entire Bheel 

 population is employed in gathering them. To facilitate this 

 operation, all dead leaves round the bases of the trees are 

 burnt, and the surface of the ground swept clean. 



The flowers fall night and day, and are collected in baskets, 

 and afterwards dried in the sun. The mowa is a favourite food 

 of both bears and sambur. They travel long distances in quest 

 of it, and when feeding under the trees are often shot from 

 hiding places by the Bheels. The privilege of gathering the 

 mowa is jealously guarded by the people of each district ; but 

 the boundaries of townships being only laid down by tradition, 

 disputes frequently arise, and these occasionally end in blood- 

 shed. The flowers, when dried, are cooked in various ways 

 and eaten. A potent liquor is also distilled from them. 

 Large quantities are collected by traders from the towns, and 

 sold to distillers throughout the country. The flower is suc- 

 ceeded by a fruit the size of a small apple, from which oil is 

 extracted. 



My time being limited, I gave the order to move camp to 

 the Nerbudda, and thence to the fort of Sindwah, ten miles 

 from the frontier of the Bombay Presidency, which I reached 

 in four marches. At Sindwah I fell in with a Mekranee, 

 who was, or had been, in the employ of the guardian of the 

 fort. This man had, on a former occasion, joined one of my 



