294 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



burning blast, the tent was struck and started on camels, 

 only some khanats being retained to partially surround 

 the charpai, which was placed on a dari in the draughtiest 

 spot, where the breeze brought some coolness to the per- 

 spiring occupant. Four a.m. was the hour of awakening, 

 just as sleep long wooed had come in earnest. A fifteen 

 miles ride brought one to camp again, this time at the 

 edge of the jungle. At dawn we crossed the Nerbudda in 

 a boat. It is here that the rocks close in on its broad bed, 

 narrowing the channel to a rocky gate. The camp was 

 swept by a furious blast, and the sun glowered down from 

 the zenith, a glowing ball of fire. 



Next day and the next we rode an elephant all day 

 through a trackless jungle. The trees were leafless 

 mostly and bare, but by the stream banks were bright 

 green masses of jamun foliage, like the cotton-tree of the 

 prairies always following the winding, sunken course of 

 the streams ; but there was no water in those streams, 

 only sand and rock and an odd yellow pool once in a mile 

 or more. 



We camped by one such pool, the only good-sized one 



in a thirsty land for several miles. At night the sides 



were taken from the tent to let a breath of heated air 



pass across the charpai, for it could not be placed out in 



the jungle. Next morning there were fresh tracks of a 



tiger and a panther and two bears, which had drunk at the 



pool about 30 yards from the tent. The mornings were 



spent in traversing the jungle in every direction to discover 



where timber might be found fit for sleepers. There is 



a handsome tall-stemmed tree called anjun {Hardwickia 



binata),* which grows commonly in Chandgarh. It has 



* In Skinner's ' Description of Indian Timbers ' this timber is 

 described as a close-grained and durable wood of a very dark reddish 

 colour; specific gravity, i"36o; it has a breaking strain much higher 

 than teak. 



