﻿7S NARRATIVE or A ROUTE 



out to gaze at us. As they appeared to be imprefled 

 with a good deal of furprize at our appearance, I de- 

 fired the guide to affiire them, that it was not our in- 

 tention to do them the fmalleft injury; but that we 

 ihould be much obliged to them, in cafe they had any 

 grain, if they would bring fome for fale. After flar- 

 ing at us for nearly two hours, they retired to the 

 village, and foon after brought us twenty Jeers of 

 rice, and two fowls of the curled feather tribe, which 

 they fold us for about four annas worth of cowries. 

 They now informed me, that we had a much more 

 difficult afcent to encounter than any we had yet met 

 with. 



This village confifted only of about fix huts; but 

 a confiderable fpace of land, in which rice was cul- 

 tivated, had been cleared around it. I found here an 

 iron mine, which had been recently worked; but the 

 habitations, and forges, of the people, who had 

 fmelted the ore, were defolate. The rocks in this 

 country are mofily granite, and the foil red clay. 



About noon I perceived the oihQX Goojaign coming 

 down the pafs, and he foon after came to my tent. 

 As he appeared to be very languid from an ague fit 

 that had juft left him, I made him fit down on the 

 o-round; and collefled from him intelligence which 

 proved afterwards of much ufe to me, in my progrefs 

 to Ruttunpour. He told me that the country was very 

 poor, and travelling in it exceedingly difficult, par- 

 ticularly for all kinds of cattle. That the paths being 

 rarely frequented, were aimoft entirely overgrown with 

 bufhes; but that I fhouldget plenty of dry grain, pro* 

 vidcd the inhabitants, who had lately fled with their pro- 

 perty into the hills and woods, to avoid being plun- 

 dered bv the Mahratta army, could be found. The Ra- 

 jah o^Corair, he faid, was befieged in a little mud fort at 

 his capital Sonehut; and had, at this time, no influence 

 1 ia 



