﻿92 NARRATIVE OF A ROUTE 



ble to each other, we could hold no converfation, 

 until a Byraghy Fakeer, who had wandered into thefe 

 •wilds, tendered his rervicc;s as interpreter. All that I 

 could collect from this chief was, that in thefe moun- 

 tains there are feven fmall di Uriels, called Chowraf- 

 fcys; containing nominally eighty-four villages; but 

 that, in reality, not more than fifteen were, then in 

 exiftence. That they were all confidered as belong- 

 ing to the Purgunnah of Mahlin^ and that the tribute 

 they paid to the MsJiratta Government, which con- 

 lifted in grain, was very inconhderable. The Mah- 

 rattas kept it up to retain their authority among the 

 mountaineers; who, if not kept in fubjettion, were 

 conilantly ifTuing into the plain country to plunder. 

 I inquired of him, if there had ever exifted a Cowhier 

 Rajah, or independant chief of any kind ; to which 

 he replied, that the country had formerly been fub- 

 je8: to the Rezuah Rajah of Bogakcund, and that, 

 about thirty years hnce, the Mahrattas had driven 

 him out ; having in the contell very much impo- 

 verifhed and depopulated the country. 



The converfation was carried on under much dif- 

 advantage; for it was evident our interpreter under- 

 ftood but imperfeBly the language of Cowhier. The 

 old man, whofe attention had been chiefly attraded by 

 a Rar/inaghur Morah,* of which he was defirous to 

 know the conltrudion, being fatisfied as to that point, 

 now took his leave, and departed. 



March 6th. This day's journey brought us to 

 Mahii/i. The road, for the lirft five miles, was one 

 continued afc^ent; in fome parts ftecp; but in others, 

 gradual; till we arrived at the village of Bunnair, 

 where we turned to the weftward, to afcend the very 

 difficult ^<22<^ bctvv^een it and Mahtin ; which in lehgth 

 is about three miles. At the bottom of it is the little 

 village of Loungah, which gives its name to the pafs. 



We 



* A kind of ftool, made of wicker work, and cotton thread. 



