﻿^6 NARRATIVE OF A ROCTI 



in the Hindocjlanny language. I had o'jfcrved his 

 ^welling to be in a ruinous condition ; and on afking 

 him the caufe of it, he informed me, that about two 

 months before, the Goands had come in the night, 

 had carried oft all his property, and, after killing as 

 many of the inhabitants as came in their way, had fet 

 fire to the village; fince which the inhabitants had 

 onlv been able to bind a few reeds and ftraw together, 

 to Ihelter themfelves from the weather. Upon afking 

 him the caufe of thefe depredations, he informed me, 

 that ever fince the Mahraitas had attempted to fubdue 

 the Pertabiur Goands, who inhabit the hills to the 

 veftward of RuUunpour, there had been a continual 

 warfare between them. He added, that the Goands 

 were frequently moving about in large bodies, and 

 never failed to commit depredations, and to plunder 

 -when opportunities offered; and he concluded by ad- 

 vifing me to proceed on my journey with cauti-on. I 

 inquired of him if it was practicable to proceed by any 

 route from Por^'. to Omercuntuc ; to which he replied 

 in the ncgs'tive; and exprcffed much furprize at my 

 wifhing to go into a country which, he laid, was the 

 abode onlv of wild beafls, demons, and the favage 

 Goands. 



March nth. I proceeded about thirteen miles to 

 the little village of Ncaparrah, confifting only of 

 three miferable huts. It is under the Purgunnah of 

 Cheyima, which is confidered a part of Choteefgur. 

 This day one of my camels died with fymptoms of the 

 hydrophobia; having, for fome days, been fo refllefs 

 and unrulv, that he was continually throwing off his 

 load. I could not eafily account for this circum- 

 flance, until I recollefted that the night before I left 

 Rajegaut, near Benares, a dog had run into our 

 camp, and bit the animal in the face, as alfo a Tattoo 

 in the leg, which had afterwards died in a very unac- 

 countable manner at Kurgommah. 



March 



