﻿FROM CHUNARGHUR TO YERTN AGOODUM. Ill 



had been abundantly regaled with fine water fowls, 

 large flocks of ortolans and quails; and the large 

 herds of cattle having furnifhed us with milk, and 

 ghee^ in great abundance, which we obtained for the 

 moft inconhderable prices, our departure from this 

 charming country was regretted by the whole party ; 

 and the recollection of the hardlhips we had already 

 fuffered in a hilly country, rendered the profpe6l be- 

 fore us rather unwelcome. 



It was here that I fir ft met the Mahanuddee, or 

 Cuttack river, and crofTed it to enter upon the thick 

 woods of Conkair, where the road immediately- 

 dwindled into a narrow path, or defile, through thick 

 bufhes and foreft trees. After croffing a low ridge of 

 hills, we entered upon that tracl of country which is 

 pofl'efTed by the ancient Rajahs oi Goandwannah ; and 

 is entirely inhabited by the Goand mountaineers. The 

 village at which our mai;ch terminated this day, con- 

 fifted only of five poor huts; and the Goands, amount' 

 ing to about fifteen inhabitants, came out to gaze at 

 us. They were totally divefted of alarm; and gave 

 us to underlland, through the medium of a Ja/loos. 

 Hirkarrah, that, but for the initructions they had re- 

 ceived from their chief, they would not have allowed 

 us to enter upon their territory. 



April 5th. This day a very ferious misfortune 

 befell me, in the lofs of the only Hirkarrah who had 

 ever before been in thefe wild and unfrequented tracts. 

 He was the fame whom I have already mentioned as 

 having vifited the fources of the Nurbudda and Soane 

 rivers; at which time he was in the fcrvice of the 

 Mahratfas. He had, three days bvifore, been indif- 

 pofed with a complaint in his bowels, probably owing 

 to the change of water, v/hich had induced me to dif- 

 penfe with his attendance, in order that he might tra- 

 vel at his leii'"ure, m company with another fick man, 



. who 



