﻿154 NARRATIVE OP A ROUTE 



duties on the goods which they carried fhould be af- 

 feired, and paid. This amounted to not lefs than 

 twenty-five per cent. The merchandize was cotton, 

 "which the Mahratta^ were exporting into the Circars ; 

 in exchange for v.'hich commodity they ufually import 

 fa!t, and coco nuts, into Ckanda, Nagpour^ and other 

 parts of Berar. 



The hills which border the eafl: bank of the Goda^ 

 venu from Mangapcit to this place, are of a moderate 

 height; and the mountains appeared now to retire 

 about feven miles inland. The fpace between the two 

 ranges is covered with a thick foreft. 



There is a Pagoda at Badrachill, facred to Seta, 

 the confort of Rama. The worfhipof the goddefs is 

 in high repute at this place; and vail numbers of pil- 

 grims relbrt to it. The temple is fituared on a little 

 hill about fortv feet high; h"i is rr.e»nly conftructti. 

 I was informed that the Rajah o^ Pa'oonfhah had re- 

 cently prefcnted a fmall golden idol, or monrw. ro it. 

 The town is fituated about 200 yards to the fouthvNard 

 of the Pagoda^ clofe under another little hili, and 

 confifts of about one hundred huts, in the midd'e of 

 which was a tiled habitation, faid to he the abode of 

 the principal Brahmen; and the whole is furrounded 

 by a thick jungle. From the great reputation of this 

 place, I expected to have found a more confiderahle 

 town, and was therefore much furprized at its mean 

 appearance. 



Soon- after our arrival, the man in charge of the 

 poij: came to our encampment, and propo'ed to pur- 

 chafe the horfvs and camels. To this he received a 

 jevere rebuke, and was told that we were not mer- 

 chants, poinding, after many fruitlefs attempts, that 

 n^^^ne of the cattle were to be fold, he then began to 

 alfefs duties on them; which ncceifita'ed my giving 

 directions for his being turned out of camp. Afttr 



thi»^ 



