CHAPTER II 



THE NARBADA valley 



Acting on instructions I proceeded to tlie Puclimurree 

 (Paclimarlii) hills — tlie lofty block I have described as 

 crowning the Satpiira range to the south of the Narbada 

 river. There the centre of our operations in that ex- 

 tensive forest region was to be fixed ; a permanent forest 

 lodge was to be built in the heart of the country of the 

 Gonds and Korkiis, whose interests we were to endeavour 

 to unite with our own in the preservation of the remnants 

 of the fine forests that clothed the slopes of their hills. 

 The country to be explored was little known ; but it was 

 sufficiently ascertained that plenty of rough work was 

 before us in overcoming the obstacles presented by the 

 rugged nature of the land and its inhabitants. 



The organisation of such a camp as is admissible in 

 such a wild country, occupies no great time. Since the 

 return of my regiment to quarters a year or so before, I 

 had been almost constantly out on detachment duty, or 

 on shooting excursions; and had added little to the 

 modest properties I found myself possessed of at the 

 close of some three years of camping out in the sub- 

 Himalayan Terae, and subsequent hunting up of skulk- 

 ing rebels over the stony wastes of Bandelkand. There 

 are two ways of travelling in such tracts. The one is 

 to take a full equipment of the large tents and their 

 luxurious furnishings, which render marching about in 

 India, under ordinary circumstances, so little attended 

 by hardship, or even by inconvenience; a corresponding 

 train of servants and baggage-animals ; and a small army 

 of horse and foot as a protection. Such a camp will 

 perhaps number from fifty to eighty men, and half that 

 number of animals of sorts. An array like this may be 



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