AN EXPLORATION IN THE FAE EAST 339 



water on tlie top, I determined to get myself carried up 

 there to a cooler temperature, and figlit through it with 

 the help of the worthy though not very skilful native 

 apothecary attached to our camp, while B. went off to do 

 as much of the exploration as possible in the meantime. 

 Next morning I was carried up to a small village half-way 

 up the hiU, and which the aneroid showed to be about 

 2450 feet above the sea. Here I was met by the Thakiir 

 of Laafa,^ the landowner of a considerable hiUy tract round 

 about Laafagarh, who, with the utmost civihty, led the way 

 to a commodious hut he had prepared for my accommo- 

 dation, of leafy boughs from the forest, under the shade of 

 a large banyan tree, while my tent was being made com- 

 fortable in the old fort on the top of the hill. A gang of 

 wild Bhiimias from the Thakiir's hiU villages had been 

 collected to carry up my things; and throughout the day 

 I was " interviewed " by httle knots of them, who would 

 steal to the door of the hut, squat down on their hams, 

 with their axes hitched over their arms and their funny 

 Uttle leaf pipes stuck behind their ears, and remain per- 

 fectly contented as long as we let them, drinking in the 

 strange appearance and surroimdings of the sahibs. With- 

 out his formidable battle-axe (tongia) and his leaf pipe 

 (chongee) you will rarely see the Bhiimia of these eastern 

 regions. The pipe is twisted in a few seconds out of the 

 leaf of the palas tree,^ a peculiar twist making the bowl 

 and its narrow neck in the most perfect manner. It looks 

 simple, but I never could acquire the knack of it, and my 

 pipes always came to pieces before they were well lit. The 

 Bhiimias smoke them once or twice, and then make another. 

 They spoke capital Hindi, and were not at all shy in con- 

 versation, though wilder in appearance even than those 

 of their race who hve in the Mandla district. Here the 

 tribe is known only by the name of Bhiimia, the term 

 Byga, which is their conmioner tribal name in Mandla, 

 being restricted to their priests and medicine-men in these 

 more eastern regions. It was queer to see what trifles 

 sufficed to bring a grin of dehght on their black and unhand- 

 some but good-humoured countenances. Their broadest 

 1 Buteafrondosa, after which the whole district of Bilaspiir is named. 



