AN EXPLOEATION IN THE FAE EAST 341 



yellow grass, and dotted with trees. Among the latter 

 I found some specimens of the ebony tree/ which had 

 evidently been cultivated, their plum-like luscious fruit 

 being much larger and more fleshy than the wild species, 

 and with very small stones. The only building on the 

 top is a small temple dedicated to the consort of Siva. 

 The extreme elevation of the hiU, on a rising ground above 

 my tent, was shown by the aneroid barometer to be 3410 

 feet, which is almost identical with that of the source of 

 the Narbada at Amarkantak. 



I stayed up here tiU the 15th of May, rapidly recovering 

 from my attack, for which I took no medicine but seidhtz 

 powders. The only physic I ever took from our worthy 

 medico was what he called a " carminative," valuable in 

 fits of ague — ^brandy and soda, to wit. But he had a great 

 effect, with his purges, and emetics, and seven-leagued 

 medical talk, on the native following. The Thakur was 

 exceedingly kind, visiting me constantly, and sitting for 

 hours talking about the afiairs of his jungly domain. He 

 was a fine, tall, middle-aged man, claiming to be a pure 

 Eajput, and a descendant of the ancient dynasty of 

 Ratanpiir, whose stronghold for many years was the fort 

 of Laafagarh. He brought me numerous delicacies pro- 

 duced by his wilds, among which two were particularly 

 acceptable, namely, a fine pure arrowroot (Tikur), made 

 from the roots of the wild Curcuma angustifolia, and a 

 beautiful small grain called Siher, which is nothing but 

 the produce of old plants of the grain called KfUki {fanicum), 

 generally cultivated by those hill-tribes in their dhya 

 clearings. After a clearing has been abandoned, the plants 

 of kritki rapidly degenerate, and in their third and fourth 

 year the grain has become this siker. It is much smaller 

 than the fully cultivated grain, but also much sweeter, 

 and with a nutty flavour about it, which is particularly 

 delicious. Very little of it is gathered, the labour being 

 great for a small result ; but it is so much appreciated as 

 to be generally kept for the PursJidd, or sacrificial food of 

 the gods. It made the best porridge I ever tasted. The 

 Thakur had been a mighty hunter in the days of his youth, 

 ^ Diospyros mdanoxyhn. 



