26 HILLS OF BEHAR. Chap. II. 



bungalow of Lieutenant Beadle, the surveyor of roads, 

 sixteen miles further. 



The country around Baghoda is still very barren, but 

 improves considerably in going westward, the ground 

 becoming hilly, and the road winding through prettily 

 wooded vallies, and rising gradually to 1446 feet. Nauclea 

 cordifolia, a tree resembling a young sycamore, is very 

 common ; with the Semul [Bombaw), a very striking tree 

 from its buttressed trunk and gaudy scarlet flowers, 

 swarming with birds, which feed from its honeyed 

 blossoms. 



At 10 a.m. the sun became uncomfortably hot, the ther- 

 mometer being 77°, and the black -bulb thermometer 137°. 

 I had lost my hat, and possessed no substitute but a silken 

 nightcap ; so I had to tie a handkerchief over my head, to 

 the astonishment of the passers-by. Holding my head 

 down, I had little source of amusement but reading the 

 foot-marks on the road ; and these were strangely diver- 

 sified to an English eye. Those of the elephant, camel, 

 buffalo and bullock, horse, ass, pony, dog, goat, sheep and 

 kid, lizard, wild-cat and pigeon, with men, women, and 

 children's feet, naked and shod, were all recognisable. 



It was noon ere I arrived at Lieutenant Beadle's, at 

 Belcuppee (alt. 1219 feet), glad enough of the hearty 

 welcome I received, being very hot, dusty, and hungry. 

 The country about his bungalow is very pretty, from the 

 number of wooded hills and large trees, especially of 

 banyan and peepul, noble oak -like Mahowa {Bassia), 

 Nauclea, Mango, and Ficus infectoria. These are all 

 scattered, however, and do not form forest, such as in a 

 stunted form clothes the hills, consisting of Diospyros, 

 Terminalia, Gmelina, Nauclea parvifolia, Buchawania, &c. 

 The rocks are still hornblende-schist and granite, with a 



