Feb. 1848. SCENERY OF THE SOANE. 39 



natives climb these trunks with a hoop or cord round 

 the body and both ancles, and a bottle-gourd or other 

 vessel hanging round the neck to receive the juice from 

 the stock-bottle, in this aerial wine-cellar. These palms 

 were so lofty that the climbers, as they paused in their 

 ascent to gaze with wonder at our large retinue, resembled 

 monkeys rather than men. Both trees yield a toddy, but 

 in this district they stated that that from the Phoenix 

 (Date) alone ferments, and is distilled; while in other 

 parts of India, the B or assies (fan -palm) is chiefly em- 

 ployed. I walked to the hills, over a level cultivated 

 country interspersed with occasional belts of low wood ; in 

 which the pensile nests of the weaver-bird were abundant, 

 but generally hanging out of reach, in prickly Acacias. 



The hills here present a straight precipitous wall of 

 horizontally stratified sandstone, very like the rocks at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, with occasionally a shallow valley, and 

 a slope of debris at the base, densely clothed with dry 

 jungle. The cliffs are about 1000 feet high, and the plants 

 similar to those at the foot of Paras-nath, but stunted : I 

 climbed to the top, the latter part by steps or ledges of 

 sandstone. The summit was clothed with long grass, trees 

 of Diospyros and Terminalia, and here and there the 

 Bosivettia. On the precipitous rocks the curious white- 

 barked Sterculia foetida " flung its arms abroad," leafless, 

 and looking as if blasted by lightning. 



A hole was sunk here again for the thermometers, and, as 

 usual, with great labour ; the temperatures obtained were — 



Air. 4 feet 6 inches, under good shade of trees. 



9 p. M. 64i° . . . . 77° 



11 p. m 76° 



5£ a. m. 58£° . . . . 76° 



This is a very great rise (of 4°) above any of those 



