March, 1848. PEACOCKS, FLORICAN, ETC. 55 



directed towards Mungeesa Peak, the remarkable projecting 

 spur, between which and a conical hill the path led. 

 Whether on the elephants or on foot, the thorny jujubes, 

 Acacias, &c. were most troublesome, and all our previous 

 scratchings were nothing to this. Peacocks and jungle- 

 fowl were very frequent, the squabbling of the former and 

 the hooting of the monkeys constantly grating on the ear. 

 There were innumerable pigeons and a few Ploricans (a 

 kind of bustard — considered the best eating game-bird in 

 India). Prom the defile we emerged on an open flat, 

 halting at Sulkun, a scattered village (alt. 684 feet), 

 peopled by a bold-looking race (Coles)* who habitually 

 carry the spear and shield. We had here the pleasure of 

 meeting Mr. Pelle, an English gentleman employed in the 

 Revenue department; this being one of the roads along 

 which the natives transport their salt, sugar, &c, from 

 one province to another. 



In the afternoon, I examined the conical hill, which, like 

 that near Rotas, is of stratified beds of limestone, capped 

 with sandstone. A stream runs round its base, cutting 

 through the alluvium to the subjacent rock, which is 

 exposed, and contains flattened spheres of limestone. 

 These spheres are from the size of a fist to a child's head, 

 or even much larger ; they are excessively hard, and neither 

 laminated nor formed of concentric layers. At the top of 

 the hill the sandstone cap was perpendicular on all sides, 

 and its dry top covered with small trees, especially of 

 Coc/dospermum. A few larger trees of Fici clung to the 

 edge of the rocks, and by forcing their roots into the 

 interstices detached enormous masses, affording good dens 



* The Coles, like the Danghas of the Rajmahal and Behar hills, and the 

 natives of the mountains of the peninsula, form one of the aboriginal tribes 

 of British India, and are widely different people from either the Hindoos or 

 Mussulmen. 



