702 The Hodesum (improperly called KolehanJ, [No. 103. 



tolerable quantity is gathered by Hindoos, but of a third or fourth 

 rate quality, also excellent iron ; of coal I never found any traces. 



The open parts of the Kolehan are here and there scattered with a 

 scrub jungle, composed chiefly of the Polass and Assun, on which 

 latter the tusser silk worms are bred. The southern parts, where not 

 cultivated, are covered by extensive plains of grass, interspersed with 

 bushes ; entirely along the west boundary, are forests of saul trees, 

 small and meagre on the hills, but reaching in the low rich vallies to 

 a size perfectly prodigious. In Anundpoor, towards Gangpoor, are 

 tracts covered entirely with the wild plantain, and many of the 

 hills are clothed densely with bamboos. In marshy spots a strong 

 serviceable species of cane or ratan is found. The wild mangoe tree 

 is also very common in these forests, yielding a fruit far preferable to 

 the common kind found in the " topes" throughout India ; it is small, 

 round, and full of juice, as sweet as honey. The date and palm trees 

 are not cultivated by the Koles, but are to be found near Hindoo 

 villages in Singbhoom ; cheretta, wild indigo, and arrowroot are very 

 common in the jungles. But to enumerate all the beautiful flowers 

 which enrich these green retreats — the fruits and roots, to every 

 one of which the natives attach some specific virtue or harm ; the 

 inexhaustible variety of plants, shrubs and fungi, ferns, creepers, &c. 

 which clothe in all varieties of fantastic imagery the shady dells ; or 

 the cool banks of foliage-canopied streams, — would be a task far 

 exceeding my powers, or the limits of this memoir. 



The animals found in the Kolehan are the same as in other parts 

 of central India, but not nearly so abundant as in better watered 

 jungles, besides which the Koles and Oorias are inveterate hunters, 

 and their attacks on game of all kinds are pursued on an extermi- 

 nating scale (a description of their hunts is hereafter given). The 

 elephant, which is numerous in parts of the Jungle Mehals, com- 

 paratively close to Medneepoor, is, strange to say, unknown among 

 the remote and wild regions of west Singbhoom ; the gower is 

 common in this latter region— two species are described by the natives, 

 a red and a black kind; the urna, and smaller wild buflalo are 

 very numerous about Anundpoor ; great varieties of deer haunt the 

 hills, the saumur (C. rusa), neelgye (Dalmalis picta) spotted deer (C. 

 axis) barking deer, or Muntjac (C. muntjac), chikerac or four horned 



