898 March from Brimhan Ghat to Umurkuntuk, [No. 105. 



which the Bramins assuye you is the Son Bhuder, whereas the latter rises 

 from a swamp near Pindraee, and the former joins the Arup, one of the feed- 

 ers of the Mahanuddee. West from the Koond, four ^nd a half miles, is the 

 first fal of the Nerbudda, 90 feet, over compact basalt No. 90, and called 

 Kupildhar, after the celebrated Moonee of that name ; ffom the summit of 

 the hill at Jogee ghat south to the crest of the descent at the Punkhee 

 ghat north will be under six miles, and from the Kookre Moorghee ghat 

 (or Ramgurh) to the Amanara ghat, is less, and these points give the 

 extent of the table land at Umurkuntuk. 



The spring at and about which the temples are built, is by no means the 

 highest spot of the plateau, but I conjecture that where the Koond (which 

 is a pukka irregular square basin, with steps leading down on every side) 

 is, it was found that a spring ran all the year round, whereas from the 

 upper points they generally dried up, as they nearly were when we visited 

 the spot. The Brahmins have also added legends to these sources ; that 

 from the east is termed the Sonbhudr, and that from the north the Johilla, 

 and you are gravely assured by these priests that the streams are running 

 up the hill, to protect themselves from the fury of Nermada Mae. At the 

 place are some 60 temples of sizes ; that in which the image of Johilla the 

 Nain (said to be iron, of which I have strong doubts) is a picturesque one, 

 and so is another adjoining, of a totally different style to the generality, 

 but in miniature like those built at Oodeypore and Putharee in Scindea's 

 country ; the whole of them are built of laterite with which the table land 

 is capped. Of its height above the level of the sea, Mr. Jenkins the Resi- 

 dent of Nagpore in his report of that country states it at 3464 feet ; but 

 Lieut. Waugh and Rennie, who visited it in 1833 en route from Chunar to 

 Jubulpore, I understand make it near 5000. There is a peculiarity of this 

 elevation, which T may notice here ; viz. that we were assured by the resi- 

 dents of the place that it rains throughout the year every third or fourth day. 

 I have only to say that in two visits made to it, that such was undoubtedly 

 the case as far as our observation wen,t ; now allowing its height to be that 

 stated by the engineer officers, on what principle is this humidity to be 

 accounted for ? The peaks of the Mahadeo hills, Chowradeo, Jutta Shunkur, 

 Dobghur rising out of the plain of Puchmurree, have an equal altitude, 

 and nothing of the kind occurs there. Has the geological formation any 

 thing to say to this meteorological difference? The Mahadeo hills are 

 sandstone with rolled quartz pebbles, Umurkuntuk entirely laterite rest- 

 ing on basalt. A register of a thermometer kept by a native in an open 

 verandah of a temple, from the 12th of April to the 24th June gave the follow- 

 ing results; unfortunately no attempt was made to note the prevailing windS) 

 clouds, or rain. 



