364 Narrative of a Journey from Soobathoo [No. 125. 



25th September. — Marched to the Kotkhaee eleven miles. The road 

 lay along the bank of the Giree, one of the branches of the Jumna, and 

 was often rocky and dangerous, the footpath being frequently over- 

 grown with grass, and seldom half a foot in breadth. 



Kotkhaee is the residence of the Kotgoor Rana, a hill chief under the 

 protection of the British Government. It is situate on a most romantic 

 spot, upon the point below which, two streams unite to form the Giree ; 

 on one side the rock is 182 feet perpendicular, and on the other there 

 is a long flight of stone steps ; neither of the streams, which are only 

 twenty feet broad, are fordable, so by destroying the bridges, the place 

 might be well defended against musketry. The Rana's residence is 

 three stories high, and has a most imposing appearance ; each story 

 projects beyond the one beneath, and the top is crowned by a couple 

 of handsome Chinese turrets, beautifully adorned with finely carved 

 wooden work. 



26th September. — Marched to Gujyndee eight miles. The road at 

 first lay up the bed of one of the branches of the Giree, and there 

 was a very steep and tiresome ascent of 2,400 feet to Deouree Pass, 

 8,885 feet high, from whence there was a descent to camp. 



Gujyndee is in Nawur, a small district of Busahir, famed for its 

 numerous iron mines ; there are few spots here fit for cultivation, and 

 the inhabitants, who are miners, live chiefly by their trade in iron. 

 They work the mines only about three months in the year, and com- 

 mence digging them in March, after the snow has sufficiently melted ; 

 at other times, they say, the earth falls in, and it is unsafe to work. 



27th September. — Proceeded to Rooroo, a fatiguing march of thirteen 

 miles, crossing a high range of mountains. Here we first came upon the 

 Pabur, one of the feeders of the Tonse, which falls into the Jumna, and 

 is a stream of considerable size. Barometrical observations give the ex- 

 treme height of its bed 5,100 feet. 



Rooroo is situate in Choara, one of the large divisions of Busahir, 

 and the most populous and best cultivated spot I have seen in the hills ; 

 the dell is broad, and the ground is well adapted for rice fields, being 

 watered by many canals cut from the river which winds through it. 



Three marches more, or twenty- six miles, brought me to Jangleeg, 

 the last and highest village in the valley of the Pabur, elevated 9,200 

 feet above the sea. The road latterly was extremely rugged and dan- 



