1838.J Journal of a Tour in Orissa. 685 



ing in company with my friend Mr. R. Beetson of Cuttack : there 

 was dense jangal the whole way ; the soil is stiff red marl with much la- 

 terite ; there are numerous small hills on either side of the path ; the 

 rock is a coarse sandstone, a continuation of that formation alluded to 

 in my report on the volcanic rock of Neuraje in No, 74 for February 

 1838, of the Asiatic Journal. Shingle occurs occasionally : I am of 

 opinion that coal could be found at some depth below the surface. 

 There is a great deal of cultivation about Govindpur : there is a nulla 

 the water of which is penned in after the rains for the purposes of irri- 

 gation. A short distance north of the village are the remains of a dam 

 of masonry close to the extensive ruins of some former city called Ton- 

 la garh. 



The natives have a tradition that this is one of the forts of a race 

 of people called Dehdllid, who formerly had possession of these hill 

 provinces. 



On the 15th I marched to Deogaon, a large village with several tem- 

 ples, tanks, and wells at the foot of the famous hill of Kapildss ; in 

 the evening we climbed this lofty hill by a narrow but even path wind- 

 ing round the southern face : the ascent is very steep and in many pla- 

 ces steps are hewn out of the rock. I should think it must be about one 

 and half miles to the glen near the summit where there is a beautiful 

 spring of fresh water issuing from a part of the rock which, different 

 from the other parts of the hill, is stratified. There are several small but 

 ancient temples dedicated to Mahadeva under the name of Kapildss 

 Mahadeo ; they were built by the Gajapati raja Pra tap Rudra Deva. 

 The brahmans relate that the raja having incurred the guilt of killing 

 a bull, had a curse pronounced on him ; he went to Pooree and asked 

 of Joganndth what he should do to obtain forgiveness ; the deity replied 

 " Go to Mount Kapildss and there remain doing penance until your 

 black raiments turn white." Having after a time obtained the favor of 

 Siva he built the temples and endowed them out of gratitude for his 

 absolution, since which time the spot has become a place of constant 

 worship, a large fair is held annually, when pilgrims flock to it from all 

 parts of Orissa, 



It was quite dark before we reached the foot of the hill, we were met 

 by several paiks who had been sent to light us home to our tent, they 

 had torches made of slips of Sissoo wood, tied into long narrow bun- 

 dles which once lighted burn to the last morsel, emitting a very 

 strong light with a powerful and delicious aromatic smell, they are in 

 common use throughout the Girijat (hill states). 



