1839.] Lieut. Kittoe's Journey through the Forests of Orissa. 371 



meal and fell asleep. On waking, I found myself in better luck 

 than I had expected, the Paiks having returned with fifteen of the 

 twenty Dangurs who had left, as I before stated. I immediately pro- 

 ceeded, and reached the top of the pass about 8 p. m., resting for awhile 

 at Puddum talawo, on the spot where I had encamped when with 

 my regiment in June, 1837, I then continued my journey as far as 

 the Bunjara halting place, near Gussungurh, in the Boad country, 

 which I reached at midnight. At day-break I left the high road 

 and went to the river side at a village called Korasingha; I made 

 my palkee as snug as possible for the day. A very fine Mahaseer was 

 caught and brought to me by a fisherman, so that I had no fear of 

 starving. 



The village was almost entirely deserted, which I was informed 

 is the case for many miles from the Burmool pass (which is the 

 boundary between the estates of Boad and Duspalla) to within a 

 few miles of the town of Boad. The whole country has been almost 

 laid waste since 1836 ; the Raja's followers lay the J^lame to the Kunds 

 and their chief Nuncumkonwur, who inhabit the mountains running 

 parallel with the river as far as Sohnpur, at an average distance 

 of four miles, and then recede in a southerly direction towards 

 Gilleiri in Gumsur ; the ryots, on the other hand, attribute the 

 impoverished state of the country to the tyranny and misrule of 

 the Boad Raja, and further assert that the Kunds were driven to ag- 

 gression by his treachery and injustice. 



I passed the day as well as the heat (at 115° with a fierce hot 

 west wind) would permit of; I had not felt sucli since my quitting the 

 North-western Provinces ; it was an unpleasant contrast to the cool 

 (south) sea-breeze prevailing on the other side of the mountains. 



I resumed my travels in the early part of the evening, and reached 

 Rumbagurh about 10 p. m. where I halted for several hours to allow 

 the bearers rest ; it is a miserable place, with indifferent mud walls 

 and watch towers, but is deemed a gurh, or stronghold. 



About 2 a. m. I continued my trip, intending to put up at Boad, 

 but it being very late before I reached a small village two miles 

 nearer, I thought it best to avail myself of the fine shelter afforded 

 by a mango grove on the river side. 



I suffered a great deal during the night from feverish symptoms, the 

 effects of exposure, and so sudden a change of climate ; I had little or 

 no sleep, so that I had an opportunity of observing the country in the 

 immediate vicinity of the road. There is much waste land, which 

 appears to have been lately under cultivation, yet there is a far greater 

 proportion of jungle and forest, having the same features as that of 



3 c 



