380 Lieut. Kittoes Journey through the Forests of Orissa. [May, 



direct road. Upon questioning him, I received the usual evasive 

 replies of " that is not a high road, it merely leads into the forest f 

 and " what do I know ; I live at Bahum ;" " I have not seen, 

 &c. &c." I took the knave aback by asking him the name of the 

 ghat I was going to, and insisting that that was it, pointing to 

 the gap. Forgetting himself, he replied that that was the Baghloth 

 ghat ; he then admitted that the road led direct to it. I was obliged 

 to strike off to the right, and travel for some miles along a narrow 

 and winding path through a heavy Saul forest to the foot of the ghat, 

 which is about a mile from a large village called Kundeswuri, 

 belonging to Chundro Bearer, a Kund chief who holds the adjacent 

 hill lands (more by might than right) from the Baumurra Raja ; this 

 man has a few followers, who, united in one interest, set all the 

 neighbouring Zemindars at defiance, and make frequent plundering 

 excursions into the plains ; he is much dreaded by all. The Kunds 

 are however industrious, and if treated kindly, peaceable ; but such is 

 the dislike the Ooreyas entertain towards them, and the consequent 

 annoyances and tyranny they exercise over them when they perchance 

 fall into their power, that they are obliged to retaliate in self-defence; 

 this is the case throughout the tributary mehauls in which there are 

 Kund villages. 



The Kunds of these hills have no turmeric cultivation, nor do they 

 perform the horrid Merria pooja, which is in a manner connected 

 with it. 



The ascent of the ghat is by a narrow glen between two ridges 

 of hills, those to the right being very lofty quartzose rocks ; it is at first 

 very gradual and easy, but higher up becomes very steep, continu- 

 ing so as far as the summit, the whole distance being a little more 

 than three-quarters of a mile. The road is difficult on account of the 

 loose stones of all sizes which are strewed about ; there were remains of 

 fences and other contrivances for defending the pass, which had been 

 constructed the previous year, during some disputes with the Sumbul- 

 pur Raja, who summoned all his vassals to assist him, but the Kunds 

 had the best of it, as is generally the case. 



There is a fine view to be had here of the Sumbulpur plains, but 

 owing to the haziness of the atmosphere I was unable to see any 

 objects distinctly enough to take their bearings, except the high peak 

 at the north-western extremity of the range of hills ; following the 

 course of the Mahanuddi, distant six miles south-east of Sumbulpur, it 

 bears 70° south-west ; the soil at the top of the ghat is a hard red loam 

 with much quartz, gneiss, and hornblende. I here remarked two 

 heaps of stones each at the foot of a tree, which reminded me of the tu- 



