614 Lieut. Kittoe's Journey through the Forests of Orissa. [July, 



After proceeding several miles down the valley, which inclines con- 

 siderably to the southward, I entered a narrow glen with large forest 

 trees, I here came upon the road Capt. Abbott had surveyed, very 

 near to the village of Tillopussi, situated in another glen branch- 

 ing off to the westward, and leading to the Muttighat ; I pro- 

 ceeded along this road towards the Byeturni river and valley, and 

 reached the former long after dark, distance about six miles. Just 

 as the evening was closing I fell in with a huge bear and her two- 

 half grown cubs, I had no fire arms loaded, therefore we hallooed and 

 drove her off, the cubs clung to her back much in the same manner as 

 young monkeys do, only that they rolled about and did not seem to 

 hold so well. It was fortunate I had many people with me, other- 

 wise she would most probably have attacked me ; these brutes are far 

 more mischievous and dangerous than tigers, for out of pure mischief 

 they maul people in the most frightful manner, particularly in 

 the mango season when they frequently take possession of a garden, 

 and defy all attempts of the villagers to drive them out. 



Just before reaching the Byeturni, I passed a rather large village 

 called Colesaie, inhabited by Coles, a number of whom have lately 

 located themselves in these hills by the Raja's invitation, (it is said) 

 with a view to employing these savages in ransacking Lehra whenever 

 a fair opportunity may offer itself. I had some difficulty in procuring a 

 guide from among these, for they refused to come, and seemed 

 inclined to resist us, — we succeeded in catching one surly creature, 

 whom we with much difficulty compelled to shew us the way. Hav- 

 ing crossed the Byeturni (the Styx of the Hindus, which is here 

 nothing but an insignificant rivulet thirty yards wide, with scarcely any 

 water) I resolved on encamping for the night, for I could not trust my 

 Cole guide, whom I dismissed ; — we lighted fires in all directions and 

 went to sleep. 



I should here remark that the Byeturni takes its rise in the adja- 

 cent hills about eight or ten miles further south, and winds along un- 

 der the hills in a northerly direction for many miles, entering Singh- 

 boom and then turning to the east for a short distance, when it finally 

 flows towards the south through Keunjur and Dekkenal into the 

 plains of Orissa ; in Rennel's map it is erroneously made to take its 

 rise to the north of Singhboom. The source of the Byeturni, as well as 

 the river itself is held sacred ; it is said to issue from a huge mass of 

 rock the shape of a cow's head, and that water flows from one nostril 

 and sand from the other; a large fair is held there once every year; 

 there are moreover places of worship with idols at every five coss (ten 

 to twelve miles) from the source down to the holy city of Jajipur in 

 the plains. 



