1839.] Lieut. Kittoe's Journey through the Forests of Orissa. 675 



There are a few guattas located here and there, they generally 

 elan together and have villages to themselves. It would be of great 

 service if some colonies of these useful people (who are usually 

 bearers) were induced to come from the Mogulbundi* near Buddruc 

 and Cuttack, and to establish themselves in different parts of the road, 

 the only obstacle to dawk travelling would then be removed. I should 

 here observe that the only sure means of establishing a good thorough- 

 fare for both merchants and the dawk, would be for government to 

 purchase the land on each side of the road, to the extent of half a 

 mile each way or more, and then to allot it to the dawk runners 

 and bearers, as well as to other persons requiring it ; in a very few 

 years every available beegah of ground would be eagerly taken, cleared 

 and cultivated ; for the first five years nothing but a nominal rent 

 should be exacted, and ultimately it could be assessed at a low rate. 

 The purchase would not amount to much, and some of the tracts I 

 should think would be readily rented by Europeans, to wit the Bissai 

 valley, which I shall presently describe. 



From Bunkati I proceeded due north for two short marches, when 

 ! I reached the foot of the pass called " Nittai Maungur," or the (e Tha- 

 coorani" ghat, from the high hill of that name, which commands it; 

 this hill (as the name implies) is looked upon as a form of the goddess 

 of destruction ; all very prominent mountain peaks, caverns and na- 

 tural curiosities in general, are deified by the benighted inhabitants 

 of the jungles. 



In the evening, I ascended the ghat, it is very rugged and steep, we 

 lighted numerous bonfires to scare the wild beasts, and encamped for 

 the night, in the middle of the road, the only level and clear ground 

 we could find ; the following morning we marched to Bissai, passing 

 the Kurrumbilla dawk stage, about midway ; it was here and on this 

 occasion where I observed a break in the hills to the northward of the 

 pass, that led to the discovery of a defile by which this valley can be 

 entered with a scarcely perceptible ascent, I further discovered that a 

 fine road existed, by which many years ago merchants used to travel, 

 it is now blocked up with fallen trees, and overgrown with high grass, 

 there are several tanks and many mango topes, one of the former is 

 called the Brinjarah's tank. Judging from the vast number of large 

 peepul and banyan trees of great size and age that occur by the road 

 side, together with what information I was able to collect, I think 

 that the road must be of great antiquity, and no doubt much frequent- 



* The Mogulbundi includes most of the Purgunnahs in the plains which are under 

 our regulations. 



