1848.] The Turaee and Outer Mountains of Kumaoon. 59V 



the road generally keeps to the summit of the ridge, from which the 

 ground slopes easily to the south, forming a series of open vallies, 

 beyond and parallel to which rises the Sidh ka Dhoora range and 

 Chuloun summit, about 4 miles S. of Furka, covered with Quercus 

 dilatata, which also occurs at Furka and along the road side, especially 

 a large grove at Dana near Dernath : descending hereabouts to 5800 

 feet, probably its lowest level a mile beyond Dana is Lullia, a ruined 

 temple, with the usual cedars : here a large treasure is reported to 

 have been discovered. Furka Bungalow is above a mile on, and here 

 is another and very beautiful cedar wood. The elevation is 5827 

 feet above Calcutta : there are many villages scattered over the neigh- 

 bouring dales, the nearest of which are Maragaon and Kumlekh. The 

 inhabitants are all still in the Turaee, and I visited several of the ham- 

 lets without meeting or seeing a single person : all the doors locked, 

 and the crops apparently uncared for, but luxuriant : one is at a loss 

 to know hovv they escape the deer. Much rice is grown in the 

 swampy bottoms : the streams join the Ludheea at Kela Ghat. 



March 26. — 13 miles to Devee-dhoora, the Deo Dhoora of the map, 

 often known as De simply : road good but tortuous, following the tabu- 

 lar and rounded summit of the granitic range ; this is well grown with 

 Rhododendron, Cheer Pine, Pear, Kaephul (Myrica sapida), and 

 Banj oak which with its young hoary leaves well justifies the epithet 

 incana. Those of Quercus dilatata are now of a beautiful glossy 

 brownish yellow and pink ; but though the mountains are loftier than 

 towards Furka, this species does not occur on to-day's route. The 

 road descends at once from Furka Bungalow for 1^ mile and then 

 ascends as much to the temple of Eiree and Ahree Deotah, with the 

 village Guhtora below to the north. Ahree is one of the most popular 

 of the minor and probably aboriginal gods of the mountaineers, such as 

 Symdeo, Nagnath, Hurroo (Hurjoo, or Mahumbulee,) &c, whose rustic 

 shrines are met in every grove and on every summit ; they are now 

 considered to be men of the Golden age, deified for their many virtues 

 and powers, and so far answer to the classical daemons of the Greeks as 

 denned by Hesiod. The Dies Irce, some time in October, is kept as a fair, 

 and is celebrated with feasting and dancing : during the revelry, the de- 

 mi-god, aided by bhang and churrus,* seizes and takes possession of one 

 * Intoxicating- products of hemp, Cannabis Saliva. 



