1847.] Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, fyc. 63 



and proceeded by elephant up the Koondil-panee, and after passing the 

 mouth of the Depho-panee, followed up the course of that stream, until 

 I arrived at the foot of the hills ; and as the fort I was in search of was 

 said by my Khamptee guide to be between the Depho and Jameesa, I 

 took a direction through the jungle about east, and without much dif- 

 ficulty arrived at the fort five days after quitting Saikwah. 



" This fort is said to have been built by Raja Sisopal, and is situated 

 on an elevated plain at the foot of the hills ; the extent of it is consi- 

 derable, as it took me about four hours to walk along one side of its 

 faces : the defence is double, consisting of a rampart of stiff red clay, 

 which, as the surrounding soil appears of a different nature, must have 

 been brought from some distance. Below this rampart is a terrace of 

 about 20 yards in breadth, beyond which the side of the hill is perpen- 

 dicularly scarped, and varies from 10 to 30 feet high; the principal 

 entrance, and the defences for some distance on either side, are built of 

 brick, and on many spots in the interior I observed remains of the 

 same materials, so that in all probability the houses occupied by the 

 inhabitants must have been built of masonry. As I was unable from 

 scarcity of provisions to remain more than one day at this place, I 

 could not examine it so minutely as I could have wished. It seemed 

 however to be composed of only three sides, the steepness of the hill at 

 its north face precluding the necessity of any other works. At pre- 

 sent the whole of the northern part of it is thickly covered with tea, 

 which extends, according to the Khamptees who know the locality well, 

 in a belt of more than a mile in depth all along the foot of the hill 

 within the fort, and not as marked in my map, which was drawn before 

 I visited the place. More to the west between the Dihing and Dehong 

 is a* much larger fort, and, as I believe, entirely composed of brick, as 

 well as a tank of similar construction, surrounding which are numerous 

 hill forts of small dimensions erected by a Raja named Bhishmuk, and 

 the popular tradition amongst the people of this part of the country 

 is, that on the destruction of the empire of these kings by the Hindoo 

 god Krishno, the people who were able to make their escape tied to the 

 # hills, and have in the course of time become converted into the present 

 tribes of Abors. Near these forts a great number of wild Methuns* 

 are to be met with, and the whole of the country, from the mouth of 

 * Bos frontalis, or allied species. — Cur. As. $oc. 



