582 Notes upon a tour through the Rdjmahal Hills. [No. 7. 



At the village of Mori, Mesur, Mangi, or chief of the village at my 

 request took me inside his neat house, in one corner of which stood a 

 small bamboo platform, on which were placed several skulls of the 

 barking deer, and two skulls of the four-horned antelope, which had 

 been killed on this hill either by himself or by his ancestors ; the 

 skulls must have been of a great age, as they were nearly black with 

 smoke. It is customary to hand these trophies down from father to 

 son, and such is the reverence with which they are regarded that they 

 are worshipped and bowed down to as gods. 



I made a present to the Mangi of some money who in return insist- 

 ed upon loading my servants with bora beans ; here as at all the hill 

 villages I was received with the greatest attention, the mangis invari- 

 ably placing their neat little bedsteads in the shade as a seat not only 

 for myself but for all my attendants. 



Two fine young men accompanied me down the hills as guides ; we 

 descended the western flank of the Mori peak to Chupri, situate on a 

 lower range of hills ; passing through the village I saw a platform 

 perched up in a tree covered with skulls, the only one I could recog- 

 nize was that of a neelghye ; I did not like to disturb the group hid- 

 den as it was by leaves, knowing the importance and respect they pay 

 to these strange relics. 



The steep descent from Mori to the lower range which was over 

 loose and rolling pieces of basalt was a work of some difficulty to a 

 small female elephant which had accompanied me up the hill, to the 

 utter amazement of the hill-men and women who had never seen such 

 an animal. A long walk of seven miles along the saddle back of a 

 range of hills, during which passed through Sutbhera, Dumlee, and 

 Seni, all hill villages and through a deliciously cool and shady forest, 

 I descended the Semi Ghaut at 3 p. m. to the Sonthal village Semi, 

 having been on foot ever since 6 in the morning, and that without 

 food. 



The whole route was over compact basalt with occasional masses of 

 iron ore agate, chalcedony and quartz crystals. The only animals seen 

 were large troops of the Sungoor monkey. 



I was particularly struck with the enormous size of the Arahurdol 

 (cytisus cajan) that grew upon the hills, each seed being the size of a 

 small bean. 



