1851.] Notes upon a tour through the Rdjmahal Hills. 587 



ties, gin, gunpowder, shot and soap, the latter article by especial desire 

 of Kesoo. 



The old chief took me to the summit of a hill close, by commanding 

 an extensive view of the hills lying to the south. To the south-west 

 the hill, Mundarin Bhaugulpoor, and to the west, the Monghyr hills are 

 visible. On this hill a spot was pointed out, where some missionaries 

 had felled a quantity of the finest trees for the purpose of erecting a 

 house ; the spot had, however, been deserted and the missionaries had 

 never returned ; old Kesoo mourned over his trees, remarking that 

 although they had been felled in one day, they had taken fifty years 

 to grow. 



On a point of the hills immediately overhanging the Ganges, is a 

 masonry platform where Mr, Cleveland used to pitch his tents. It is 

 particularly pleasing to hear one of our countrymen spoken so well of 

 by so large a body of half wild people as Mr. Cleveland is spoken of 

 by the hill-men ; his name after a period of sixty-seven years is still 

 remembered with much affection. 



2nd February, 1851. — Direction east along the top of the hills. 

 In six hours travelled five miles, the road having to be cut the whole 

 way through jungle. Passed through the hill villages Puchrookhee, 

 Boothouna, Pokuria and encamped at Gogi, overhanging a deep deli 

 and overlooking the Ganges ; the road very difficult, being much cut 

 up by deep water courses, jungle and loose stones. At Pokuria passed 

 through a stone entrenchment which is here thrown across the road. 

 In the days of the Muhammadan kings, the hill-men were in the habit 

 of murdering all and every emissary sent from the Muhammadans, 

 then in full force at Rajmahal ; and this entrenchment which is a low 

 wall of stones extending in a zigzag fashion across the road, was one 

 of their favorite spots of ambush, where the hill archers lay in wait for 

 the messengers or soldiers who were sent into the hills to coerce or other- 

 wise annoy the hill-people. Kesoo Sirdar, who was with me remark- 

 ed " We were bad subjects in those days, sir, but Mr. Chibilly (Cleve- 

 land) soon put us on friendly terms with all our neighbours" 



Close to this spot I stopped to examine one of the large creepers so 

 common in these forests ; it was a Ghila or Bauhinia scandens, its 

 stem on leaving the ground, divided into three separate branches, of 

 about six feet girth each which with their tendrils extended for several 



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