OR CUTTACK. 181 



highly esteemed fruit, under such circumstances, to the benevolence or ca- 

 price of the Deotas. 



The trees seldom attain to a large height or luxuriant growth in the 

 decomposed soil covering the Granitic hills, which border the Mogulbandi, 

 or in the v/oods that stretch along their bases. The jungles in the latter 



situation abound to a remarkable degree with trees and plants yielding 

 drugs and medicinal articles, or at least fruits esteemed such by the natives, 

 as the Terminalia Chebula, and Belerica (Harira and Bahara,) Vangueria 

 Spinosa (Mayan phal), Strychnos mix vomica (Kuchila), Cassia Fistula 

 (Amaltas), Phyllanthus Emblica (Aonla), Mimosa Khadira (Khayar), Chi- 

 rounjiaSapida, Sapindus Saponaria, Spondias Mangifera, Semecarpus Ana- 

 cardium (Bhila), Karanj or Galedupa Arborea, &c. The following trees like- 

 wise very commonly occur, viz. Asin (Pentaptera tomentosa,) Geringa a 

 species of Pterospermum, Lodh, (query, Phyllanthus Longifolius ?) Patali 

 (Bignonia Suaveolens), besides the steady companions of all Indian sylvan 

 scenery, the Tamarind, Mango, Bamboo, Bur and Peepul (Ficus Indica 

 and Religiosa). The produce of the above is collected by the wild inhabit- 

 ants of the jungles for sale in the Cuttack market, by which traffic chiefly 

 they gain a livelihood. A gigantic climbing Bauhinia forms a very conspicu- 

 ous object in these woods, which 1 suspect to be the Bauhinia Racemosa 

 described by Dr. W allien in the 12th volume of the Asiatic Researches. The 

 name given by the natives is Siahri. The leaves are much used for thatch- 

 ing their miserable huts, and the fibres of the bark serve to bind down the 

 thatch, and to make mats. The fruit is a huge legume of a wooden consistency, 

 containing from four to six round flat seeds, which have a sweetish pleasant taste 

 not unlike the flavour of almonds, and are eaten with great relish by the hill 

 people. Amongst the underwood one observes, in great quantities, several spe- 

 cies of Mimosas, Euphorbias, and Justicias, the Jatropha Curcas, Capparis 

 trifoliata, a Cassia with a pale yellow flower, the wild Corunda which at 

 most times of the year is loaded with delicate white blossoms, the Samalu 

 (Vitex trifoliata,) Asclepias Gigantea, a white Ixora, and a vast number of 



