S36 'S-URVEY OF THE GANGES. 



water from a spring; and on each side is a small verandah or recess. 

 Eerha M De'o is said to have been a very powerful Raja, who resided 

 formerly at the town of Baidya-JVdt'h. Whenever he sat down to his 

 meals, the water from this spring was forwarded, by a chain of servants, 

 who were constantly kept stationed on the ro^d, solely for that purpose, 

 \ This tradition may have contributed to support the fame of the water^ 

 ' which is considered to possess some very superior qualities ; altliough its 

 appearance be such, as neither to'excite desire^ nor convey an idea of its 

 purity. 



Near the place where we halted, we were wtet by a servant of Bhi'm 

 Sa'ahi, the chief of Almo'ra, who informed <hs that a letter, despatched by 



■ Lieut. Webb, from Bdnjbaghar, had been received by his master, wha 

 had sent a Silhaddr with two companies of Sipdhis, to meet us, and deli- 

 ver the answer. We found them accordingly at the village; but the 

 Silbaddr deeming the day, which was Tuesday, unpropitious, declined to 

 deliver it till the following one, 



■ a 5th. Therm. 7^°. This day^ he paid us a visit, and delivered the 

 letter ; which, after many professions in the oriental style of compliment^ 



.lamented, that, in obedience to pos-itive orders from the court of JsTapdlg 

 4he wjiter .was obliged to decline our visit at Almora. It concluded with 

 ,desiring, that we would take the route towards the low country; from 



whatever place we might have reached, when the letter should come to 



■ ' ;hand. 



This answer was by no means so favourable as we expe6ied; and our 

 disappointment on reading the contents was very great ; for we had not 

 only a great desire to see the city of Almora, but we wished to procure 

 several articles, which we had omitted to purchase at Snnagar^ from th© 



