232 



Statistical Report on the Northern and 



[No. 38, 



that it instantly drew together the inhabitants of the place, and of 

 its neighbourhood, who kept guard around us during the remainder 

 of the night. In the morning however, they would have us to deli- 

 ver them up the Jawan that wounded the thief, whom they openly 

 called their man. We of course, refused to do so, and they again rais- 

 ed such a disturbance in consequence, that it is impossible to des- 

 cribe it. They then shut up the road hy means of large trees, 

 which they cut for the purpose, throwing them thickly on the Ghaut, 

 road, &c. over which we had to pass, in such a manner as to leave 

 no trace of the road whatever. From this, it became difficult to save 

 our lives, we were obliged to leave our baggage and Tattoos, at the 

 same place, and to throw ourselves in the jungle in progress of our 

 destination ; so after experiencing a thousand hardships and diffi- 

 culties, we reached a place called Mudare, whence by Bhopalput- 

 tum, after crossing the river of Indravany, finally arrived at this 

 place. 



The account of Bustar is this. Bustar is situated in an open plain 

 and contains nearly one thousand small houses or huts. Near it stands 

 a mud fort, the wall or out work of which is in many places broken 

 down : it is surrounded by a ditch which is rather muddy, has but 

 one wooden gate for egress, or ingress, it is not occupied, nor is 

 there a bridge any where over the ditch, except the one in the di- 

 rection of the gate, with which it communicates. In like manner 

 there is no wall around the collection of houses, and consequently 

 there are roads on all directions. The inhabitants have no bazars, 

 or bazar men, except three or four individuals of the tribe of Gond, 

 who supply them with rice and other necessaries. They themselves 

 are of the same tribe, and speak the Gond language, which is not in- 

 tellisible to strangers, their clothes are simply a bit of cloth about 

 one and half cubit long, and seven to eight inches broad, with which 

 they cover their nakedness, and which in Hindostanee is called a 

 Lungotee, but their heads and bodies are invariably left naked. 

 This is the common clothing of both sexes, only the Lungotee of 

 the female is a little larger, than that of the male. Their diet con- 

 sists chiefly of rice, and dhall of green gram. The name of their Ra- 

 jah is Bhopal Deo, who is blind and resides at Marunkah, which is 

 situated two coss westward of Bustar, and where Mussulmen mer- 

 chants from Madras and Nagpore import and deal in coarse cloth, 

 in return for which, they export bullocks, &c. thence. Throughout 

 these villages not a single shop, for ordinary necessaries is to be met 



