272 Description of the country between [No. 10, nkw series, 



great improvement, and it might be made to produce large quanti- 

 ties of rice, wheat, potatoes and other European vegetables, fruits 

 of various kinds, &c, while the trade in iron and valuable timber 

 would also be very largely extended. 



7. There can be no doubt that the jungle country is very fever- 

 ish and unhealthy, and I should imagine that the town of Jeypore 

 and vicinity is in a less degree of the same character. The rainy 

 season is very dangerous and unhealthy ; rainy weather, when ac- 

 companied by cold more so still, while the cold weather of Decem- 

 ber and January is almost as unhealthy as the rainy season ; some, 

 indeed, consider it more so. The hot weather is the only season 

 in which the jungles can be entered with comparative safety, but 

 even then the chance of escaping fever is very slight, even to Eu- 

 ropeans, while Natives are almost certain to be attacked. My own 

 experience amply confirms this, as I myself did not escape, and of 

 the party which accompanied me, every one, without a single ex- 

 ception, was attacked, and two have already died. Malaria is 

 of course the principal cause of this, but there are several others 

 which exercise an important influence, and among these are the 

 fatigue and exposure, and want of good food, the latter, I believe, 

 exercising a powerful influence. A large party going into this 

 country with the intention of remaining some time, should take 

 large supplies and should be accompanied by an Apothecary or 

 other Medical attendant. 



8. Camels, or, still better, elephants, are most useful, as they 

 save a number of coolies, who can only in most places be procur- 

 ed with extreme difficulty, and who are constantly running away, 

 and causing great delay and loss of time. 



9. I should mention that the Brinjaries do not travel to Nag~ 

 pore through Jeypore, but strike off the road at Madheopotto and 

 pass 10 miles to the right of Jeypore. The distance to Nagpore 

 by these routes is about the same, while the respective distances 

 by them to Jeypore from Madheopotto are 7 and 26 miles. I 

 examined the latter route on my return, and think it would be 

 the more expensive of the two, while it would not pass through 

 Jeypore, which is of course a desideratum. The only reason for 

 preferring it to the other is I conceive occasioned by the difficulty 

 of passing over the very steep Ghaut, which separates the elevat- 

 ed plateau from the plain of Jeypore. 



