376 



Mr. James Bird on the Country 



[Oct. 



terminating near the town of Pusasaoli and at the Nahwi Ghat, or 

 pass from the high land to the plain below ; 2dly, Into that stretching 

 from hence to the Ghatparba river ; and 3dly, The tract between the 

 Ghatparba and Kittor. 



The parts now subject to British authority are the territories com- 

 posing the Punah collectorate, and extending to the west bank of the 

 Nira river, the country of the Satara Raja, which is more or less 

 under the control and management of the resident at that court, and 

 the taluks of Padshapur and Belgaum, at present under the autho- 

 rity of the political agent in the southern Mahratta country. The 

 remainder is divided among the southern Jagirdars, and other tribu- 

 taries of the British government, which exercises no control over its 

 territorial management. 



The Dekkan division, during the dry season, has a very bleak 

 appearance. In travelling southward we continue to pass over chains 

 of barren hills, with flat tops, which occasionally assume conical 

 forms, but never exceed, I think, the moderate height of fifteen hun- 

 dred feet. Their sides are neither abrupt nor sloping, and are covered 

 by numerous blocks of black rock, which, in the interior of the moun- 

 tains, appear to have a tabular arrangement, giving them, at a distance, 

 a fortification-like aspect, as if one circumvallation, contained within 

 another, ascended from below. 



Only a few stunted bushes are found growing on these hills. The 

 principal of them are different species of mimosee, the carissa carandas, 

 the flacourtia sepiaria, and the aula of Hindustan. 



Between the hilly chains narrow valleys are formed, of which the 

 soil is generally light and gravelly, being ill adapted for any cultiva- 

 tion but that of bajri* and juari,f which require the assistance of a 

 plentiful monsoon. From the scarcity of rain, however, during last 

 season, the crops had not attained more than half a foot in height, 

 though it was now the month of November, and would be totally lost 

 in consequence. 



At the village of Jejuri, instead of the continued mountain chains 

 running east-north-east, with narrow openings between, the hills are 

 disposed in a circular manner, like an amphitheatre, and form corres- 

 ponding valleys. The only produce of these hills is a species of 

 euphorbium called " chuppal shein." 



From Jejuri to the banks of the Nira river the country is poor, 

 and the soil is little more than the debris of the rocks. But, on 

 approaching the Nira, this becomes black and very susceptible of cul- 



* Holcus spicatus. 



t Holcus sorgum. 



