THE GAUT. 
405 
February 2,6, — At a quarter before six I awoke, and found my- 
self at Sautghur, distant thirty miles from Vellore. The situation is 
picturesque, being surrounded with rocks, covered in part by brush- 
wood. As the next stage up the Gaut was a laborious one, I had 
sent on bearers from Madras, at an expense of one hundred and 
twenty rupees for thirty miles, the most expensive stage that I had 
yet travelled in India. They were ready, but the cooleys could 
not be found to carry the baggage ; I was therefore obliged to wait. 
I amused myself in the mean time by visiting the Nawaub of the 
Carnatic's garden, which is considered as the best in the country, 
and the possession of which he reserved in his last treaty w^ith 
the Company. Like all other Eastern gardens, it has no beauty. 
The trees are planted regularly, and water is conducted in small 
channels to the root of each. I afterwards wandered about and 
collected several species of seed. The Agave americana grows here, 
and in most other places that I have passed. It is in such profu- 
sion, that it is hardly possible to suppose it could have been intro- 
duced from America. At a quarter after ten my cooleys arrived : 
they deserved more chastisement than I chose to order ; the ther- 
mometer, which was but 79° in the morning, being now 89° in the 
shade. This exposed me not only to the heat, but also to consider- 
able delay, as the boys would not be able to get on so fast with the 
great weight of my palanquin. After proceeding across a plain, 
where I was nearly suffocated by the dust, and ascending a slight 
hill, I came in sight of the Gaut itself, winding up the mountain. 
We rested a little time at a mosque near the dry bed of a river, 
and then began to ascend. The first part of the ascent was so steep, 
that I was astonished six men were able tq carry me up in the 
