red a car with oxen, as the loss of time was
inconsiderable, and the trouble far less. Mr. Hamilton himself made
the contract with the driver, pointed out the stations at which we
should stop between this and Auranjabad (230 miles), gave me an
excellent servant and sepoy, furnished me with letters, and even
asked me if I had sufficient money. This excellent man did all this
with so much amiability, that, in fact, I scarcely knew whether the
kindnesses or the way in which they were offered, were most to be
admired. And not only in Indor, but everywhere else that he was
known, I heard his name always mentioned with the most profound
respect.

On the 23rd of February I left Indor on my way to the little village
of Simarola. The road led through delightful groves of palm-trees
and richly cultivated land. In Simarola, I found a pretty and
comfortably furnished tent, which Mr. Hamilton had sent on, in order
to surprise me with a good night station. I silently thanked him
most heartily for his care.

24th February. From Simarola the country was truly picturesque. A
narrow ledge of rock, in some places scarcely broad enough for the
road, led down a considerable declivity {213} into small valleys, on
the sides of which beautiful mountains towered up. The latter were
thinly wooded; among the trees I was particularly struck by two
species, the one with yellow, the other with red flowers; both of
them, very singularly, were quite destitute of leaves.

On this side of Kottah the camel trains were less frequent, in
consequence of the very stony state of the road; instead of these,
we met trains of oxen. We passed some today of incredible extent.
I do not exaggerate when I affirm that I have seen trains of several
thousand head of cattle, on whose backs, corn, wool, salt, etc.,
were conveyed. I cannot imagine where the food for so many animals
is obtained; there are nowhere any meadows, for, with the exception
of the plantations, the ground is scorched up, or at most covered
with thin, parched, jungle grass, which I never saw any animal eat.

The industry of the women and children in the villages through which
these trains pass is great beyond measure; they provide themselves
with baskets, and follow the train for a considerable distance,
collecting the excrement of the oxen, which they work up into flat
bricks, and dry them in the sun to use as fuel. Late in the
evening, we entered the village of Burwai, which lies o