Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-08-15
Atisfellnneous.
THRiLLlNG ADVENTURE In INDIA.
BY GEORGE ". sToDDARp.

of the sunny skies and the rich landseap,
70 such great advantage as many parts OF
India, especially the region south of Bonn
bay, On the Malabar coast. But here, thu
progress of arts and civilization does mo-
correspond with the advantages and beau
ties afforded by nature The blue ano
lofty ranges of mountains look down up
on race desss-ded and ignorant to the
| last degree--the sparkling streams reflect
alike the clustering fruit and foliage and
the most poisonous and deadly plants
known to man-dense and beautiful for.
est abound with ferocious beasts and ser.
pents, of the most ostfearfulispecies and for.
mfdable size.
During residence of some months at
| a station on the Malabar coast. L fre-
quently went into the forest alone. for the
purpose of amusing myself, by the great
variety of game, but seldom yentured SO
far as to prevent my returning before
night. On these occasions, 1 always car
ried heavy rife, which long practice had
! rendered very effective weapon in my
hands; equipped with brace of pistols
and long hunting-knife in my girdle,
and this rife on my arm, ready for in
| slant use, | bad but little fear in my wan
derings, of beasts and serpents, and fire.
/ queatly climbed the loftiest heights, aad
penetrated the tbickest jungles of that
wild country.
Attended by native, 1 one day pro-
| posed ascending a mountain, whose blue
summit could scarcely be distinguished
from the town, rising afar in the wilder
ness above the lesser heights of the great
| Gaut range. We started at day ybreak,
and plunged directly into the forest. in
direction towards the object of our expe-
dition. My companion wore nothing but
pair of unshapely shoes, made of un-
tanned leather, and garment of leopard
skin, which descended to the knees, was
fastened at the waist by belt, in which
was placed heavy knife, with curved
blade, which I observed was very sharp
and bright he carried no other weapon,
except short fowling piece, loaded with
a ball. He was an athletic and bold
looking fellow, acquainted with all the
methods of hunting and combating all the
fierce providers of the wilds, and possessed
an uncommon degree of sagacity, GOODNESS
and physical strength. These were the
qualities [ desired, for I had been in
/ formed that the mountains we had been
in quest Of was considered by the natives
as dangerous place, even for the most
skilful and daring hunter, being full of
rocky caves inaccessible to anything but
| to the beasts to whom they afforded shell
| ter and the country in its vicinity being
covered with dense forests, and dark tan
gled iungles, into which the foot of man
| had never ventured.
AS we approached the mountain, our
progress indeed became more and more
difficult Thick bushes and fallen tim
| Der frequently obstructed our way. Now
we were stepping from one slippery rock
to another, through rapid and roaring
! stream-now travelling miles to avoid i'm
penetrable jungles, that stretched like
vast shadows through the dim woodrow
| turned off at right angles by a high, bold
ledge of rock, through whose solid front.
though rugged aud unequal, no opening
could be found, and whose over hanging
summit, crowned with trees and shrubs,
forbade the thought of ascent. Nearly
every appearance of game ceased here
The smallest animals had fed this region,
or had fallen prey to the more lordly spe
cies of the brute creation.
Occasionally we heard the crashing of
| the boughs, and caught glimpse of some
moving object in the dark recesses of the
thickets, or saw the spotted folds of the
cobra capcila, and other fearful snakes,
glide away and disappear among the
leaves and thick brush, as though startled
ct our approach. But thus far we had
proceeded so cautiously as not to disturb
these dangerous creatures, or attract their
attention My companion would frequent
ly pause in a listening attitude, and cast
his piercing glance into the tree tops
which met above US, and completely shut
out the light of day, as though he expec-
ted to see the crouching tiger, or the
frightful anaconda, ready to dart upon
us !; and yet there was no expression of
fear upon the fellows countenance-it
| was the caution of the true hunter. We
spoke not a word, but continued to wend
our way as noseless as possible towards
the base of the mountain. whose lofty
cliffs and precipices of rock we began to
see, cleaning through the trees and foil
: age, clustered here and there upon them
The ascent here, unlike most great eleva
tions, was very steep from the first, and
we were obliged to toll hand and foot IN
order to make any progress.
We had accomplished nearly one hall
, of the ascent. and saw the immense viii
derness stretching away on every side be
low US, when we were stopped by wal
of rock, rising perpendicularly IL many
> places to the height of several hundred
feet, and running across the face of ths
mountain, to the right and left, until th'
: eve lost its curve on either side. Seeing
no way of passing over, under, or through
the obstacle, 1 directed the natives to fol
= low the lege short distance toward th'
! left, In order to find an opening, while
took the right proceeded some distanc
and found break in the rock through
+ which I thought we might make our wa,
to the top. 1t had been formed appa
rently by a convulsion of nature, whicl
o had separated the rock several feet, an
r detached large fragments from the top
these had falIen-some of them to th
. bottom, but many had lodged in variou
places Trees had grown up in this oper