66 o

buchanan’s journey through.

on my rear, Ambaji-durga. By the way I palled three ]arge villages, all ftrongl/fortified with mud-walls and hedges.

Silagutta is a town containing about five hundred houfes, feveral of which areoccupied by weavers. It formerly belonged to a family of Polygars, named Narayana,who pofiefied Devund-hully (corrupted into Deonelly), Nandi-durga, and the twoBala-puras. The country around is the prettied of any that I have feen abovethe Ghats. It has two fine tanks, like fmall lakes; and their banks are coveredwith gardens. At a didance it is furrounded by hills occupied by durgas, or hill-forts,of which five are in fight.

I aflembled here fome intelligent panchangas, or adrologers, and farmers, andprocured from them the following account of the prevailing feafons ; which maybe confidered as applicable to the north-eadern and middle parts of the dominions ofthe Myfore Raja.

The almanacs divide the year into three equal portions, called candaia ; and eachof thefe again is divided into two ritugalu, or feafons, of which each contains twomonths. The names of thefe feafons having been taken from the climate of a countrynot entirely fimilar to this, are not always applicable to the feafons of this place. Theyare, I. Vafanta Ritu, or fpring feafon ; which contains Chaitra and Vaifaka, or this yearfrom the 26th of March to the 23d of May. In this the trees flower, the: weatheris hot and clear, with very gentle winds from the weflward. There are occaivonalfhowers of rain, or hail, but they are not accompanied by fqualls of wind. II . GriihinaRitu, or the fcorching feafon, includes Iyaifhtha and Afliada, or in this year fromthe 24th of May to the 2 id of July. The air is rendered cool by clouds, andftrong wederly winds. The rains are heavier than in Vafanta, but are not at theirheight. Thunder is common, but not very fevere. III. Varflia Ritu, or the rainyfeafon, comprehends Sravana and Bhadrapada, or from the 22d July to the 18th ofSeptember. At this feafon the rains ought to be very heavy, and the air to be cool,with frequent and violent thunder and lightning. The winds are wederly, and fromthe middle of Afhada to the middle of Sravana, or about our month of July, arevery violent; afterwards they abate. IV. Afwaja and Kartika from Sarat Ritu,which this year extends from the 19th of September to the 16th of November. Atthis feafon there are long falls of rain ; but it is not very heavy, and there areconfiderable intervals of fair weather. The winds are light, and come from thenorthward. During the rain, to the feelings of the natives, the air is very cold jin the intervals it is temperate. The thunder is moderate. V. Hemanta Ritu, orthe feafon of dew, comprehends Margafirfha and Pauihya, or from the 16th ofNovember to the 14th of January. At this feafon there is no rain, but there areheavy dews; and thick fogs obfeure the fun, and render the air very cold. Thewinds are moderate, and come from the northward. VI. Sayihu Ritu, or the feafonof moonfhine, comprehends Maga and Phalguna, or from about the middle ofJanuary to the middle of March. There are fometimes flight fhowers, but theweather is in general dry and clear, with very little dew. The winds are light,and come from the eaftward. The warm feafon commences; but the heat,according to the fenfation of the natives, continues moderate. This is the feafon ofthe principal rice harveft. The air is mod unhealthy, and occafions moil fevers,during the firft and laft feafons, or in the hot and dry weather. By the natives thiscountry is efteemed very healthy $ they acknowledge, however, that the air of thedurgas is very bad.

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