An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of GorkhaHamilton, Francis
History
An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha
Hamilton, Francis
Nepal -- Description and travel; Nepal -- History
The center in which the gates are is commanded by the two wings. The
whole is built of brick, without any ditch. The wall on the upper side
is about thirteen feet high; but on the lower front, the height of the
parapet being carried round on a level, the elevation may be eighteen
feet. This fort is always guarded by a company of seapoys; and, if fully
garrisoned, might contain two hundred men. Round the fort a space has
been cleared from trees; but so steep is the hill, that an enemy resting
at the edge of the forest, and within two hundred yards of the fort, is
not from thence visible. Immediately above the fort is a small village
and market, (bazar;) but the Hindu engineers have been so improvident,
that the only supply of water is about half a mile higher up the
mountain. There, near the road, is a small spring of fine clear water,
like that at Bhimphedi. It is called Chisa Pani, or the cold water, and
is reckoned unwholesome, probably from people having suffered by drinking
it rashly, when they have been heated by ascending the hill: for being a
pure spring, it is probably excellent water.
For about a mile beyond the spring, the road continues to ascend,
although with a more moderate declivity than below the fort. At the
summit of the hill are some old fortifications, which were said to form
the boundary between Nepal Proper and Makwanpur. The view from thence is
said to be very grand, but a thick haze in all directions hindered me
from seeing any thing except the neighbouring hills.
From this summit to the Panauni river, there is a very steep descent of
about two miles through a beautiful forest of oaks, which is clear from
underwood, and ornamented with the purple flowers of a large
rhododendron, and with innumerable parasitical plants, having splendid
and odorous flowers. In this forest, on account of its northern
exposure, the pine does not thrive. The road over this mountain called
Chisapani, is on the whole fatiguing; nor will it admit of any load being
transported by cattle. To conduct a road over such a mountain, with
proper slopes, so as to enable carriages to pass, is a work not to be
expected from the natives, who, even if they were able to contrive such a
work, would be afraid to put it in execution; as they would consider it
as likely to afford too free an intercourse with their more powerful
neighbours; and jealousy of strangers is the predominant principle in the
Nepal government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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