Miscellaneous. 153 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



George-Town, July 30. 



'• The industrious traveller, Mr. Schomburgk, arrived in town this 

 morning from his first surveying expedition." — Guiana Times. 



We are glad to see a very pleasing and faithful likeness of our es- 

 teemed friend, with a memoir of his life, in the 3rd volume on Ich- 

 thyology in the Naturalist's Library, which we have just received. 



Mr. W. S. MacLeay writes from Sydney, April 28, 1841, that 

 he is much occupied with Natural History, and making large addi- 

 tions to his collection. He gratifies us with good accounts of the 

 health of his excellent Father, who is always most affectionately 

 remembered here. — R. T. 



Mr. W. Francis writes to us from the Tyrolese Alps, where he 

 is collecting plants and insects. 



ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HODESUM (IMPROPERLY CALLED 

 KOLEHAN). BY LIEUT. TICKELL. 



Singbhoom, including the Kolehan, lies between 21° 30' and 23° 

 north latitude, and 85° and 86° east longitude; it is bounded to the 

 north by Chota Nagpoor and Patkoom ; to the east by the Jungle 

 Mehals and Baumunghatte ; to the south by petty states, or tuppahs, 

 subservient to Moherbunj, and by Keonjur; and to the east by 

 Gangpoor and Chota Nagpoor. These limits comprise a fine open 

 tract of country, in most parts exceedingly productive, in others 

 stony and barren, and separated from the circumjacent countries 

 above enumerated by rocky hills and jungles. Singbhoom Proper 

 consists of an extent of fine open arable land, to the north of the 

 Kolehan, above 45 miles east and west, and about 18 in breadth, 

 comprising the talooks of Khursawa, Kera, and Seryekela, also a por- 

 tion of similar land, about 20 miles square, to the north-east, called 

 Koochoong, attached to Seryekela, and along the west of the Kole- 

 han, an imperfectly defined extent of mountains and jungles, inclu- 

 ding Porahaut and Anundpoor. 



The Kolehan, as now constituted, comprehends a tract of open un- 

 dulating country, averaging from sixty miles in length north and 

 south, from thirty-five to sixty in breadth. It is divided into two 

 departments by a step about 500 feet high, running east and west 

 across it. The southern part is rich in soil, and beautiful in appear- 

 ance ; but an absence of inhabitants and proper culture gives it an 

 air of desolation. This happily is becoming fast remedied by the re- 

 turn of large families of Bhooians, former inhabitants, who had been 

 expelled by the Hos. The lower country north of the step is exceed- 

 ingly populous, but in many parts stony and barren. The westerly 

 Peers are situated among hills and vast jungles, containing a few 

 fertile valleys ; and Sarnda, in the far south, is one mass of moun- 

 tains, clothed in forests, where the miserable inhabitants, few and 

 solitary, can scarce struggle for mastery with the tiger. 



The whole of this country is traversed by numerous streams of 

 great beauty, but useless as water-carriage, being almost dry in the 

 hot weather, and rapid torrents in the rains. The Sunjye, separating 



