130 Cul. E. T. Dalton — Rude Stone Monuments in Glmtia Nagptir. [June, 



really rested. He did not of course question that the Superintendent of the 

 Secundra Orphanage wrote in good faith that which he really believed. 



After some further discussion it was agreed, on the motion of the Pre- 

 sident, that the Secretary should write to the Superintendents of the Secun- 

 dra Orphanage and the Lucknow Lunatic Asylum so as to obtain, if possible, 

 further information on the subject. 



2. Sude Stone Monuments in GJiutid Nagpur. — By Col. E. T. 

 Damon, C. S. I., Commissioner of Chutid Ndgpwr. 



(Abstract.) 



Col. Dalton describes in this paper the sepulchral and monumental 

 stones of the Kols. He first mentions those which he saw in the Saranda 

 Pir (Singhbhum District), the inhabitants of which are of the Munda type 

 of Kols, who, to judge from their Mongolian features, are a very primi- 

 tive race. The author also gives a sketch of the great Munda burial ground 

 of Chokahatu, ' the place of mourning,' in Lohardagga District, where he 

 counted 7,360 tombs, mostly of the dolmen or cromlech form, all close toge- 

 ther, covering an area of seven statute acres. The horizontal slabs of the 

 -tombs are generally huge masses of gneiss, often exceeding 15 feet in length 

 and 4 feet in breadth. 



The monumental stones are less in number than the sepulchral, and they 

 resemble in many details the Kasia cenotaphs described by Col. Yule. 



Photographs of the Chokahatu Burial Ground and sketches of monu- 

 mental stones accompany the paper. 



Mr. Blanford said, any one acquainted with the monuments of the 

 Khasia Hills must be at once struck with the many points of resemblance 

 between them and those, sketches of which accompany Col. Dalton's paper. 

 The most important point to be noticed is the association of the upright 

 stone, the menhir with the low flat dolmen in front ; an association which is 

 invariable on the Khasi Hills, and, according to Major Godwin- Austen's ac- 

 count, has not received any other explanation than that of custom. He 

 says " The tall upright stones are called Mao bynna, from mao, a stone, 

 lynna to make known, literally ' a monument.' They are also known by the 

 term Mao shinran, the male stone, while the flat seat-like slab in front, is 

 called Mao Kynthai the female stone, representative of all life, being in 

 pairs. My informant explained this, by saying the monument would be im- 

 perfect without the flat stone or its female adjunct." The similarity of the 

 arrangement, combined with the fact that the Mundas are stated by Col. 

 Dalton to have a decided Mongol physiognomy, is very remarkable, and sug- 

 gests a closer connection than usual between two tribes now separated by 

 the whole extent of the plains of Bengal. 



