276 DR. HOOKERS MISSION TO INDIA. 
The Curruckpore hills, the northern boundary of the gneiss and 
granite range of Paras-Nath, are seen first in the distance, and then 
throwing out low loosely timbered spurs towards the river; but no 
rock or hill comes close to the banks till near Monghyr, where the 
strange sight of two islets of rock, rising out of the bed of the river, 
meet the eye. They are of stratified quartz, dipping, at a high angle, 
to the S. E. as far as I could observe, quite barren, each crowned 
with a little temple. The swarm of boats from below Patna to this 
. place is quite incredible. 
ril 1. Arrived at Monghyr, by far the prettiest town I had seen 
on the river, backed by a long range of wooded hills,—detached 
outlyers of which rise in the very town. The banks are steep, and 
they appear more so from the fortifications, which are extensive. A 
number of large, white, two-storied houses, some very imposing, and 
perehed on rounded or conical hills, give an European aspect to the 
place, which is certainly extremely pretty. 1 landed in the evening, and 
dined with Dr. Hastings. His house is in the old Fort, which is laid 
out in walks, and has a nice publie garden included within the walls. 
Monghyr is celebrated for its iron manufactures, .especially of mus- 
kets, in which respect it is the Birmingham of Bengal. Generally 
speaking, these articles are poor weapons, though stamped with the 
first English names. A native workman will, however, if time and suf- 
ficient reward be afforded, turn out a first-rate fowling-piece. The in- 
habitants are reported sad drunkards, and the abundance of Toddy 
Palms is quite remarkable. The Phenix sylvestris T have never seen 
wild, nor thriving under shade, as the dwarf wild ones do on the 
Soane. 
In the morning of the following day Dr. Hastings kindly drove me 
io the hot springs of Sita-kund, (wells of Sita), a few miles south of 
the town. The hills are hornstone and quartz, stratified and dipping 
southerly with a very high angle. They are very barren, quite naked 
in faet, and evidently identical with those on the south bank of the 
Soane, skirting, in both cases, the granite and gneiss range of Paras- 
Nath. The alluvium of the banks of the Ganges is obviously an aque- 
ous deposit very subsequent to the protrusion of these hills, and is 
perfectly plane up to their bases. Still less does it appear to me to be 
a deposit by the Ganges, as imagined by many persons, though not, I 
should think, by geologists. he latter river has its bone through the 
