34 Dr Hamilton's Account of the 



Havildar river, which falls into the Karnaphuli. This valley 

 is level, and cultivated for rice by the Bengalese. East from 

 this is a chain of low hills called Korilliya pahar, which ex- 

 tends far south beyond the Karnaphuli, on the southern bank 

 of which are two steep cliffs, that return the most distinct echo 

 which I have ever heard. These hills are of inconsiderable 

 height ; but, like those north from Islamabad, are neglected by 

 the Bengalese, and allowed to remain with the Muggs, who 

 cultivate after the joom fashion. 



The Karnaphuli (Ear-ring) river, which Rennell calls Cur- 

 rumfullee, forms at its mouth a good harbour for ships of con- 

 siderable burthen, and would be of great importance, were it 

 not so deeply embayed, that in the S. W. monsoon, ships can- 

 not proceed to sea without danger. At Patarghat, the ferry 

 'from Islamabad towards the south, it is about a mile wide ; 

 and at Korilliya pahar, it diminishes to about 200 yards, but 

 the tide runs up strong. 



East from Korilliya pahar, is a fine valley called llun- 

 ganiya, which extends north and south from the Karnaphuli, 

 on the banks of the Ishamati towards the former, and on those 

 of the Silun towards the latter. Although it contains some 

 small hills, it is well cultivated by Bengalese peasants ; and 

 some parts still belongs, as the whole did formerly, to the 

 hereditary chief of the tribe called Muggs at Calcutta, where 

 they are much employed by Christians as cooks, their habits 

 fitting them for preparing our impure diet, which neither 

 Hindu nor Muhammedan can approach without disgust. Be- 

 yond the low hills, which bound the valley of Runganiya on 

 the north, east, and south, no Bengalese cultivators have set- 

 tled, but the hills are as fully occupied by rude tribes as the 

 nature of the joom cultivation will admit; and, in 1798, 

 when I visited the country, Taubbokha, the hereditary chief 

 of the Mugg people, retained among these hills a kind of in- 

 dependence, although in the parts of his estate, cultivated by 

 Bengalese, he was reduced to the same footing, as the other 

 proprietors of land (Zemindars) in Bengal. In the following 

 account, I shall confine myself to a description of the terri- 

 tory within the hills, which forms a part of the frontier, and, 



at its southern end, is not above fifteen miles wide from east 



li 



