128 AN ACCOUNT OF THE PETROLEUM WELLS 



point of vegetation, form an agreeable contrafl to the 

 eaftern fliore; thefe hills are bounded to the weftward 

 at the diftance of about twenty miles from the river, by 

 an extenfive range of high mountains, cloathed with 

 wood to their fummits. 



At half paft ten A. M. came to the lower town ©f 

 Rainanghong, a temple in it of the antique Hindoo Ityle 

 of building. 



At noon came to the center town of Rainanghonor 

 (literally the town through which flows a river of 

 earth oil), fituated on the eaft bank of the river, in 

 latitude 20^^ 26' north, and longitude 94° 45' 54" eaft 

 of Greenwich, Halted to examine the wells of Petro- 

 hum. 



The town has but a mean appearance, and feveral of 

 its temples, of which there are great numbers, falling 

 to ruins : the inhabitants however are well drefled, 

 many of them with gold fpiral ear ornaments, and are 

 undoubtedly rich, from the great profit they derive 

 from their oil wells, as will be feen below. 



At two P. M. I fet off from my boat, accompanied 

 by the metvthaghee or zemindar of the diftritt, and feve- 

 jral of the merchant proprietors, to view the wells. 

 Oar road led to the E. N. E. through dry beds of loofe 

 fand in the water courfes, and over rugged arid downs 

 and hillocks of the fame foil as defcribed above; the 

 growth on them, confifting of fcattered plants of £7^- 

 phcrbiumy the CaJJia tree, which yields the Terra Ja-pcy 

 nica^ commonly called cutch or cut, and ufed through- 

 out India as a component part of a heera of paiai, 

 alfo a very durable timber for lining the oil wells, and 

 laftly the hardy biar or wild plumb comn:ion in Hin- 

 dojlaiu 



The fky was cloudlefs, fo that the fun flione on us 



with undiminiflied force, and being alfo unwell, I 



4 walked 



