19. Hot Springs in Raj Darbhanga, Khargpore Hills, 



District Monghyr. 



By C. Schulten. 



[Presented at the first Indian Science Congress, January 15th, 1914.] 



In India there are numerous hot springs, some of which 

 have been reported on, though the following list is not com- 

 plete. - . - „ 

 , Dr. T. Oldham, Superintendent of the Geological Survey 



of India, describes some hot springs in the Memoirs of the 

 Geological Survey of India, Vol XIX, 301 , but writes that this 

 list is not even approximately complete. He gives the situa- 

 tion, the source from which information has been obtained, 

 description, and, in many cases, the temperature of the springs 

 which vary considerably, the highest being 192°F. 



Col. L. A. Waddell, Indian Medical Service (Vol. LI X Part 

 II, Journal of the Asiatic Society) gives an essay on "bom" 

 new and little known Hot Springs in South Behar " , in which he 

 describes 15 hot springs, 9 of which are not included in Dr. 

 Oldham's list. Of four springs he gives analytical data. 



Sir W. W. Hunter gives a description of some hot springs 

 in Monghyr in Vol. V of the Statistical Account of Bengal. 



As early as in 1838 Mr. Montgomery Martin published 

 some notes on hot springs in Monghyr in the History. Anwqu 1 - 

 ties, Topography and Statistics of Eastern India, also Mr. h. 

 S. S. O'Malley refers to them in the Bengal District Gazetteer, 



Monghyr. 1909. , . 



As His Highness the Maharajah of Darbhanga was desi- 

 rous of having the hot springs of the Khargpore hills examined , 

 I was instructed by his manager, Mr. Donald Sunder, -F.L.b., 

 F.R.G.S., to visit the place, take samples and examine the 



springs. . '. , 



I proceeded to Haveli Khargpore at the beginning oi 

 August 1913, and visited Rameswar Koond, a hot spring 

 situated in the hills 5 miles west of Haveli Khargpore, and 

 about 4 miles from the village Santali. Hot water spouts out 

 on the slope of a hill at a temperature of 112°F, no smell ot 

 sulphuretted gas was perceptible, and by the application ol 

 chemical tests no traces of the gas could be detected Ine hot 

 water issues from white quartz debris and air bubbles accom- 

 pany it. Not having the necessary apparatus I could not 

 make a chemical examination of them, but I collected some ot 

 the bubbles, which did not appear to be inflammable. Most 

 probably they consist of air drawn out by the force of water. 

 Hardlv any deposit was formed on the stones. Some yards 

 away from the spring a mason.y cistern was built in 1904 bearing 



