148 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [May, 1914. 



the inscription u Rameswar Koond 1904 ' ' . Into this the water 

 can be made to run and pilgrims use it for bathing. 



The water of the spring flows into the Mun river, which is 

 dammed up at Haveli Khargpore and forms a large picturesque 

 lake. A sample of the water was taken and later on examined 

 by me in Calcutta, the result obtained being given below. 



The second well I visited was Karmanburi or Lachmi 



Koond. 



W 



miles from Karmanburi village on the slope of a hill consisting 

 of white quartz and siliceous hornstone and a laterite soil. 

 The temperature was 144-5°F, no smell of sulphuretted gas 

 and no chemical reaction for the gas could be obtained. Air- 

 bubbles appear frequently. The water flows into the Mun 

 river and a slight deposit was noticed. Samples were taken 

 for chemical examination, the results of which are given below. 



The third spring, the finest of all, made of several small 

 ones, was then visited. It is situated 31 4 feet above sea-level, 

 16 miles S. W. from Haveli Khargpore and a mile from the 

 village of Bhimbandh. Its water also runs into the Mun river 

 and is practically its source. At this place there are several 

 springs along the slope of the hill, which latter consists of quart- 

 zite and siliceous hornstone. The highest temperature noted was 

 148°P and in some places slightly lower. Many air-bubbles 

 accompanied the hot water and the stones are covered with a 

 thin layer of a deposit which most probably is siliceous matter. 

 The air-bubbles had no smell and no sulphuretted gas could be 

 detected by chemical reactions. These springs have been visited 

 by several travellers who have recorded the temperature. 



In the year 1809 Dr. Buchanan Hamilton found the tempera- 

 ture to be 150°F, Sterwell in September 1847 found 147°, and 

 Colonel Waddell in January 1890, 146-2°. 



The natives of the place use the water of the spring after 

 it has cooled down for irrigating their rice-fields, which are 

 said to grow luxuriant crops. The analysis which is given 

 below does not show any special manurial value, but the still 

 warm water may account for it to some extent. Colonel 

 Cunningham has identified this place with one mentioned by 

 Hien Tsiang in the seventh century a.d. as the site where 

 Buddha overcame the Yaksha Vacula, but Colonel Waddell has 

 shown, however, that there are good grounds for doubting this 

 identification and that the natural features of the country do 

 not agree with the description of the Chinese pilgrims There 

 are no remains of a Buddhist temple. 



As time was pressing I sent out men to sample the Richi- 

 kund springs which are situated 14 miles N. of Haveli Kharg- 

 pore, and 4 miles from village Jalirapore. It is 7 miles distance 

 S.W. from Bariarpore Railway Station. A fair is held at 

 Richikund every leap year and from 5000 to 6000 pilgrims 

 bathe in the spring during fehe fair. 



