4 HUGHES. — KARANPURA COAL-PIELDS. 



The most prominent hill of this latter series is Maudih, which covers 



an area of 45 square miles, and is, therefore, much 

 Maudih hill. ,,.. -rii^ 



larger than Lug-u hill in the Bokaro field. Its 



appearance, however, is not so bold and striking, owing to its smaller 



elevation above the level of the plain out of which it rises. Nevertheless, 



viewed from the high level country in the vicinity of Luriinga, it looks 



imposing; the massive sandstones forming its eastern and northern 



faces, rise sharp and precipitous from the plains, and retain this character 



as far as the eye can trace them, whilst an ill-defined idea of the 



magnitude of the hill creeps into the mind from the extent of view 



opened out. 



The southern aspect is not so commanding as the northern ; the 

 cliffs do not rise as high, and they are not as precipitous. A few 

 streams break through and over them. The largest and finest of these 

 falls down the face of the hill is near Butka, forming a series of deep 

 rocky pools joined by tiny cascades. The scenery along its banks isi very 

 pretty, and a climb up its rocky bed affords a pleasure to a lover of 

 natural beauty which more than compensates for the bodily labour 

 entailed. The top of Maudih hill is more or less a table-land, the 

 sandstones of which it is composed having only a very slight synclinal 

 curvature. This feature has been favourable for the accumulation of 

 soil, in many places of considerable depth.^ 



Separated only by the valley of the Chundru or Tendwa river, the 

 Satpahri hill occurs west of Maudih. Its area 



Satpahri hill, 



is 12 square miles. The Danhii and Harhi hills 

 belong to the same series as the larger hills,- and they present much the 

 same appearance, differing only in respect to size. 



* European enterprise has utilised some of these spots for the cultivation of tea ; and 

 when 1 first visited the hill in 1865, 1 fouud 50 acres of ground planted out. 



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