KHASI HILLS. ■ 131 



The hill drops suddenly foi- about 400 feet.close to this village on the 

 South, and below this there is a shghtly undulating plateau very similar 

 to that of the Mahadeo, South of Cherra Poonjee. This continues to the 

 Eiver Kowa-i-assa, a short distance North of the village of Kungdiah (a). 

 Sandstones of varied coarseness, with softer and shaly beds between, 

 continue all along, until, about a mile North of Kungdiah, beds of soft 

 fossiliferous sandstone, slightly calcareous, a^jpear. The shells are pre- 

 served in carbonate of Hme, and are well seen from the contrast of 

 their white colour with the dark greenish-brown tint of the rock. Traces 

 of coal occur close to Kungdiah. 



From this to the plains at Lacat, nothing but sandstones are visible, 

 for the most part ferruginous and gritty ; some 

 pebbly conglomerate beds are also seen. In the 

 upper portion of this section, no limestone is seen corresponding to 

 that at the station of Cherra, nor does it show immediately at Lacat, 

 although abundantly worked at a short distance to the West of that 

 place. 



Further to the East below Lakadong the same series of rocks is seen : 



passing from Burr-ghat, where a thick coarse con- 

 Near Lakadong. , . ., > i , r n 

 glomerate occurs (similar to that at the base ot the 



sandstone group near Cherra) through a series of sandstones of varying 

 mineral character, but markedly similar to the succession at Cherra. The 

 same varieties of organic remains are here found also : and the same beds 

 marked by the presence of plicated oysters and of echini. These beds 

 occur at about the same distance below the nummulitic limestone, over 

 which the coal of Lakadong is found. In other respects also, the parallel- 

 ism of this lower bed of limestone at Lakadong, and of the series of sand- 

 stone beds beneath it, with the limestones and underlying sandstone 

 of the Cherra series, appears to be completely established. 



(a) Singh Manick, tha Kyrim Rajah, generally resided here, in preference to Noii- 

 kradem, the principal town of his territoi'ies. 



E 



