GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF EFFECTS OF . EARTHQUAKE. 19 



plateau is bounded by deep and lovely valleys or gorges. These drop sud- 

 denly and for a considerable distance nearly vertically, thence with 

 rapidly descending incline to a depth of some 2,000 feet, and at the 

 bottom runs a stream, which in the rainy season becomes a roaring torrent. 

 This deep gorge on the east does not extend into the hills much further 

 than the station of Cherra, terminating to the north in a vast curved 

 line of precipices. To the east and east by north the plateau of Cherra 

 is as it were cut off from all communication with the adjacent hills by 

 this deep glen, seldom near there more than a mile wide at top and of 

 more than 2,000 feet in depth, while all the houses at Cherra may be 

 said to be close to the edge of the plateau, that is, within a few hundred 

 yards of the precipitous side of the gorge. Consequently the earthquake 

 shock, coming from the east by north, was superficially extinguished by 

 the breach of continuity of this deep glen so that the shock was not felt, 

 or only very slightly so, passing under and not again emerging at the 

 surface till it had passed beyond the station. 



Shillong, Kkasi Hills. — The Executive Engineer at Shillong summarised 

 the injuries done to the public buildings thus. Overseer's bungalow : 

 Nineteen arches cracked in various directions, north and south gables, 

 also partition walls cracked, &c. Deputy Commissioner's cutcherry ; 

 Five arches cracked, &c. Native Infantry Magazine very seriously in- 

 jured. He gave three sketches taken the morning after the earthquake, 

 showing the serious cracks which had been formed in parts of this building. 

 Although roughly done these sketches are of interest as almost the only 

 record I have been able to trace of the physical effects of the shock. 

 The Executive Engineer obviously gave them simply as showing in 

 the simplest and most effective way the injuries done, without attempt- 

 ing to argue back from them to their causes, but if others had done 

 the same thing in other places, the data for the history of this earth- 

 quake of 1869 would now be far more complete and satisfactory than 

 they are. 



Nungpoh. — At this village, which is one of the stages between Gow- 

 hatty and Shillong, the shock was severely felt by the Deputy Commis- 



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