24 oldiiam : the caciiaii earthquake of 10th January 1869. 



when I will report fully as to damage done, and if assistance will be 

 necessary in order to effect the necessary repairs. 



" I am much indebted to the Raja for the promptitude with which, in 

 the midst of his own troubles, he sent men to build me a temporary house, 

 my former one having been rendered uninhabitable by the earthquake. 



" I have in preparation a few photographs illustrating the damage 

 done, copies of which will be forwarded when they can be got ready." 



In reply to enquiries made by Mr. Leonard, then Superintending 

 Engineer in the Public Works Department for that Circle, Dr. Brown 

 subsequently, under date of the 2-5th February, said :— " Since then I have 

 heard that the earthquake penetrated a considerable distance into Upper 

 Burmah, and was very severe. I have also had accounts from one 

 of the Rajah's officers from a place in the hills north-east of this, 

 seven days' march. He describes the earthquake as very severe ; the 

 ground opened into fissures ; huts disappeared ; water was poured out 

 and in fact the same phenomena were observed as in Cachar, and 

 apparently more severely than there. 



" I have received lately accounts of the state of the road between this 

 and the frontier, and the former reports as to damage done I find 

 were exaggerated. At only one place near the Jeerie River has there 

 been any considerable landslip, and the road at this place would most 

 likely have gone this coming rains. 



" The statement (in para. 9) as to the whole level of the Manipur 

 valley having fallen should be modified, as it is perhaps rather too 

 startling. The river beds, however, have sunk much, else how account for 

 the decrease in the volume of water, the stoppage of the current, fol- 

 lowed by a rise (not owing to rains) and a re-establishment of the 

 current ; this occupying three or four days altogether. l 



1 This may easily be explained without any alteration of the levels. The earthquake 

 very probably shook down large quantities of debris from the steep sides of the khuds 

 which damming the streams caused a decrease in the quantity of water in the river beds 

 lower down j afterwards the water rose and rapidly swept away the barrier of rubbish ; 

 this would cause the decrease and subsequent increase in the volume of water and the 

 final return to its normal level. 

 ( 24 ) 



