BUNDELCUND. 33 



with scarcely any regard to present contour of the surface ; it is evident 

 that near the base of an ancient deposit, this must be so ; one may expect 

 any where here to get an isolated patch of limestone." At this well, we 

 have an example of how closely the present ridges formed the boundary of 

 the deposit, " the cave is at the base of one of the separating ridges, the 

 limestone is well seen in it, perfectly steady, unbroken beds, thick and thin, 

 dipping about 3° to south-east, this takes them right into the hill which 

 rises immediately on that side, but on top and in the section afforded by the 

 gully to the south the jasper rocks are seen in situ. At Serwah is another 

 example ; the village is at the point of a spur from one of the hill masses, 

 on the south side of this spur the limestone reaches high up, but at top 

 or on the north side it is composed of the hard Bijawurs. Again on the 

 right bank of the Katnee nuddi not far below where the high road crosses 

 it, there is an outstanding hill ; towards the river it presents a vertical 

 face of quartzite, but on the other side this is flanked nearly to the top 

 by the limestone. 



The cave at about one and a half miles east of Dergoan is in this 

 limestone: it is entered by a small opening, marked by no external feature, 

 in the surface of a very gentle rising ground ; there is a vertical descent 

 for about 15 feet, when the cave continues in a very winding irregular 

 manner, a succession of chambers and passages each lower than the 

 preceding.* 



* My attention was drawn to this cave by Major Ellis, Assistant to the Governor Gene- 

 ral's Agent, at Nagode ; he told me of a tradition current among the natives, that some 

 princes had in ancient times concealed themselves in this cave, the myth being attested by 

 the existence now in a fossil state of the rice which the refugees had in store : it was easy 

 to see from the specimen Major Ellis showed to me that at least this part of the story was an 

 invention, the grains are about the proper size, but they have the edges and angles of crys- 

 tals instead of the rounded form of rice, and in the lump, instead of lying together in con- 

 fusion, as they must had they been moulded from rice, their crystalline growth is easily seen , 

 they adhere together in stems and branches in a very regular manner. The stuff is found 

 under the floor of the cave at about the level of the rise and fall of the water which lies 

 in the deeper parts of thechambers. 



E 



