98 Babu Gaurdas Bysack — On the Barisdl Guns. [March, 



Similar sounds are heard, I heard them distinctly, at Turalook. 

 While in temporary charge of the Sub-Division during April and May 

 1883, and staying in the Government Bungalow standing formerly some 

 way off, but at the time of my residence only 25 feet from the edge of 

 the high bank that was being cut away by the river Rupnarayan, it was 

 on an afternoon between 1 and 2 o'clock that, after a shower of rain, 

 the reports like those of a distant cannon struck my ears. The simi- 

 larity of the sounds to what I knew as Barisal Guns at once attracted 

 my notice and excited my curiosity. I made an enquiry of the oldest 

 inhabitants, and they told me that they were accustomed to hear the 

 sounds from their childhood, but they knew not how to account for 

 them, at least no superstitious legend like the Khanja Ally salutes 

 ascribed to the Barisal Guns was attached to them. I utilised the 

 opportunity by sending out a dinghy to cruise up and down the river 

 for several miles, in order to ascertain if the banks had any where fallen 

 in heavy masses, but nothing of the kind was discovered to favour the 

 theory of those who ascribe the noise to such a cause. When I mentioned 

 the fact to Mr. Medlicott he told me that he has heard from a friend 

 that similar sounds are heard at Cherra Punji. Babu Karunadas Bose 

 of the Subordinate Judicial Service, an inhabitant of Dacca, wrote to 

 me to say that these strange reports are heard in Yikrampur, more 

 frequently in the wet than in the dry weather, but never in Dacca. 

 These places are far out of the reach of the sea-beach, a fact that 

 directly discountenances the surf theory, i. e., surf breaking on the sea- 

 shore and causing the noise, which seems to have found favour with 

 certain learned gentlemen, who confidently laid stress upon it when the 

 subject came in for fresh discussion at your meeting in August 1870 ; 

 the theory, however, still remains where it was in the dark region of 

 conjecture. 



In order to arrive at a correct solution of the problem one must 

 enquire on the spot, and frame his inquiries according to such informa- 

 tion as he can collect, and such suggestions as he may gather from his 

 first impressions. Any one who hears the noise may trace out its cause 

 and origin. Very little can be suggested by one who has not heard it, 

 and who is many hundred miles away. Mr. Blanford told me that with 

 that view a set of questions from the Society were prepared, printed 

 and circulated, but that no information was received in reply to them. 

 Diligent search was made for a copy of the questions but without 

 success. 



I would suggest that a fresh effort be made to collect information, 

 or to direct inquiry from a scientific point of view, so that the origin or 

 cause of the sounds may be ascertained with as much precision or 



