1888.] Babu Gaurdas By sack — On the Barisdl Guns. ^^ 



accuracy, as the resources of science may enable us to do. If necessary, 

 Government might be requested to aid the endeavours of the Society by 

 asking the local officers of the places in which the sound is audible to 

 institute inquiries in reference to the points suggested in the paper of 

 questions that may be sent out to them. 



The theories that have been hazarded to account for the cause of 

 the phenomenon are the following : 



1st. Breaking up of surf. 



2nd. Falling of heavy masses of earth in the river. 



3rd. Electrical discharges under water, or explosive gases stirred 

 up by some sort of volcanic action escaping through the waters. 



4th. Some subterranean or volcanic agency. 



Postscript. 



Since the above was written copies of the former series of queries 

 referred to by me have turned up. I wrote with a copy of them to my 

 friend Mr. P. IS". Mittra, Barrister-at-Law, who resided at Barisal for 

 several years, and whose professional duties took him to all parts not 

 only of Backerganj, but also the neighbouring districts, asking him to 

 let me have his impressions of the phenomenon. The answers given 

 by him are noted below : 



1. " The sounds are like the reports of big guns going at a distance. 

 They are always heard at regular intervals, sometimes foUowibg one 

 another in quick succession like minute guns, sometimes at intervals of 

 10 or 15 minutes. So far as I have been able to observe, I have heard 

 these guns going sometimes for 3 or 4 hours together. 



2. These reports are generally heard in the mornings and 

 evenings, and seldom or never in the middle cf the day. They may be 

 heard at all times of the night. 



3. The rainy season is the time of the year when these reports are 

 most frequently heard. They are generally heard after a heavy shower, 

 and sometimes before, just when the clouds have formed in the sky. 



4. The reports seem generally to come from the south and are 

 always accompanied by a south wind. I observed these phenomena in 

 the town of Barisal itself and also in the southern parts of the Dis- 

 trict of Backerganj. 



5. I know from personal experience that they are heard most fre- 

 quently during the rains. I have never heard them in the cold weather 

 or at the beginning of the hot weather either, during my eight years' 

 experience in the district of Backerganj. 



6. I never heard these sounds at Rungpore, and I am not aware 

 that they are heard there. I have heard that these sounds can be 



