On the Structure of the Delta of the Ganges. 327 



be the roots of some climbing tree resembling the Brie- 

 delia. That the stratum of peat and decayed wood was 

 formed from the debris of forests, which at a former period 

 covered the entire surface of the Delta as the existing jun- 

 gles of the Sunderbuns cover so large a portion of it now, 

 admits not therefore of a doubt. In truth, the whole of the 

 present site of Calcutta was in 1717* covered with dense 

 masses of forest vegetation, and even so late as 1756, Fort 

 William and its Esplanade formed part of a complete jungle, 

 throughout which were scattered extensive salt lakes and 

 marshes. As the town of Calcutta extended, the jungle was 

 gradually cleared away, and the stagnant lakes filled in or 

 drained; and we have now in these boring operations laid 

 open the beds which the debris of these forests, accumula- 

 ting for centuries, and consolidated by the intermixture 

 of mud and silt from the waters under which they were so 

 liable to be submerged, have contributed to form. Similar 

 peat beds have been found in excavating the Circular and 

 Entally Canals, at the respective depths of 25 and 9 feet, 

 thus shewing the surface of the ground to have been slight- 

 ly undulating.f It is much to be regretted that in the soli- 

 tary instance in which bones were found in this stratum, at a 

 depth of twenty-eight feet, they were destroyed by the work- 

 men before any means could be taken to identify them. A 

 most interesting opportunity of acquiring some information 

 relative to the denizens of these vast forests, and of compar- 

 ing them with those now inhabiting similar tracts through- 

 out the Delta, was thus lost. In 1813 a quantity of bones 

 was discovered in digging a tank in the vicinity of Dum- 

 Dum, at a depth of 18 feet from the surface, associated, as 

 were the above, with Soondri wood, and thus being satisfac- 

 torily shewn to have belonged to inhabitants of the then 



* Hamilton's Gazetteer, Art. Calcutta, 

 f Vide note B. 



