1869.] Geological Notes on the Khasi Hills. 19 



upper beds were found, but nowhere did I see it in sitio. The 

 quantity in the ravine points to its existence higher up the valley, but 

 I had no time to penetrate in that direction. 



To give some slight idea of the majesty of these forests, I may 

 here give the dimensions of a tree on the top of this hill on which a 

 maichan was erected by one of my assistants, ascended by a rough 

 ladder lashed on with cane. After sketching the surrounding country 

 on the plane table from it, on descending, I measured it down 92 feet. 

 The upper branches before they were cut away to open out the view 

 were probably 20 feet higher. The tree was without a branch for 50 

 feet from the ground, a clean straight trunk, but at that height forked 

 into two contiguous stems, and continued thus for 30 feet higher. Its 

 girth was small for size, being only some 14 feet near the ground. 

 This tree was a very good average, few were shorter, and many 

 exceeded it. "With such associates, those who have never seen such 

 tropical scenery, can hardly realize its features, and the feeling 

 instilled by the antiquity of such vast growths of vegetable life, when 

 passing through them for hours of the day. In such a country all its 

 topographical features are lost, and to see them and sketch them in, the 

 only plan for the surveyor is to erect platforms on trees, selected for 

 the purpose, that they overtop and command the sea of waving foliage 

 that stretches for miles around. Reaching the level of such a platform 

 and emerging from the gloom and shade of the 80 feet below one 

 into bright sun, with the far horizon of blue hill and mountain, and 

 nearer valleys, is like entering another world. The highest level of 

 these forests form a densely populated zone of insect life, among which 

 the Lepidoptera seem to rule, and many a coveted form have I seen 

 from these sites, flitting safe beyond the reach of net, much less of 

 foot. 



One of the most conspicuous hills in the neighbourhood of Nongumlai 

 is Yindku, and as on its flanks some of the best sections are to be 

 obtained forming a passage into still newer strata, I will describe them 

 as they come in in turn along the ridge. This has a direction almost 

 due south, to which the road keeps. The sandstone on which the 

 nummulitic rocks in their outliers are seen, extend for some distance, 

 the dip about 15° east ; 1J- miles from where this path leaves that from 

 Nongkulang to Nongumlai, at the foot of a rather steep ascent the 



