352 CHITTAGONG. Chap. XXXI. 



the north-west horizon. The rocks yielded a dry poor soil, 

 on which grew dwarf Phcenix and cycas-palm {Cycas 

 circinalis or pectinata) . 



Descending, we rode several miles along an excellent 

 road, that runs to Tipperah, and stopped at the bungalow 

 of Seetakoond, twenty-five miles north of Chittagong. The 

 west flank of the range which we had crossed is much 

 steeper than the east, often precipitous, and presents the 

 appearance of a sea- worn cliff towards the Bay of Bengal. 

 Near Seetakoond (which is on the plain) a hill on the range, 

 bearing the same name, rises 1,136 feet high, and being 

 damper and more luxuriantly wooded, we were anxious to 

 explore it, and therefore spent some days at the bungalow. 

 Fields of poppy and sun {Crotalaria juncea), formed most 

 beautiful crops ; the latter grows from four to six feet- 

 high, and bears masses of laburnum-like flowers, while the 

 poppy fields resembled a carpet of dark-green velvet, 

 sprinkled with white stars ; or, as I have elsewhere 

 remarked, a green lake studded with water-lilies. 



The road to the top of Seetakoond leads along a most 

 beautiful valley, and then winds up a cliff that is in many 

 places almost precipitous, the ascent being partly by steps 

 cut in the rock, of which there are 560. The mountain is 

 very sacred, and there is a large Brahmin temple on its 

 flank ; and near the base a perpetual flame bursts out of 

 the rock. This we were anxious to examine, and were 

 extremely disappointed to find it a small vertical hole in a 

 slaty rock, with a lateral one below for a draught, and that 

 it is daily supplied by pious pilgrims and Brahmins with 

 such enormous quantities of ghee (liquid butter), that it 

 is to all intents and purposes an artificial lamp ; no trace 

 of natural phenomena being discoverable. 



On the dry but wooded west face of the mountain, 



