﻿THE 
  LANDSLIPS. 
  1IJ 
  

  

  slopes 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  rise 
  high 
  above 
  the 
  valleys. 
  When, 
  however, 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  high 
  range, 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Mauterich^n 
  or 
  Laubers£t, 
  

   which 
  rises 
  in 
  a 
  steep 
  slope 
  of 
  2,ooo 
  to 
  3,000 
  feet, 
  or 
  where 
  the 
  high 
  

   plateau 
  is 
  cut 
  by 
  a 
  deep 
  gorge, 
  landslips 
  are 
  not 
  uncommon 
  ; 
  and 
  on 
  

   the 
  steep 
  sandstone 
  scarps 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  face 
  they 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  

   conspicuous, 
  as 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  remarked. 
  

  

  Nowhere 
  that 
  I 
  know 
  of 
  are 
  they 
  so 
  strikingly 
  developed 
  as 
  in 
  

   the 
  small 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Maha*deo, 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Bilpakrim 
  and 
  

   Pundengru 
  Hills. 
  The 
  valley 
  forms 
  an 
  amphitheatre 
  of 
  about 
  four 
  

   miles 
  long 
  from 
  east 
  to 
  west, 
  and 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  across. 
  On 
  the 
  

   north 
  are 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  BaMpakr^m 
  and 
  Pundengru, 
  united 
  by 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  ridge 
  of 
  sandstone, 
  scarped 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  ; 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  is 
  

   another 
  narrow 
  ridge 
  of 
  sandstone, 
  uniting 
  the 
  Bilpakrim 
  hill 
  to 
  the 
  

   plateau 
  which 
  separates 
  the 
  upper 
  Mahideo 
  valley 
  from 
  the 
  plains 
  ; 
  

   at 
  the 
  eastern 
  end, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  spurs 
  of 
  Pundengru 
  runs 
  southwards 
  

   towards 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  to 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  Sylhet 
  

  

  Here 
  everything 
  combined 
  to 
  favour 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  landslips. 
  

   The 
  hills 
  were 
  composed 
  of 
  soft 
  sandstone, 
  they 
  were 
  steep 
  sided, 
  

   high, 
  and 
  narrow 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  and 
  consequently 
  were 
  doubtless 
  

   thrown 
  into 
  actual 
  oscillation 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  ; 
  while 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  motion 
  

   of 
  the 
  wave 
  particle 
  was 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  eight 
  inches 
  near 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  

   the 
  precipices. 
  The 
  result 
  of 
  these 
  local 
  conditions, 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  in- 
  

   dubitably 
  high 
  energy 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  wave, 
  has 
  been 
  to 
  produce 
  

   an 
  indescribable 
  scene 
  of 
  desolation. 
  Everywhere 
  the 
  hillsides 
  facing 
  

   the 
  valley 
  have 
  been 
  stripped 
  bare 
  from 
  crest 
  to 
  base, 
  and 
  the 
  

   seams 
  of 
  coal 
  and 
  partings 
  of 
  shale 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  running 
  in 
  and 
  

   out 
  of 
  the 
  irregularities 
  of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  with 
  a 
  sharpness 
  and 
  distinctness 
  

   • 
  which 
  recalled 
  the 
  pictures 
  of 
  the 
  canons 
  of 
  Colorado. 
  At 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  was 
  a 
  piled 
  up 
  heap 
  of 
  debris 
  and 
  broken 
  trees, 
  

   while 
  the 
  old 
  stream 
  course 
  had 
  been 
  obliterated 
  and 
  the 
  stream 
  

   could 
  be 
  seen 
  flowing 
  over 
  a 
  sandy 
  bed, 
  which 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  

   raised 
  many 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  watercourse. 
  

  

  At 
  one 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  watershed, 
  and 
  on 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  narrow 
  spurs 
  

  

  ( 
  "7 
  ) 
  

  

  