﻿APPENDIX 
  B. 
  

  

  337 
  

  

  3. 
  Immediately 
  after 
  the 
  earthquake 
  we 
  took 
  refuge 
  on 
  an 
  open 
  field 
  not 
  far 
  

   away 
  from 
  a 
  Nepali 
  basti 
  on 
  the 
  Singra 
  river, 
  and 
  there 
  the 
  earth 
  opened 
  in 
  wide 
  

   fissures, 
  emitting 
  sand 
  and 
  water. 
  This 
  took 
  place 
  so 
  quickly 
  and 
  in 
  so 
  many 
  

   directions 
  that 
  we 
  had 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  precipitous 
  retreat 
  into 
  our 
  boats. 
  This 
  sub- 
  

   division 
  having 
  been 
  extensively 
  flooded 
  immediately 
  after 
  the 
  earthquake, 
  the 
  

   fissures 
  cannot 
  be 
  observed 
  so 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  districts 
  ; 
  but 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  widespread 
  is 
  evident 
  not 
  only 
  from 
  what 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  those 
  tracts 
  which 
  

   are 
  dry, 
  but 
  also 
  from 
  soundings 
  taken 
  in 
  water. 
  In 
  travelling 
  by 
  country 
  boat 
  

   my 
  boatmen 
  have 
  found 
  varying 
  depths 
  at 
  close 
  intervals 
  while 
  pushing 
  the 
  boat 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  bamboo 
  poles. 
  Also 
  in 
  wading 
  through 
  water 
  on 
  foot 
  (I 
  was 
  obliged 
  

   to 
  do 
  this, 
  as 
  boat 
  journey 
  was 
  not 
  everywhere 
  practicable), 
  I 
  frequently 
  slipped 
  

   into 
  deeper 
  gaps, 
  thereby 
  showing 
  that 
  the 
  soil 
  below 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  fissured 
  more 
  

   or 
  less. 
  In 
  the 
  northern 
  and 
  elevated 
  parts 
  of 
  this 
  subdivision 
  the 
  cracks 
  are 
  

   still 
  seen, 
  although 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  filled 
  up 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  by 
  earth 
  washed 
  away 
  

   by 
  rain 
  or 
  obliterated 
  by 
  cattle. 
  I 
  enclose 
  herewith 
  a 
  rough 
  sketch 
  (not 
  printed) 
  

   showing 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  fissures 
  in 
  villages 
  Nuntola 
  and 
  Bairapur 
  in 
  the 
  Roha 
  tahsil 
  

   and 
  a 
  statement 
  shewing 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  villages 
  Bhaluki, 
  Balipara, 
  Pakaketkibari, 
  

   Tuplipanbari, 
  Nityananda 
  Panbari, 
  Raipur, 
  Kukuabatabari, 
  Dalaigaon, 
  Muguri, 
  

   Haguri, 
  Sariha, 
  Chakla 
  and 
  Patacharkuchi 
  in 
  the 
  Bajali 
  tahsil. 
  The 
  length, 
  

   breadth, 
  depth, 
  and 
  directions 
  of 
  the 
  fissures 
  are 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  4. 
  As 
  already 
  stated, 
  I 
  was 
  in 
  a 
  boat 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake, 
  and 
  the 
  

   country 
  being 
  open 
  on 
  all 
  sides, 
  I 
  could 
  clearly 
  observe 
  the 
  springs 
  pouring 
  

   out 
  sand 
  and 
  water. 
  1 
  saw 
  several 
  spouts 
  on 
  the 
  Singra 
  River 
  itself, 
  one 
  of 
  

   which 
  rose 
  about 
  7 
  or 
  8 
  feet 
  high, 
  close 
  to 
  our 
  boats. 
  The 
  boats 
  escaped 
  

   providentially. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  crew 
  and 
  the 
  supervisor 
  kanungo 
  of 
  the 
  Barpeta 
  

   circle, 
  who 
  had 
  accompanied 
  me, 
  jumped 
  overboard 
  in 
  great 
  terror, 
  and 
  

   managed 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  shore. 
  Some 
  geysers 
  rose 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  

   several 
  were 
  seen 
  further 
  inland, 
  like 
  fountains 
  playing. 
  From 
  their 
  distance 
  

   I 
  think 
  some 
  were 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet. 
  The 
  roar 
  produced 
  by 
  these 
  some- 
  

   what 
  resembled 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  bore. 
  These 
  outpourings 
  continued 
  till 
  a 
  couple 
  of 
  

   hours 
  after 
  the 
  earthquake, 
  but 
  their 
  force 
  gradually 
  faded 
  away 
  as 
  the 
  country 
  

   was 
  flooded. 
  However, 
  nearly 
  two 
  and 
  half 
  months 
  after 
  the 
  great 
  earthquake 
  

   I 
  found 
  water 
  oozing 
  out, 
  though 
  in 
  minute 
  quantities, 
  from 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  sandy 
  

   craters 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  geysers 
  of 
  12th 
  June 
  in 
  Mauza 
  Domkachakabansi. 
  A 
  villager 
  

   told 
  me 
  that 
  water 
  came 
  out 
  of 
  these 
  whenever 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  severe 
  shock. 
  From 
  

   enquiries 
  I 
  have 
  learnt 
  that 
  geysers 
  have 
  been 
  common 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  subdivision. 
  

   As 
  the 
  water-bearing 
  strata 
  were 
  forced 
  up, 
  the 
  result 
  was 
  the 
  immediate 
  flooding 
  

   of 
  the 
  whole 
  subdivision, 
  high 
  and 
  low 
  portions 
  alike. 
  The 
  water 
  soon 
  subsided, 
  

   however, 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  parts, 
  and 
  as 
  it 
  flowed 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  tracts, 
  the 
  in- 
  

   undation 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  increased, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  further 
  augmented 
  by 
  two 
  successive 
  

   floods, 
  the 
  third 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  second, 
  Bits 
  of 
  coal, 
  old 
  logs, 
  and 
  other 
  veget- 
  

   able 
  substance 
  were 
  forced 
  up 
  with 
  the 
  springs, 
  exciting 
  the 
  wonder 
  of 
  the 
  ig- 
  

   norant 
  villagers. 
  Rice-fields, 
  wells, 
  tanks, 
  nullas, 
  and 
  creeks 
  were 
  covered 
  with 
  

   sand 
  ; 
  and 
  houses 
  were 
  damaged 
  or 
  destroyed 
  where 
  the 
  geysers 
  occurred 
  inside 
  

   or 
  close 
  to 
  them. 
  Granaries 
  containing 
  paddy 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  injured 
  or 
  de- 
  

   stroyed 
  in 
  this 
  way. 
  

  

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