1851.] Notes upon a tour through the Rdjmahal Hills. 563 



Sadipur is situated on the left bank of the More and opposite to 

 the mouth of the Sidh Nallah, in the bed of which nallah and about 

 six miles above its confluence with the More, a bed of coal and a hot 

 spring are reported. I did not visit the spot. The village is immedi- 

 ately under a confused cluster of low and well wooded and bamboo 

 clothed gneiss hills. The gneiss is of a very fine grain with salmon 

 colored felspar which imparts to the rock a cheerful and lively color. 



17 th January ', 1851. — Direction north; ten miles to Bunprassi. 

 At the commencement of the march entered a dense jungle a mile in 

 width under the Kiilang hills, which jungle lies in the beat of a small 

 herd of wild elephants which frequent this part of the country, the 

 herd is said to consist of one male, several females and their young 

 ones. These animals create much alarm in the villages lying along 

 their beat, many of which have been lately deserted on account of the 

 total destruction of the rice fields and in some instances of the huts 

 of the Sonthals, which being probably covered with leguminous or 

 cucurbitaceus creepers have tempted the elephants to tear down and 

 devour their tempting and verdant covering. 



The whole march, which was across country, lays along the base of 

 the Belpatta hills through an undulating country with numerous vil- 

 lages, much cultivation and no jungle ; a large quantity of Mahua 

 (Bassia latifolia) trees occupy the stony and gravel ridges. The whole 

 country is cut up by ravines, every where displaying vertically arranged 

 gneiss which in spots is highly contorted ; a broad dyke of greenstone 

 about one hundred yards broad runs parallel to the hills for six miles 

 or as far as Prasbuni. 



A small range of sandstone hills named Ramgarh two or three miles 

 to the east of Prasbuni appear well wooded and in spots cleared for 

 cultivation by the hill-men residing on their summits. Towards the 

 centre of the range a soft greasy white rock is quarried and exported 

 to Calcutta, Moorshedabad and to other places, where it is used for 

 white washing, writing on wooden boards by schoolboys, or for orna- 

 menting pottery and toys. 



18th January, 1851. — Direction north-west to Jhilmillee on the left 

 bank of the Brahmani river ; ten miles. Passed through the same 

 sort of country as yesterday, except that upon nearing Pudma the 

 ground becomes much more broken up by ravines, greenstone dykes 



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