204 The Kurruhpoor Hills. [No. 3. 



had during the day become wringing wet from continued heavy rain, 

 the fire rose into a magnificent blaze, and was visible for seventy miles. 

 During the night the rain descended in torrents, broke into our bough 

 hut and deluged us ; the morning's light showed the whole party of six 

 individuals lying in very thin mud, and thoroughly drenched to the skin. 



8th September, 1847. — Descended Maruk hill on the Northern 

 face by a very steep and difficult footpath through a dense forest and 

 rode to Lallajehangeera. 



9th September, 1847- — From the Lallajehangeera bungalow a foot- 

 path leads over the hills, (from the summit of which is obtained a 

 beautiful view of the Ganges and country in general) to the hot springs 

 of Rishikoond, which rise from several springs on the eastern side of 

 the hills at a temperature varying from cold water to 104°, which gush 

 out with a fair body of water from the foot of the Jaspideous horn- 

 stone hills. The springs are in a prettily secluded nook in the hills, well 

 filled with spotted deer, jungle fowl, a few tigers and bears. 



This spur of the hills forming the eastern horn of the recess named 

 Maruk, and upon which the Fort of Monghyr is built, extends to be- 

 yond the Ganges where it appears as several naked quartz rocks, one 

 of which standing in the middle of the Ganges, causes the destruction 

 of numerous boats during the rains, when the river rushes over it with 

 a great noise, heard at the distance of several miles. At Monghyr the 

 rock is quartz, several outcrops of which are seen in the fort and 

 which are said by the natives to increase yearly in size, by a gradual 

 upheaval. The foundations of the north-western bastions are all based 

 upon the quartz rock, otherwise the fort must long ere this have been 

 swept away by the great force of the current ; some rocks in the bay 

 have caused damage to several steamers, which might be obviated by 

 a buoy or flag being attached to each hidden danger. The small hill 

 named Peerpuharee about three miles east of the station, forms the 

 most northern point of the Kurrukpore hills, where it terminates in a 

 perpendicular bluff overhanging the old bed of the Ganges; the 

 quartz is white and glossy, traversed by numerous veins of milk-white 

 quartz running north-west, south-east. Crossing these veins at acute 

 angles are many veins of a black iron ore having the appearance of 

 having been infiltred from below in a gaseous form. Near the summit 

 of the hill where the slope has been cut away to form the road, a bed 

 of massive asbestos with ribbon-like strata has been cut through ; pe- 

 netrating this mineral are delicate veins of hornstone much contorted, 



