1869.] Geological Notes on the Khasi Hills, 25 



After visiting Marang Thang, whence the deep gorges with precipitous 

 sides of a large river, draining from south-west of Pundengroo scarp, 

 was seen, and presenting a complete section of the whole series I have 

 been detailing, I retraced my steps into the interior of the hills 

 once more, via Jugni, situated about four miles up the Rongsiang 

 river. I give the reader some idea of this mountain stream, its fea- 

 tures being so unlike what is generally seen, and nothing like it is met 

 with at the base of the Himalayas. I proceeded the whole way, without 

 much obstruction, in a canoe to Jugni, the water being so little deep 

 in parts that save to a native who easily disencumbers himself of 

 superfluous clothing, it would have been a most disagreeable route. 

 It became still more difficult to navigate beyond the above village, 

 shallows and rapids commencing ; yet very deep long reaches still 

 continued right up to the junction with the Sen river, where is a pool 

 famous for the immense number of fish killed periodically by poison- 

 ing the water. With a stream navigable so far into the hills, one 

 would expect the valley on either side to be broad and somewhat 

 open, the contrary is however the case. For the whole distance the 

 spurs approach, and end in high sheer cliffs, washed by the excessively 

 deep water of the pools at their base ; opposite Jugni itself these cliffs 

 are at least 200 feet high.* 



The whole valley is extremely malarious, close, and shut in from 

 air, and we all suffered a few days after from passing up it ; not 

 a man with me or self escaped fever, the season was advancing, 

 rain had begun to fall (March 1867), which may account in a measure 

 for the suddenness of the attack. A short distance above the last 

 deep pool, the river is seen gushing out, with a considerable body of 

 water, from a small cavern in the limestone rocks. The valley 

 still continues over these dipping at about 20° to 25° S. S. W., 

 their strike being in the general direction of the valley. At about two 

 miles further up the limestone comes to an end, and the lower sandstones 

 become visible ; they dip at 30 degrees. Pieces of coal had been common 

 for some distance below, and here it was seen in situ, with an increasing 



* They present excellent sections of the sandstone rocks : these gradually 

 lower in dip, becoming very low and rise again towards the junction with the 

 Sen river. There is nothing remarkable in their appearance, being thick-beddc>d, 

 sometimes very soft light coloured and micaceous ; their dip is always a 

 southerly one. 



