1869.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 171 



as I have been able to ascertain, are the only published opinions on 

 the subject. 



Colonel Hanghton states u There was no local tradition as to when, 

 or by whom the diggings had been worked, and it was a matter of 

 doubt whether they were really made for copper." 



Dr. Stohr, since his return to Europe, has published two papers, one 

 in Zurich* and the other in the Jahrbuch for 1854. In the former 

 he suggests a connection between these relics of ancient civilization, 

 and the rock temples of Orissa and the ruins of the town of Dulmi ; 

 he also repeats the only tradition known to the natives. This, as it 

 was also told to me, I shall again refer to. In the latter paper, he 

 conjectures that the mines are of the 11th century, when the kingdom 

 of Orissa flourished. 



In Singhbhum proper, the replies to my queries were of a negative 

 kind. No one could make the least suggestion as to who the miners 

 were ; and with regard to the age of the mines, the answers were, that 

 they had not been worked during the past three, four or five generations. 



From the local Rajahs, called respectively the Koer of Seraikela and 

 the Thakur of Khursawa, though they seemed willing to communicate 

 all that they knew, I received similar replies. 



In Dhalbhum the Purdhdn of Landii having been asked his opinion 

 as to the ancient workers, replied that he did not know, but added 

 " The Seraks formerly possessed the country." This belief of the Seraks 

 having once occupied the country is recorded by both Major Tickell 

 and Col. Dalton, as I shall have to allude to again further on. 



Having thus had the name of the Seraks suggested, I was enabled to 

 give a definite form to my queries. The result being that not only 

 were several tanks pointed out as the work of Seraks, but, as I pro- 

 ceeded further eastwards, the mines were all attributed to the same 

 ancient people. 



East of the Kapergaddee ghat, on the Midnapore and Chaibassa 

 road, there is the site of an old town called Ruam. From the 

 gh&twal of Ichinda, and independently from the zemindar of Pairaguri, 

 I heard the only tradition known in connection with this place. It is, 

 that a Rajah named Ruam who lived there possessed two tongues 



* Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschafft in Zurich, Vol 

 V. p. 329. 



