370 MEMOIR OF A SURVEY OF 



Our path was generally through the jungle, with now and then an 

 intermission of grass in spots which had formerly been cleared for culti- 

 vation with vast labour. We came out suddenly on the Brahmaputra, and 

 saw it foaming at the foot of the precipice below us, and shortly afterwards 

 we descended to the bed, and halted on a small patch of sand. The rocks 

 in the bed are of such enormous size that it is difficult to believe the river 

 can bring them down, even in the rainy season ; but they are evidently 

 not in situ, such a variety of species are found. Syenitic granite- 

 garnet rock, in which the garnets are found seven- tenths of an inch in 

 diameter — serpentine, of a flinty hardness, and primitive limestone, are in 

 larger quantity. The base of Thematheya, on our right, is of the same 

 grey carbonate of lime, and perhaps the whole mountain. We had hitherto 

 passed only granite gneis and mica slate. 



The river is here^but forty to sixty yards wide. I got meridian alti- 

 tudes of two stars, which gave the latitude 27° 54' 52, 4". Dilling, the 

 point of departure, is fixed by a bearing on the bend of the river below 

 the Kund, and others on Thama and Thathutheyas ; and the observations 

 for latitude, both excellent, limit the distance made in our day's journey, 

 which deviates little in direction from north to south, but a few miles. 



The commencement of our march, the following day, was over a sin- 

 gularly difficult place, where theriver rushes, with great violence, under the 

 face of a perpendicular cliff. There is no path, and it is a perfect clamber, 

 in which safety would be completely endangered by any other mode of 

 carriage than that adopted, which leaves the hands free. We continued 

 along the left bank of the river, to the mouth of the Lung, where we 

 found GHALtfM, who had parted from us six days before to have a bridge 

 built ; and for this mark of attention we were heartily obliged, when we 

 saw stretched between two opposite trees the cane suspension bridge, by 

 which we must otherwise have crossed. The direction of our route was 



