PANDUA HILLS, NEAR SILHET, IN BENGAL 509 



purpose — the reception of the ashes of deceased Chiefs, enclosed in 

 urns. If this was the case, how singular it is that the customs of nations, 

 in the same stage of society indeed, but situated at such an immeasurable 

 distance from each other, should be found so exactly to coincide ! If any 

 doubt exists as to the purpose for which the monuments in Britain were 

 erected, is it not dissipated by observation, as to the actual use of similar 

 monuments in this country at the present day ? I did not observe that 

 any of the upright stones were placed in circles, like those of Stone Henge, 

 but generally in lines. Some of them are ornamented by a carved stone, 

 placed like a crown on the top of the centre one. 7 have not heard that 

 monuments of a similar character have been found in other parts of India. 

 I believe they are peculiar to this range, or rather to the Kdsias. 



4th. — Started at six a. m. on the return to Cherra. We made good 

 our journey in two days, without accident. We carried the snowy Thibet 

 peaks with us, half the first day's journey, the atmosphere being remarkably 

 clear — indeed the snowy mountains looked better than from Nanklow. 



We spent the 6th at Cherra, and found some beautiful flowers and 

 plants, the roots and seeds of some of which I collected. The cinnamon 

 tree grows here wild — the leaves and young branches are exported to 

 the plains for sale. Also a species of holly is found ; in fact, here is an 

 ample unexplored field for a Botanist— also for a Mineralogist. I pro- 

 cured some specimens of the coal, and of other rocks. 



On the 9th we started at day-light, in opposite directions. I got down 

 the hill, and reached my budgerow at two p. m. and by three p. m. next 

 day, had commenced the Sessions at Sylhet. This is a very pretty station 

 — some of the houses are on small hills — and altogether in soil, plants, and 

 appearance, it is very like Chittagong. The rides and drives are very 

 pretty. The place is full of Manipuris, — they are clean looking people, 



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