510 JOURNEY ACROSS THE 



and very industrious — numbers have returned to their own country since 

 the Burmese have been driven out — but thousands still remain. They form 

 the great body of an Irregular Corps here, and make good soldiers. 



Trip to the Cave of JBhuvan, in the Kdsia Hills, December 8th, 1828. 



Started from Sylhet at sun-rise, and crossed the country to Company 

 Ganj on horse back. Crossed the Chingerkhal on the way, and found 

 the road dry and good, but here and there some swamp — arrived at the 

 Gunj, on the bank of a river, at half-past eleven ; and having overtaken 

 the coolies, breakfasted here, under a tree. — Waited till the people came 

 up, and started again at two p. m., reached Pandua at half-past three, and 

 the tent, at the foot of the hills, at sun-set. 



Tuesday 9th. — Breakfasted, and started on foot for the Cave at ten 

 a. m., passed over three ranges of sandstone hills — about five hundred feet 

 high, covered with timber and brushwood — the road lay for some time 

 along the bed of a mountain torrent — over which we were carried two or 

 three times — arrived at a spot which appears a natural barrier to further 

 progress — perpendicular rocks, with high trees, surround a bason, into 

 which flows a torrent through the only opening in the rocks. The spot 

 is most beautiful and secluded — and the long roots of creepers hanging 

 down like ropes, together with the boldness and height of the rocks, and 

 beauty of the foliage, give the spot a peculiar character. We were 

 carried through the water, and clambered up the bed of the torrent. One 

 of the hills is particularly steep, actually subtending an angle of forty-six 

 degrees — this is called the " Devil's ladder." At a quarter past eleven 

 reached the mouth of the Cave, on the side of the great range of limestone 

 mountains — it faces the S. W. The entrance hardly attracts notice, and 

 certainly few would imagine that the small hole which presents itself was 

 the portal to such magnificent chambers. It looks as if the mountains 



