492 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ABCHtPELAGO. 



be dangerous to travel liere with any but these active 

 imd sure-footed ponies. Witli men on their backs 

 they will climb up places that our horses at home, 

 which ai-e accustomed to level roads, would not like 

 to ascend alone. In ceiliain spots along this path 

 were many piles of the excrements of elephants, 

 where they came to feed on the branches of young 

 trees. Half an hour before sunset we anived here, 

 at Suban, a village of four houses, and were glad to 

 rest and take some food afier a very fatiguing day's 

 journey. 'Near by is a large stony brook, where I 

 have enjoyed a refreshing bath in the cool, cleai" 

 mountain-stream. 



April — Early this morning we walked 

 about half a mile up the stream, making oui* w^ay 

 over the huge boulders in its bed. Soon we came to 

 strata of coal, associated with layers of clay and 

 sandstone. I was searching particularly for a lime- 

 stone mentioned by Van Dijk^ who has examined 

 the geology of this region, as being of the same age 

 as the coal, and containing fossils of a recent period. 

 Not finding it in this direction, I returned and con- 

 tinued do^vn the stream for half a mile, crossing from 

 side to side over the slippeiy rocks and through the 

 toTTent until the banks became high,, perpendicular 

 walls, and the water was deeper tlian the waist. 



Finding I could proceed no farther without a raffc 

 of bamboo, I i*etumed a quarter of a mile, ascended 

 the steep bank, and followed dow the stream for 

 about a mile, but could not find any outcropping of 

 the rock I was seeking. "WTien I reached Suban 

 again, I felt a peculiar smarting and itching sensa^ 



