38 
On the Minerals of the Rdjmahal Hills. 
[Feb. 
Mica, which serves as a substitute for glass, in its shining appearance, is nearly 
allied to the above 5 , and, as I have mentioned, is generally diffused through the masses 
of quartz. In some places I found it abundantly transparent ; but the plates were 
too small for use. Near Ghoramara, however, I learned that there was a place called 
Abarak, the name which the natives give to this substance ; and in passing it, some 
of my followers found pieces tolerably large, which, with the addition of the name, 
induces me to think, that the substance is procured from thence, although this was 
denied by the natives. 
The only stones of this portion of the district, that remain to be mentioned, are 
the calcareous. 
^ The detached calcareous nodules called ghanggat, and mentioned in the former 
division of minerals, are in this also very common, and need not be again described. 
The calcareous matter, in mass, is of two kinds, both very different from that of 
the first division. 
One called leruya, is on the border of the Ramgar district, in the channel of the 
yiay, river, and is said to be a small rock , but I did not see the place, nor can 1 
judge of the extent of calcareous matter. It is a white marble, with small crystalhta- 
ions confusedly heaped together, and intermixed with a little yellowish green mica, 
. iat it must be considered as an aggregate. It takes a polish ; but whether large 
blocks could be procured, I do not know. S 
The other calcareous matter, in mass, is called asurkar, or giant's bones The great- 
est quantity is found at a place, in the centre of the hiL, called Isu™i 
Female Giant. As the bine, produced from this substance, is whiter and hen tl . 
that made from the nodules, a great part has been removed It occuDied ' 
on the surface of the declivity of a hill , , A ‘ cupied a space, 
from the bottom of the hiU extended J c 4 ° ° r 50 yards in i »»<' 
to have formed a crust from 2 to 3 feet tl . 1 oln ten to fort y yards, and seems 
with loose masses of stone. Th^ f ^ 
sited from water, as it has involved many fragments of\tc < ^ gradually dep0 ' 
and a few univalve shells, of a species with which I am not^’ matterj 
therefore say, whether they are a marine or land productlL^ tP ’ *** ^ 
that have been involved, vary from the size of the head to that J “T* ^ 
a f rhar ' or calcareous tufa, does not adhere very firmly to the * T ' ** 
the mass being very hard, these nodules are generallv ll i 5 S ° thatin breakmg ’ 
I saw no rock ; but all the fragments involved and tl • & ^ ° Ut ; Near the ( l uarr >’ 
ter are of a dark coloured siliceous matter 'in this^ ^ Calcareous mat ’ 
m some measure, justify the native name • ** ? aCe 1 Saw a PPearances that, 
what had very much the annearanee nf i a J ,.I° ne . P ! CCe ° f the asurh ar contained 
what had very much the appearance of a flit l * ° nL plCCe ° P tbe “sw'har conta 
end. I also observed a curious impression Wltb "-process projecting at 
meter, and 18 inches long, not quite straight ®J n, ‘ cyl * nder about 3 inches in di 
mg the rock, the other half of the cylinder £,2w P0 “ d t0 view > 38 if - b >' b mal 
cavity was wrinkled with transverse folds t e th “ The ^face of tl 
have possibly been the bark of a tree altho,’, l r , ' nS ‘ de ° f intes t‘ne, but mi 
kies ; I rather, suppose that this has been the if * ^ S6en n ° bark witb such wrii 
greater part of this aaurhar , as I have saifl pres ^ on of some marine animal. Tl 
Fohsh merchant of Mungger, who, I am told otw* , bUrned b y Christian, 
‘ c ““ 0 t be said to be nearly allied to , eXP ™ SC d ‘ 
' V " c 1 tb ^y are always confouuded together tu exce P* * n common. parlance, i 
i erent in composition, while in external 6 tVV ° minera ^ s are chemically vei 
Then occurence, in the same class „f rocka C ’ larM,<!rs diflerence is even greate, 
I have since found these shells in the rivers ofGuM h ' 11 ®' ’ “ ‘' |SC ,0 ° mucl '-— Ec 
