90 
Visit to the Siccirn Mountains . 
[March 
my paper on the coal of the Himmalaya, published in the 15th vol. of the Asi- 
atic Researches, and which to me appeared not only speculatively interesting, but 
to have some reference to public utility. 
On the 6th February, pursuant to arrangement with my fellow traveller, I left Cal- 
cutta by dawk for Malda, where I arrived on the 8th, at 2 P. m., having stopped a 
few hours at Berhampore for refreshment. On the 9th we quitted M£Ida in com- 
pany, and reached Din&jpur the following morning early. M£lda, it is known, is in 
the vicinity of the extensive ruins of the ancient city of Gaur — ruins so extensive, 
that they give the country an undulating and almost hilly appearance. Of the 
actual remains of building, I saw few in my line of road — hut the dimensions of 
one of the tanks, not the largest, as I afterwards understood, perfectly surprised 
me, and gave me a lively idea of the former magnificence of a place which is now 
almost a desert. A well raised causeway runs from Gafir through M&lda to Di- 
n.ijpur. On leaving Malda we entered the Parwa jungle, as it is called, the site of 
an ancient and still more extensive city than Gafir. From the road scarcely a 
trace is visible beyond an occasional undulation in the surface, the whole being 
dense but not lofty jungle. A very magnificent ruin called the Edina Masjid, of the 
history of which I could gain no account, was visited by us. It is situated on 
the road side about the middle of the jungle, and is a place of pilgrimage to the 
superstitious Musuhndns of the surrounding districts. As Parwa was a Hindu 
city, it is not very obvious how the mosque came there, unless we suppose, whatthe 
discovery of some Hindfi sculptures in a corner, which had been built over, appears 
to entitle us to do— viz, that it may have been originally a Hindu temple, and seized 
and converted into a mosque, by some of the fanatical emperors. This opinion is 
confirmed by the character of the architecture, particularly of the pillars, which are 
quite in the ancient Hindfi style. The tomb of Sikandar Shah, or rather the re- 
mains of it, is at no great distance. 
Whatever its origin, whether Hindfi or Musulmdn, it is a magnificent ruin, and, 
in my opinion, the most worthy of attention of any I have seen in India. The 
style, as 1 have said, resembles in some degree the older Hindu buildings in the 
north west of India, or, perhaps still move strongly, some of the structures in 
Egypt. The roof is a congeries of domes, and this at first I supposed to be more 
characteristic of the Mahomedan school; but that the dome is a feature of Hindu 
architecture al.iois proved by the Bishenpatl at Gya. It consists of two stories, the 
columns of each story being of different orders, both most beautiful. The mem- 
bers of these order exlnoit admirable proportions— all the ornaments are in cha- 
racter, and there is a unity of effect felt in contemplating the building, that stamp* 
it the woik o t a cultivated people. The whole of a side wall, which is still stand- 
ing has been covered with the most elaborate tracery, with which is occasi- 
onally mixed the usual Arabic sentences from the Koran, executed in relief. This 
part of the work was probably contributed by the MusulmAns. It is built of a 
dark gray almost black basalt, derived from the Rdjmahl hills-a stone apparently 
admnably adapted foi the most delicate ornamental work. The upper floor is 
formed of slabs of granite, of great thickness, supported on the pillars 1 . The build- 
g is fa.t falling to decay ; only four of the domes with their pillars remaining 
perfect— but the remains of pillars and heaps of rubbish show its extent to hav« 
^“reof S 20 Cr o a r 30 £? T’ ‘° haV ° h! “> 700 *«”•. surmounting 
. quare of 20 or 30 feet. I never so much regretted want of leisure to execute 
some measurements and memorandum sketches of this building— so striking in 
its peculiarity of character as well as beauty of architecture. It is indeed well 
worthy of a Daniel or a Grindlay to illustrate its beauties. 
and on Tlrn'l'nir In thf l ° all ° W ° f the tents and servants making progress, 
morn^l abouflO ^ int0 0Ur palkees > found ourselves next 
TcaZumen The flt % a - Titalyalias been only recently abandoned as 
the ^ event o7 an 5 ? 8tl ? m «ood order, and they would be useful in 
most likely be made a rpctin l Ging tor . raed at Darjiling, as the cantonment would 
ceeding thither. SunnhVc finJ 1 11 °°’ i‘™ d new p ?* nt op departure for visitors pro- 
nity offered of conveying them into^the hMl l0 — here tiU an opportU ' 
high and dry country? on tlmeas ern il^l , in afine ope ?j 
to be navigable in the ™° ns to wYthin n L ? l ^ Mahanaddi > which is said 
maunds. The place is sa M tn 6 7 ® hoi ;t distance, even for boats of 700 
fact was so, it it is exceedine-lv rliffi Un iea t l / » ^ et from what cause, if the 
better, as far as our exam.wJL? ‘fficuh to say. Assuredly no site could promise 
may be, I have n 0 information or mea^f j^glngf ^ character of the vicinity 
