124 
Visit to the Sivcim Mountains. 
[A.PRIL 
delight. He threw himself on the ground, and appeared quite in an ecstacy of 
enjoyment; nor were the others much less affected. We could not hut contrast the 
natural and unsophisticated behaviour of these wild mountaineers, with what would 
have been that of any number of Hindustanis, whether high or low, under the same 
circumstances. After the first edge of wonder was worn off, they began to look 
more closely at the box. One of them, who seemed more intelligent than the rest, 
undertook to explain the matter, as be understood it, to his less clever compani- 
ons ; and to judge by their countenances, (for we did not understand what passed 
between them,) the lecturer must have acquitted himself pretty well. But the 
discovery of the cause of the music did not abate the pleasure they took in listening 
to it. At meals, when we generally had one of the boxes playing, or when we 
stopped on the march to rest, as soon as ever the silver tones of these beautiful 
little toys were heard, there was a group of most attentive listeners assembled 
round us. Nor would one of them leave us as long as the box continued to play. 
The following morning we marched for Sabac-gdla, which was to be the terra 
of our mountain travels, the place being situated, as we understood, at the gorge 
of the Sabac pass or river, where it quits the hills to join the Tfsta. The route 
was, the first half, a rather steep descent to the river bed ; the remaining half was 
easier, being in the bed of the river, and consequently almost level. Sandstone 
began to be observed in the descent, but in the river bed it became fully establish- 
ed ; enormous strata of this rock appearing to compose the huge walls, many thou- 
sand feet in height, which composed the banks of this river. The first glance at 
this rock showed that it was the same I had supposed, and confirmed my opinion 
as to the little value of the coal that had been found in it. As we advanced, the 
specimens of coal began to show themselves, evidently mineralized logs of wood, 
their nature being perfectly evident, as viewed in their native sites, though in the 
only specimens we could detach it be rather obscure, most of them, though bitumi- 
nised and of a black colour, have yet a nearer resemblance to stone than coal, be- 
ing fully as heavy and not less hard. Sometimes these kernels, as they may gene- 
rally be called, are of a grey colour, and look like indurated mud. ' This latter 
substance, when in great quantity, assumes the form of a vein ; and in this case 
its substance is fissured in every direction. This is what appears to be called slate 
clay in the Geological Transactions ; though it is certainly not slatv in its structure. 
I would as little think of calling the blacker varieties bituminous shale. But not to 
dispute about names— it may be sufficient to say, that the substance in question is 
not the bituminous shale of the true coal formation ; — that, on the contrary, the 
sandstone in question is, it not the newer red sandstone, one still more recent* and 
that there appears to me no prospect of discovering coal in this neighbourhood:—! 
mean in any thing like profitable quantity. 
In the evening we went on the elephant to visit the pass or debouche. of theTista. 
Just before leaving the hills, it collects itself into a smooth and level sheet 
of water, more resembling a lake, from its great breadth, than a river. The moun- 
tains, thickly wooded on each side down to the river’s edge, add to the deception ; and 
on first coming m sight I could not be persuaded that it was not a mountain lake. 
From this beautiful and calm expanse it precipitates itself at one corner bv a rapid, 
which I found it difficult to believe had ever been ascended by a canoe. Below it* 
about half a mile, there is a second, after which the river, though still having a 
strong current, is, I should think, navigable. Its breadth here is about eighty or 
mnety yards ; its depth probably ten or twelve feet. On the extensive sand? form- 
mg its shore, particularly near the patches or islands of jungle grass, we saw nu- 
merous impressions of tiger s feet ; anil returning home, we heard the deer calling 
m every direction. ° 
On the 2Sth we marched to Silgftri, about five or six miles through an open 
forest, m winch the elephant had no difficulty in making progress. The remain- 
™ ’„!* b0 n!“ M m . 3 ’ T S' , -° Ug , h “ We " cleiu « 1 ’ high, and latterly cultivated 
uiZ frn'J rt!. l? r e ,',“ g •* ° ol ,‘ r ri * llt a “ d 111 “ greet distance after emer- 
gn g horn the finest. I he following day we marched to Phdnsi-de'wa through ft 
well peopled and well cultivated district. On the 29th we reached Titalia^and 
took up oui lesideiice in one ot the bungalows there. By evenino* the dawk 
hearers arrived, and we left Titalla for Dinajpfir the foUowing^orning^arly At 
municated bv Mr Vi-an^^n 1 10 ‘ Mr.Ellerton's garden, raised from seeds com- 
municated by Mi. Giant, fhe plant was exceedingly thriving, and would I should 
conciiule bear fruit this year, or at furthest the next. From Dinajnur we proceed- 
c to Malda, whence I came on by Berbampore and Kishenao-ur and arrived in 
Calcutta on the 8th of March, having been just thirty days absent: 
