UPPER FRESH WATER LIMESTONE DISCOVERED. 
269 
different vegetable substances that pro- 
duce it, with this exception, that it is 
held in solution by the water, which is not 
suffered to evaporate. The stem and 
branches of the plantain tree are divested of 
the outer rind, and then broken up into small 
pieces, which are laid upon the fire and slowly 
consumed; the ashes are lixiviated with 
water which is strained off, and reserved for 
mixture with the dyes. In front of the Soo- 
gree’s house, and in the centre of the village, 
a nice tank had been dug ; the only one 1 had 
hitherto met with, tanks being seldom seen 
except in the neighbourhood of large towns. 
The houses were neat and built with more 
attention to comfort and order than is 
general in the villages of Rambree. 1 
remarked a hideous representation of the 
human countenance drawn with lime upon 
several of the door-posts. I was told, it is 
put up to deter the demon of sickness from 
entering the dwelling. Much sickness had 
been experienced of late, and this was one 
of the many absurd customs resorted to, with 
the view of ridding the neighbourhood of its 
presence, I further learned that when any 
one of a family has been a long time sick, 
and recovery appears doubtful, the inmates 
of the house assemble and make a tremen- 
dous noise with drums and gongs, at the same 
time beating the roof and walls with sticks 
to expel the evil spirit who is supposed to 
have taken possession of the dwelling. One 
door alone is left open for his escape, all the 
others being closed. While this is going on a 
Phoongree stands upon the road, opposite to 
the house, reading a portion of the Khubbo- 
ivah, a book that is held in particular venera- 
tion. A further ceremony is sometimes ob- 
served by the invalid as an additional security 
for a complete restoration to health ; but it 
is only performed by those who feel them- 
selves, as it is termed, possessed, and called to 
the exercise of the duty required of them, as 
a propitiatory sacrifice to the malignant spirit 
from whose ill will their sickness is supposed 
to originate. This ceremony, which is called 
Ndth-Kadey, very much reminds me of the 
antics played by the dancing Dervisesof old. 
A brass dish, or any piece of metal highly 
burnished, is put up in a frame, and in front 
of this are laid offerings of fruit, flowers, and 
sweetmeats. When every thing has been 
properly arranged, the invalid commences 
dancing, throwing the body into the most 
ludicrous attitudes ; and pretending to see the 
object of worship reflected upon the plate of 
metal, makes still greater exertions, until the 
limbs are overpowered, and the dancer sinks 
exhausted upon the ground. Should the 
sick person be so weak as to render such 
assistance necessary, he (or she,) is support- 
ed by a friend placed on each side during the 
whole of the ceremony. It is by no means 
improbable that this violent exertion has on 
many occasions proved highly beneficial, 
realizing the most sanguine expectations of 
the people. In cases of ague or rheumatism, 
where a profuse perspiration, and a more 
general circulation of the blood throughout 
the human frame is required, there is perhaps 
no other mode of treatment more likely to 
produce the desired effect ; and could some 
proper substitute be found for a piece of 
metal, the Ndth-Kadey, might be introduced 
with advantage into our own hospitals.” 
The following observations may give sub- 
ject for discussion which now divides the 
fluvialists and diluvialists in England and 
France. Talking of the Hughs, Lieut. Foley 
adds — 
“ It is their belief that there are many 
worlds, and that the earth has been subject 
to the several and repeated actions of fire and 
water. (A fact that will not perhaps be dis- 
puted by some of the most celebrated geolo- 
gists of the present day.) The soul, they 
affirm, may pass through many stages of 
existence, either in this or another world ; 
the nature of each change depending upon 
its moral condition.” 
Our author proceeded over a red hill co- 
vered with a red iron clay. 
” From the summit of this hill I enjoy- 
ed a fine prospect of the channel that 
divides the eastern side of the island from 
the district of Sandoway. The hills of Lamoo 
and Kalynedong rose on the opposite shore, 
and the distant mountains of Yoomadong were 
faintly visible amidst the clouds that sur- 
rounded them. Descending this range I 
approached the village of Saain-kyong, cele- 
brated for its lime. The limestone is found at 
the foot of a high hill to the left of the road. 
This was the first limestone that 1 had seen on 
Rambree Island ; and it is so concealed by 
the jungle, that had I not been previously 
made aware of its existence and enquired for 
its site, I should have proceeded on my jour- 
ney unconscious that such a rock was in my 
neighbourhood. From its appearance, and 
more particularly from the rocks with which 
it is associated, I am inclined to class it with 
the “ npper fresh-water limestone’* found in 
tertiary formations ; it is of a greyish white- 
colour ; of a fine compact texture, but very 
brittle. It occurs in several detached mas- 
ses of a globular or columnar form, and al- 
though 1 made every possible search along the 
ravines in its neighbourhood, I could discover 
nothing that would indicate the slightest ap- 
proach to a stratification ; nor has this species 
of limestone been discovered in any other 
part of the island. There were no appear- 
ance of the fossil remains sometimes found in 
this rock, such as freeh-water shells, &c. 
The limestone is split into several large frag- 
ments by means of fire ; these are again brok- 
en into smaller pieces, and the whole convey- 
ed in baskets to the lime-kilns constructed on 
the banks of the Saayre-kyong creek, which 
at full tide has sufficient depth of water to 
admit of the approach of large boats. The 
whole of the lime used in Rambree Island, 
either for architectural purposes, or for the 
preparation of the edible chunam, is obtained 
from this rock. I w'as told that the lime, if 
taken in large quantities, was sold on the 
spot for 3^ maunds per rupee, and that there 
were generally from 100 to 200 maunds col- 
lected. Crossing the creek at low water, I 
