the small Punpun must always have been the larger. Without the town towards the west is a large Sangot of brick. Near Jafier Khan's garden has been another probably dependent, nothing however remains except four turrets surmounted by cupolas at the corners. The whole is cultivated. Near it, towards the east of it, a native merchant of Patna has a very handsome country seat. A shut up zenana, and an open house for entertaining company at some distance, with a neat garden between. There is besides a stone temple of Siv in a garden on the opposite side of the road, the handsomest Hindu building that I have seen, although it is small. It seems to have been built on a European plan, and consists of a pyramid with a portico towards one side. Between this garden wall and the road is a terrace covered with plaster and shaded with trees for the refreshment of passengers. A merchant has also dug a tank near Jafier Khan's garden and lined it on four sides with brick, but it is a very poor rude work, the steps on the descent being about two feet high and the banks quite rough. Jafier Khan's garden has been a kind of fortification, surrounded by a wall strengthened by turrets and some buildings, part of which remain. In the centre has been erected the chief Songot of the Sik sect. I was admitted only into the garden in front, which is surrounded by a mud wall with a gate towards the north daubed with wretched paintings of Hindu Gods and Heroes. I could not be admitted into the brick buildings south from the garden with my shoes, and as the Mahant and his chief disciples were absent at the Mela, I did not think this worth while. 4th November.-I went to Patna. All the way from Jaffier Khan's garden to the eastern gate, about 11⁄2 miles, is a kind of suburb very meanly built. But there is one very handsome house belonging to some native, entirely in their own style but built with much taste. From the east gate I went through narrow lanes, but with many tolerable houses, to the western; which I should have taken to be a distance of three miles, but Major Rennell makes it only 1 miles. From the western gate and to the west end of the town of Bankupur is not quite two miles. Bankupur is in general very poorly built, but contains many of the European houses and that of Rajah Koliyan Singh, a very great building in the Anglo-Indian style. Beyond it is a plain round which many of the European houses are situated, and terminated to the west by the Golgarh. 6th November.-I went to Phulvariya,1 having remained a day at Patna in order to procure orders for the agents of different officers of Government. Phulvariya is a large village with many shops and a few brick houses, one of which is a respectable-looking village. About four miles from the Golgarh, I passed a tank dug by Balaichand, a merchant of Patna. It is lined with brick, but from the rude state of the bank is a very unsightly work. Phulvari was said to be four coses from Patna, but I do [not] think it can be so much as six miles. The country high and wel cultivated. Few plantations except those of Palmiras The road fully as good as the great road to Calcutta. Phulvariya is a large close-built village inhabited chiefly by Muhammadans, among whom are several respectable families. One of them, Kazi of the Perganah, has a respectable house of brick. The others live in very large houses of mud, tiled, which on the outside at least are very slovenly. These three families keep Madrisahs, one of which is in a Mosque fronted with stone and in a very different style of architecture from any that I have seen. The roof is flat, supported by stone pillars along which large stones are laid, and these again support the flags which cover the roof. The pillars are four-sided but flat and with few or no mouldings. In place of the domes there are three cupolas over the three niches in the back wall. The structure of these very clumsy. Part of the ornaments of the gate are of a red stone said to have been brought ready carved from Dilli or Agra. The carving very neat and the stone singular. (1) Fulwarry, R. and B.A.; Phulwari. 7th November.--I went not quite eight miles to Nobutpur.' I was assured at Patna that the distance was at least sixteen miles or eight coses, which made me divide the journey into two stages, but in fact the road does not seem to be above thirteen miles. 9th November.-I went above three miles southwest to see the old fort of the Cheruyan Raja. It has no traces of a ditch, and is an elevated square terrace of about thirty yards each side, without any cavity in the middle. The people say that it was surrounded by a thick brick wall, and the space within filled up with earth, but what purpose such a building could serve except as a place of worship I cannot say. At the north-east corner is a ruined very small temple, in which are several fragments of images carved in relievo on stone. One is a female. The whole is called Goriya, or the deity of the fort, and sacrifices are still offered. At a little distance from the temple is lying another stone carved with images in relievo. It is said to represent the doorkeeper of the deity. The ruin appears to me to be of the highest Indian antiquity, while the princes lived in castles rather than forts. 11th November.-I went west to the Son 3 river, to see the manner in which the pebbles are found. It is an immense channel filled with sand. The water at this season is about one hundred yards wide, not very deep nor rapid and rather muddy, but it is not fordable. The channel is however filled with shallows, so that only very small boats pass up and down. In spring it is fordable and canoes pass with difficulty. Small stones are thinly scattered among the sand or in a few places form small beds, and I understand are found everywhere from Moner to Rotasgar' or higher, but more and more plenty the farther up. They are fragments of various silicious stones, none of them aggre 2 (1) Naubatpur. (2) Baliyadihi in Report. About two miles south of Arap! (4) Moneah, R. and B.A.; Maner. 2 R. & J. gate, some are quite opaque fat white quartz, or quartz tinged red, yellow, or various colours. Others are diaphanous glassy quartz, and what are called the Son pebbles. These are pretty common, so that in a few minutes I found eight or ten, but none of them fine. This was about three coses from the mouth of the river. I passed two old channels of the Son called by that name, besides the one near the Thanah. I do not know which it is that is laid down by Major Rennell. At present they contain no stream, and in most places are dry. Near the second is a ridge running some way east and west and containing many fragments of brick. This place is called Raph,' and is said to have belonged to a Cheruyan Raja. I presume that the ridge is in some measure natural, being too large for a ruin, although the ruin may have added very considerably to the size, the fragments being very numerous. No appearance of any fortification. 12th November.-It was said that Thanah Jehanabad was twelve coses distant, and that half way was Bagwangunj,' a village of Shahabad. There is a more direct route, but the road at present is impassable for loaded cattle. I found that Bagwangunj is about sixteen miles from Nuhubutpur instead of six coses, and in many places there was no other road except the small banks confining the water on rice fields. About eight miles from Nuhubutpur I came to the Pompon at a village called Pituangs (Fetwas, Kennell). It is perhaps 150 yards wide, half covered with a dirty stream, but is fordable, being only about two feet deep. About 11⁄2 miles farther on, came to the boundary of the two zilas. Nuhubutpur is a close-built village with many shops as usual in this country. A hat was held while we were there. Many petty traders came with Jira (1) Arap. (2) Bhagwanganj. (3) Fetvass, R.; Fetwas, B.A.; Pitwans. and Turmeric on oxen, but there was not that hubbub usual in Bengal, and few women attended, nor were small wares sold. Bagwangunj is a close-built village with many shops, belonging to Masaur Pergana, which together with Arval' is the property of the Rani of Jeswont Sing, whose name it is not decent to mention. She resides at Belkari, eleven coses from Bagwangunj which is on the west side of the Murahar river. The people say that near Pollay was the abode of another Cheruyan Raja, none of the caste remain. 5 13th Nov ember.-My people are now beginning to become sickly, for a long time they have been remarkably healthy. I first went south for about two-thirds of a mile parallel to the Murahar, which I then crossed. It is a small channel, perhaps 20 yards wide, with some dirty water pretty deep in pools, but little stream. Bottom muddy. About half a mile farther I came to the boundary of Behar, from whence to Jehanabad® is about nine miles, but there is no road and the path lies chiefly along the banks of reservoirs, and therefore is exceedingly circuitous. With a little pains they might be made to serve for roads sufficient to admit loaded cattle. The road not so bad as yesterday. About two miles from Jehanabad is a very large marsh. Jehanabad is a large country town, close-built with narrow crooked streets, many of the houses tiled, all with mud walls. Those that have two stories have at a distance a good effect, the roof being somewhat in the Italian style. The walls in general on near approach exceedingly slovenly. A very little pains in smoothing them would make neat houses, especially if whitewashed. The windows above all very rude. At the junction of the rivers a merchant has built a temple, where he has (1) Massora, R. and B.A.; Masaurhi. (2) Arval, R. and B.A.; Arwal. (4) Murahar N., R.; Little Pompon R., B.A.; Morhar N. (5) Pollay, R. and B. A.; Pali. (6) Jehenabad, R. and B.A.; Jahanabad. |