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 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

(1) Naubatpur.

4

(2) Baliyadihi in Report. About two miles south of Arap? (3) Soane R.; R. and B.A.; Sone R.

(4) Moneah, R. and B.A.; Maner.

(5) Rotasgur, R. and B. A.; Rohtas.

20

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

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.

placed the grave of a Sanyasi (a Somadi) and the ashes of a faithful spouse who burned with her husband's body, and images of Krishna, Ram Chanda, etc., and has appointed a Sannyasi as Pujari. This person has no hesitation in declaring the place to have been sacred for many years, but has not had impudence to dream nor to contrive a miracle. The temple is therefore neglected; although the junction of the rivers is holy. The situa tion is fine, and the square area in which the different small temples are placed is surrounded by a wall, at the corners of which are small buildings for the accommodation of holy travellers. Behind is a flower-garden, very slovenly.

16th November.-I went almost three miles easterly to Dumaula, to see the Cheruyan Rajah's house. I crossed the river just below the junction. It is a channel about 100 yards wide with a small stream in each branch. It will soon probably be dry.

The Cheruyan Rajah's house is an oblong heap, not near so long as that I saw at Raph, but it must have been a very considerable building. The villagers say that the merchant who built the temple at Jehanabad opened it, and took out the stones and bricks with which he erected that work. So far as opened, it consisted of many small chambers filled with rubbish. The people at Jehanabad say that only a few stones and bricks were brought. One of the steps has evidently been a rude pillar of rough granite. North from the heap is a small tank. There is no trace of a town or of fortifications.

2

19th November.--I went to the vicinity of Dora' and Kurta, in order to see the place where soda was collected. My watch having stopt by the way I cannot judge of the distance, which is called four coses, southeast. The cose here I understand is about three miles. I crossed the river just below the junction and continued near the east bank of the [Jamuna] most of the way.

(1) Dhourha.
(2) Kurtha.

3

The

20th November.-I went about ten miles, but by a very circuitous route, to Keyoa Dol.' I proceeded first south-east about three miles until I left to my right a village and old mud fort named Duraut." I then inclined more to the south about 23 miles, until I came to the east end of Beyok, a detached part of an exceedingly rugged ridge of granite among which are only some stunted bushes and climbers. A great many turtle doves breed in the crevices. It does not consist of great rocks but of immense irregular blocks. It is a middle-sized grain of a grey colour very slightly tinged with red. The felspar occupies much space. micaceous matter black minute grains, in a pretty considerable proportion. The quartz granular. It is a very perfect granite. North from this hill are two detached smaller hills of a similar rock. I went west along the south side of this ridge for about one and a quarter miles, and it continues some way farther, but is exceedingly irregular. I saw one round mass detached a little way south from its west end. I then proceeded south through a fine plain for about one and a half miles when I came to the west corner of a low ridge adjoining to [the] west end of Burabur pahar, the highest and largest of this cluster, and I passed between this low ridge and another detached hill farther west. The north face of Burabur is not near so rugged as the northern ridge, but is only covered by stunted bushes, but on the south it is exceedingly rough and contains some immense precipitous rocks. Its west end, Dihiri, consists of a fine-grained perfect grey granite, much black granular micaceous matter. The felspar small and not in a great proportion. The quartz granular. This forms the boundary between Hulasgunj and Sahebgunj. From thence to Mukdumpur" at the foot of Keya Dol is about one and a half-miles along a fine plain. The plains adjacent to these hills are free of stones. The granite rises like rocks from the sea.

(1) Kawa Dol.

(2) Dharaut,

(3) Bhekh.

(4) Appendix, No. 16.

5

(5) Caramshaw Hills, R. and B.A.; Barabar Hills.
(6) Makhdumpur.