rocks forming the neighbouring mountains, washed down by the periodical rains, which fall in this part of India, often with great violence.

In describing the different strata to be found, from the banks of the Nerbudda, on the south, to Oudypoor, on the north, Captain Dangerfield, like all other geologists, gives, in spite of himself, a considerable scope to his imagination; but we only wonder that, imbued as he is, with a love of the science, he has confined himself so strictly, as he has done, to the detail of facts, leaving to those, whom he acknowledges to be better proficients in the fire and water theories than he is, to draw the deductions from these facts. He informs us, that iron ore is to be found in great quantities in different parts of Malwa, as also copper; and that in Oudypoor, immense quantities of fine and workable marble abound. Somewhat dry and unentertaining, as the memoir of a geological map must always be, Captain Dangerfield has given his paper a more popular and pleasing aspect, by his description of the manner, in which several of the great lakes in Central India have been constructed. It is well known, that the face of this romantic country presents many places, in which little remains to be done by art, to dam the courses of large and rapid streams, and to convert them by this means into sheets of water, at once ornamental to the country, and as reservoirs for irrigation, eminently useful to the husbandman. Our readers will be pleased with the following accounts of one of these lakes at Oudypoor.

"The small river Bidus, which has its rise in the hills a short distance from Odeypoor, and a branch of which supplies the lake of that city with water, has its course, and is still allowed a partial vent, through a narrow opening in this eastern boundary range, which leads down by the Deybur lake, and, forming two of its sides, joins the larger range encircling that city on the westward. Some convulsion of nature has torn asunder, or caused to slide, upwards of an hundred feet of the lower portion of the southern mountain, forming a precipitous grand chasm, from fifty to one hundred feet broad, the sides of which expose to view enormous columns of hornstone, (which appear to be minutely porphyritic, from interspersed mica,) highly inclined, and dipping towards the east. Through the centre of the mountain occurs a narrow bed of fine light coloured mica slate.

"From the detached portion of the mountain, across the bed of the river, to that opposite, has been thrown a magnificent dam, faced with marble, and adorned with sculptured figures, small temples,

and open buildings of the same materials. This dam is thirty-seven feet high above the level of the lake, which is said to be very deep, and whose waters are clear and seagreen. Its length is three hundred and thirty-four yards, and it is one hundred and ten yards broad at the top, but increases by numerous steps towards the base. On the lake side, it is also strengthened by large projecting square buttresses. The Bidus, thus obstructed in its course through these hills, overflows part of the neighbouring valley for about a mile east and west, by about double that distance north and south. It is allowed, however, a partial vent through the chasms, across which rude walls are thrown to allow the escape of the superfluous water, when it has attained a certain level in the lake. The valley of Odeypoor itself consists either of gneiss or a fine-grained granite, at first scarcely to be distinguished from some micaceous sandstones."

But the following account of the celebrated Deybur lake to the southward of Oudypoor, is still more worthy of attention.

"The noble lake called Deybur, or Jey Sagur, has been formed, by taking advantage of similar circumstances to those noticed at Odey Sagur. The Gometee river, which formerly burst through a narrow opening in this range, is arrested by a magnificent marble dam, thrown across its bed; to prevent which being endangered, a partial vent has been given to its waters, at a lower part of its banks. This lake presents a deep clear expanse of water, bounded on two sides by fine mountains, from four to seven hundred feet high, and projecting abruptly into it. The other sides consist of lower elevations or ridges. The extreme length of the lake is about eight miles, and its breadth from three to four miles. It has some pretty small woody islands near its centre, on the largest of which an Hindu devotee has taken up his residence. The dyke or dam is of superior magnificence and workmanship to that at Odey Sagur, and an handsome palace and attendant buildings have been erected on the hill at its eastern end. Along it also are several pretty small open marble buildings, and at the centre a temple of the same materials. Steps the whole length of the dam, lead down to the water. are ornamented by large figures of elephants on high projecting pedestals, at short distances asunder. The total height of the dam to the water's edge is fifty-four feet, and its length three furlongs; its breadth one hundred and ten yards. From the premature death, however, of its builder, Rana Jey Singh, it is in an unfinished state. Every part of it is faced with well cut white marble; and the small buildings, elephants, and all its decorations, are of the same stone, which is abun dant in the neighbouring grand range. It appears, however, to be much intersected by thin veins of mica."

These

We are impressed with rather a magnificent idea of Oudy. poor and its neighbourhood, from Captain Dangerfield's description of its fine marble palaces and garden residences, on the banks of its lake, and can almost imagine ourselves

among the scenery of the Lago Maggiore, and the Isles Borromees.

We cannot take leave of Captain Dangerfield and his paper, without joining our regret to his, that researches such as he has been engaged in, should necessarily be so limited and unsatisfactory, from the want of scientific cabinets, works, and instruments. This zealous and scientific officer has done much in elucidating the geology of Central India: let us hope, that his example will be followed in those districts of our empire, which yet remain to be explored; and that amidst the encouragements, which are now so liberally afforded to every thing, calculated to increase our knowledge of our vast dominions, the necessary aids to the geographer and the geologist will not be omitted.

HINDU FICTION.

[Continued from p. 77.]

Story of Malyavan, or Gunarhya.

After Vararuchi had departed, it happened that his friend Malyavan, who had been born as Gunarhya, came to Vindhya Vasini, and encountered Kanabhuti. Upon beholding him, he recollected his original condition, and requested him to communicate the stories he had heard from Vararuchi, as the means of their being mutually restored to their state in heaven. Having complied with his request, Kanabhuti begged him to relate his adventures on earth, to which Gunarhya readily acceded.

Story of Gunarhya.

Somadatta, a Brahman of Pratishthana*, died, and left two sons and an unmarried daughter. The latter, named Sruthartha, became a mother before she was a bride; and when questioned by her brothers, she asserted that she had been espoused privately by Kirtisena, the nephew of the serpent monarch Vasuki, who upon the brethren continuing incre

*Pratishthana, in the south, is celebrated as the capital of Salivahana. It is identifiable with Peytan on the Godaveri-the Bathana, or Paithana of Ptolemy-the capital of Siripolemaois-a name in which, although much distorted, some affinity to Salibahan may be conjectured.

dulous, appeared to them and acknowledged the marriage. I was born his son. After a short time, my mother and my uncles died, and left me friendless. I repaired to the south, and having acquired the knowledge becoming my caste, returned to my native city. As I wandered through Pratishthana, I mingled with various orders of men, and overheard their conversation, until I found my way to the royal palace. Having attracted the notice and approbation of one of the ministers, I was introduced by him to the king Satavahana; and the prince, being pleased with my address, retained me in his service.

*

Kanabhuti now interrupted Gunarhya, and asked him to explain how Satavahana had acquired that appellation. Gunarhya then related the story.

Legend of Satavahana↑.

There was a monarch, called Dipakerni, whose wife, named Saktimati, more dear to him than his existence, whilst reposing in a bower in the garden, was bitten by a snake, and died. The king, overcome with grief for her loss, made a vow to observe perpetual continence-a vow to which he rigidly adhered, although the want of a son to succeed him in the kingdom was a subject of profound affliction to him. Whilst thus distressed, he was directed by Siva, in a dream, in what manner to obtain a son and successor, without violating

* Some stories of no particular interest are here related; amongst others, one of a young merchant, who begins the world with an empty crucible, exchanging it for a frying pan and a handful of pulse, with which he procures a few bundles of sticks from the wood-cutters, which he again sells, and in this manner gradually acquires a large fortune, presents some affinity to the first incident in the story of the king's son and his companions in the Kalila Dumna.

+ Satavahana is usually considered synonimous with Salivahana, the enemy of Vikramaditya, and the prince of whose juvenile career those marvels are narrated, which appear to be derived from the Evangelium Infantiæ, and other spurious gospels. (As. Res. vol. x. p. 42.) At the same time, it is to be observed, that these stories are not to be found in the Puranas. The chief authority cited by the late Colonel Wilford is the Vikrama Cheritra, a compilation of fables of uncertain date, and no consideration. He quotes also the Kumarika Khanda of the Scanda Purana, for some circumstances of a less miraculous character; but even here the authority is very disputable, as the Khandas, or detached sections of the Puranas, have been multiplied at pleasure, and are in many instances decidedly modern. The last work noticed is the Appendix to the Agni Purana, which is no part of that Purana, and is a modern composition. The legends relating to Salivahana may therefore, as is most likely, have been borrowed from the spurious gospels; but they do not, therefore, bear unfavourably upon the antiquity of the Puranas, as they are not found in the body of those works: how far they may be traced, even in the books cited, is a little doubtful, at least, as applicable to Salivahana; for in the legend said to be extracted in the same essay from the Raja Taringini, it is true, that the story is correctly given; but the person is not, as is said, Salivahana, nor in any way connected with his character.

his faith to his departed wife. In obedience to the god's commands, he repaired to a certain forest to hunt; and whilst thus employed, met, as he had been forewarned, a lovely boy, riding upon a monstrous lion. Still acting as he had been enjoined, the king aimed an arrow at the beast, and be fell as dead. Immediately, however, uprose from the carcase a celestial form, who thus addressed the astonished monarch. "Dismiss your apprehension. I am a Yaksha, Sata by name. It was my chance to see and love the beautiful daughter of a holy sage: my passion was returned; and this boy whom you behold is our son. When the secret of our union was discovered, the angry sire condemned us both to wear the forms of brutes, during the remainder of our earthly career. My bride was liberated from the effects of the curse in giving birth to her son, and your shaft has rendered me the same kind office. I am now at liberty; but ere I depart to the region of the gods, I bequeath to you this child, to be cherished by you as your own." So saying, he vanished, leaving the boy with the king, who gladly received him, and gave him the name Satavahana, in reference to the appellation of his father, and the Vahana, or vehicle, on which the king had first beheld the infant mounted. Upon the death of his adoptive father, Satavahana succeeded to the throne, and became a mighty monarch.

Amongst the remarkable transactions of his reign was the introduction of a new grammar*, the Kalapa, or Katantra. This was communicated to the king for his special use by the god Kartikeya, who had been propitiated by the worship of Servaverma, the king's minister. It was termed Katantra, from its small extent, and Kalapa, from the peacock (Kalapa) on which Kumara Swami rides.

Story of Gunarhya-resumed.

The proficiency of the king in the new science being attained without my interference, I felt myself an unnecessary addition to his attendants, and accordingly took leave of

This grammar is extensively in use in the eastern parts of Bengal. The rules are attributed to Sarvaverma, by the inspiration of Kartikeya, as narrated in the text. The vritti, or gloss, is the work of Durga Singh ; and that again is commented on by Trilochan Das and Kaviraj. Vararuchi is the supposed author of an illustration of the Conjugations, and Sripati Verma of a Supplement. Other commentaries are attributed to Gopinath, Kula Chandra, and Vilweswara.