other side of the hill; on which the old gossain, with an air of much importance, said, that nobody had ever seen its end; that, 2000 years ago, a certain Raja had desired to explore it, and set out with 10,000 men, 100,000 torches, and 100,000 measures of oil, but that he could not succeed; and if I understood him rightly, neither he nor his army ever found their way back again! These interminable caves are of frequent occurrence among the common people of every country. But the centenary and millesimal way in which the Hindoos express themselves, puts all European exaggeration to the blush. Judging from the appearance of the cave, and the size of the hill which contains it, I have no doubt that a single candle, well managed, would more than light a man to its end and back again. A little beyond these temples, descending by a similar stair, is a small village, inhabited chiefly by religious beggars of the same description, and a very curious little hermitage or temple, built of brick, in the hollow of a huge decayed peepul-tree, in a beautifully romantic situation, where the Ganges runs roaring through the rocks with great noise and violence."*

The course which the Bishop was compelled to take, owing to the unfavourable wind, was, for the most part, not in the direct line of the Ganges, but through jeels and nullahs. He thus missed the pass of Terriagully (Telliaghurry), between Sicligully and Colgong, where the hills again descend in a rocky point to the river. Sultan Sujah built a fortress to defend the pass, of which there are still some remains.†

Heber, vol. i. pp. 267, 8. Colonel Francklin informed the Bishop, that he had been to the end of the cave of Putturgotta, which had been used as a temple to Siva. It is pretty and very accessible, but by no means deep.-Ib. p. 283.

Sacrigali est le nom d'un village situé sur la rive citerieure,

The main bed of the river is rendered very dangerous in this part by sand-banks; and the hills," however they may improve the prospect, are almost as difficult to pass (at some seasons) as the Cape of Good Hope itself;" so violent frequently are the gales in this "fresh-water sea," as Lord Valentia styles the Ganges, in this part. "Being confined on one side by rocks, it seems to spread itself so much the more proudly on the low grounds on the north-eastern bank." The Ganges abounds here with alligators; and Bishop Heber noticed an unusual number of hurgilas (the gigantic crane), and a great many vultures on the banks. Near Colgong, a nullah separates from the Ganges, which leads to Bhaugulpoor, where the Bishop arrived early on the 10th of August, the fourteenth day from his leaving Furreedpoor. The land route, after passing over the Telliaghurry hills, runs for about twenty miles over a plain covered with European grain and mango-plantations. A noble road nearly forty feet wide, has here been constructed by the Government, with good stone arches at proper distances to allow

Il a ce nom d'un passage étroit ou d'une gorge, qui se prolonge au Nord-ouest par l'espace d'une demi mille, entre deux collines couvertes d'arbustes et d'épinayes, depuis une porte en ruines jusqu'à un torrent dont la source est dans les montagnes voisines, et qui se jette dans le Gange. Cette gorge s'étend encore à un mille depuis le village jusqu'à un petit pont jeté sur le torrent. Une chaine de montagnes se présente à la droite de la gorge, à un demi-mille passant de distance. Taliaghar est un fort construit en quarré, muni de tours aux quatre angles, à 5 m. Est de Penti; et à 8 m. Ouest de Sacrigali. Le chemin ordinaire (par terre) est plus long, menant les voyageurs par les anfractuosités des montagnes. Ces gorges de Bengale ressemblent aux Caspiennes et à celle de la Cilicie." Bernoulli, tom. i. pp. 445, 6. Lord Valentia reached Telliaghurry in five hours from Sicligully. As he walked up the hill by a narrow winding road, he "passed the ruined gateway and fort." These gates of Bengal have ceased to be an important barrier.

the torrents to pass. It runs in a straight line, and reminded Lord Valentia of the works of the Romans.* The last ten miles lead over a country slightly undulating. As the traveller approaches Bhaugulpoor, the number of mosques, overtopped with lofty palms, and mingled with the pensile foliage of the tamarind-tree, give the town a very pleasing appearance.

BHAUGULPOOR,

Commonly written Boglipoor, is prettily situated, and is said to be one of the healthiest stations in India. It is, however, much infested by snakes, particularly the cobra di capello. A majority of the inhabitants (estimated at about 30,000) are Mohammedans, who have a college here, but it is in a state of decay. The Roman Catholics have also a small church; they are chiefly descendants of Portuguese and native converts. It is the residence of a British magistrate and a few civil servants of the Company, and contains a very neat" gaol, with no fewer than six wards for the classification of the prisoners. There is here a school for the Puharrees or mountaineers, originally set on foot by Mr. Cleveland, and revived by Lord Hastings; and the Gospel Propagation Society have, since 1825, had a missionary stationed here, who, from December to March, resides in the mountains. About a mile from the town, on a green hill, is a monument, in the form of a Hindoo mut, erected to the memory of Mr. Cleveland, by the aumlah and zemindars of the jungleterry of Rajamahal. "The land with which it was en

*Valentia, vol. i. p. 56. In this part, his Lordship noticed hundreds of nests of the loria, which had built their secure abodes in a tamarind-tree overhanging a tank, and kept up an incessant chirping. For a description of this curious bird, see page 86 of our first volume.

dowed, is rented by Government; and the cutcherry, magistrate's house, circuit-house, &c. are built on it, the rent being duly appropriated to the repair of the building. As being raised to the memory of a Christian, this monument is called by the natives Grigi (Church); and they still meet once a year in considerable numbers, and have a handsome poojah in honour of his memory.* The school is adjoining to the lines, and occupies a large and neat bungalow, one room in which is the lodging of the schoolmaster; the other (when Bishop Heber visited it) was filled with Puharree sepoys and their sons, who are all taught to read, write, and cipher in the Kythee character." + The mount, which is partly artificial, commands a view of "most park-like grounds," with the blue mountains at a distance. Altogether, this is a very interesting spot; and India contains few monuments more honourable to the British name, than this simple

* In front of the Residency is a marble monument, erected by order of the Governor-General in council, to the memory of this excellent man, with the following inscription. "To the memory of Augustus Cleveland Esq., late Collector of the Districts of Bhaugulpore and Rajamahal; who, without bloodshed or the terror of authority, employing only the means of conciliation, confidence, and benevolence, attempted and accomplished the entire subjection of the lawless and savage inhabitants of the Jungleterry of Rajamahal, who had long infested the neighbouring lands by their predatory incursions; inspired them with a taste for the arts of civilized life, and attached them to the British Government, by a conquest over their minds; the most permanent as the most rational dominion. The Governor-General and Council of Bengal, in honour of his character, and for an example to others, have ordered this monument to be erected. He departed this life on the 13th of January, 1784, aged 29." Valentia, vol. i. p. 57.

† Heber, vol. i. p. 271. The Kythee character, which is used by the lower classes in this district, differs from the Devanagree about as much as the written character of Western Europe does from its printed.

1. 2

3.

memorial, raised by the gratitude of the natives to their deceased benefactor.

About a mile N.W. of the town, Lord Valentia was much pleased with the sight of " two very singular round towers, much resembling those buildings in Ireland, which have hitherto puzzled the antiquaries of the sister kingdom, except that they are more ornamented. It is remarkable, that there is no tradition concerning them, nor are they held in any respect by the Hindoos of this district. The Rajah of Jyepoor considers them as holy, and has erected a small building to shelter the great number of his subjects who annually come to worship here."*

Bhaugulpoor is situated in lat. 25° 13′ N., long. 86° 58′ E.; 110 miles N.W. from Moorshedabad, 240 miles N. by W. from Calcutta, and two miles S. of the Ganges. "It stands nearly half-way between the Rajmahal and the Currukpoor hills, and commands a distant view of Mount Mandar; an insulated conical mountain, (apparently about as large as the Wrekin,) renowned as a place of Hindoo pilgrimage, and as having been employed by the gods to churn the ocean with, in order to procure the amreeta or drink of immortality. The hills to the south of Boglipoor, beyond Mandar, towards Deoghur, are very wild, and now almost entirely uninhabited, but are full of vestiges,

• Valentia, vol. i. p. 59. "The vegetable productions are here the same," remarks the noble Traveller, "as I have observed the whole way from Calcutta. I never travelled so far (above 200 miles) without finding a very great change in this respect; yet, hitherto, even the herbaceous plants that grow wild, have been the same; chiefly asclepias grandiflora and solanum feror. The bira orellana is in great abundance in the plantations of different gentlemen. The Chinese fruits, loquot and lochi, were in great luxuriance, but not ripe."