Churra, and water freezes at Moflong. We prepared
to leave as these signs of winter advanced : we had
collected upwards of 3,500 species, and for the last few
weeks all our diligence, and that of our collectors, had
failed to be rewarded by a single novelty. We however
procured many species in fruit, and made a collection
of upwards of 300 kinds of woods, many of very curious
structure. As, however, we projected a trip to Cachar
before quitting the neighbourhood, we retained our
collectors, giving orders for them to meet us at Chattuc
on our way down the Soormah in December, with their
collections, which amounted to 300 men’s loads.
CHAPTER XXX.
Boat voyage to Silhet—River—Palms—Fish weirs—Forests of Cachar—
Sandal-wood, &c. — Porpoises —Alligators —Silchar —Tigers —Rice-
crops—Cookies—Munniporees—Hockey—Dance—Nagas—Excursion
to Munniporee frontier—Elephant bogged—Climate, &c. of Cachar—
Mosquitos—Fall of bank—Silhet—Tree-ferns—Chattuc—Megnar—
Noacolly—Salt-smuggling—Delta of Ganges and Megna—Westward
progress of Megna—Tide—Waves—Dangerous navigation—Moonlight
scenes—Mud island—Chittagong—Views—Trees—Coffee—Pepper—
Excursions from Chittagong—Gurjun trees—Earthquake — Birds—:
Papaw—Poppy and sun fields—Seetakoond bungalow and hill—
Perpetual flame—Climate—Leave for Calcutta—Hattiah island—
—Plants—Sunderbunds—Steamer—Tides—Nipa fruticam—Crocodiles—
Phoenix paludosa—Fishing—Otters—Departure from India.
We left Churra on the 17th of November, and taking
boats at Pundua, crossed the Jheels to the Soormah,
which we ascended to Silhet. Thence we continued
our voyage 130 miles up the river in canoes, to Silchar,
the capital of the district of Cachar: the boats were
such as I described at Chattuc, and though it was
impossible to sit upright in them, they were paddled
with great swiftness. The river at Silhet is 300 yards
broad; it is muddy, and flows with a gentle current of
two or three miles an hour, between banks six to
twelve feet high. As we glided up its stream, villages
became rarer, and eminences more frequent in the