presented to me, and exhibited at one of the Asiatic Society's meetings in Calcutta. They were considered by some savants present to be part of querns, or handmills used for grinding corn, similar to those used by the Trojans, but to the ordinary observer they appear like weapons, when properly adjusted to a stick or handle.

The ancient sculpture of the Hindoos was nearly all broken up by the Mahomedans when they ruled in Monghyr; but pious hands have collected the scattered pieces; and in most villages under the sacred figs, may be seen legs, and arms, and faces of idols with the noses broken off, heaped up to guide the thoughts of the simple villagers in prayer. Perfect idols are consequently very rare, and during four years hunting I succeeded in procuring only a single specimen. At the base of this idol, which may be seen in the South Kensington Museum, is an inscription which no one in Monghyr could read. I sent a copy to an antiquary in Calcutta, Baboo Rajandro Mitter, who kindly sent me the following memoramdum with a translation :—

"The four-armed divinity is Siddhesvari and

28

HIDDEN TREASURE.

the person who dedicated the image is named Ghumtesvari. She calls herself a queen (Chattarika) of the family of Huddon, in the country of Champa, which is the old name of the province included within the area extending from Bhaugulpoor to Monghyr.

"In the absence of all information about the lady and her tribe, I should guess the record to be of the twelfth or thirteenth century."

In many parts of Monghyr traditions of buried treasure exist and are firmly believed in by the simple folk, who derive no little pleasure in thinking over the delight which unearthing unclaimed money would afford. Last March a deputation came to my house with the startling news that a clue to immense treasure had been found. It was said that a descendant of one of the former Royal Treasurers of Monghyr having occasion to send an ancient amulet, an heirloom, for repair, the goldsmith, into whose hands it came, discovered a paper inside on which was described the whereabouts of a large idol of solid gold, and fourteen lacs of rupees in cash. As the place mentioned belongs to Government the deputation required my permission to dig for the supposed treasure; but

SEARCH FOR TREASURE.

29

I threw cold water on the matter by pointing out that the document was evidently not genuine, first because the character and words were not those current at the time when it was alleged to have been written, and secondly because the place indicated was fourteen feet below the soil, a depth where water remains nearly all the year round in Monghyr. The people, however, refused to accept my theory as conclusive, and as they appeared to have plenty of spare cash, I gave the required permission, thinking that they might as well spend their money in digging as in any other harmless amusement. A band of coolies was accordingly employed; and in the evening, when I went to see what had been done, I found an immense crowd had assembled round a pit fifteen feet deep, and up to the workmen's ankles in water, but the only treasures brought to light were, a glass bottle, which once contained Hodgson's ale, and an old tobacco pipe. The deputation now declared that they had been digging at the wrong place; and they demanded my permission to continue their excavations; but I told them they must settle with the tenant who had taken a lease of the

30

EXORBITANT DEMAND.

land, for I was unwilling to have any further connection with the undertaking.

The tenant thinking this a good opportunity for making capital out of his lease; proposed one of three courses. Either that the deputation should purchase his lease for five thousand pounds; or that the members should give him one thousand pounds down for his permission to dig; or that they should give him half their treasure when found. Before leaving the place, however, I advised all parties to study the chapter on cheating, as set forth in the Indian Penal Code; and having done this my theory about the supposed treasure was considered sound; the pit was filled up, and I heard nothing more about the matter; though there are not wanting those who believe firmly that the treasure only waits to be dug up.

CHAPTER II.

Poverty of the People of Monghyr.-Cheapness of Food. -The Crops of the District.-Abundance of Fish.Fishing in the Government Tank.-Water Insects.Catching a Raja.-The Mango and Mahwa Crops.-The Mahwa Flowers as an Article of Commerce.-Oil seeds. -Indigo.-Opium. -Tobacco. -Government Experimental Garden.-Indolence of the Natives.-Productive Powers of the Land.-Potatoes.-The Native Method of Feeding Cattle.-Method of raising Funds for Cattle Breeding. Certain Method for catching a Thief.Exciting Chase.

ALTHOUGH the people of Monghyr are very poor, there is probably no country in the world where, in ordinary times, food is so cheap as it is in the district here. Alternate sun and rain, aided by a mean temperature of 80° in the shade, raise a succession of crops all the year round, whilst fish increase and multiply in every stream and pool. Rice, the principal crop, which covers about one half of the total