Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/33

Rh to his entreaty, they said to him, “None of us have yet eaten; do you want stones to eat?” Thereupon the irate fakir departed, saying, “May all your food turn into stones!” and the pebbles that now occur there and thereabouts are the petrified flour-balls and cakes.

It is possible that a portion of the Son waters crossed over the intervening country at Masouri Buzurg and Sándá, and fell into the bed of the present Dardha. Certain it is that an immense valley of sand stretches on from Masouri across the present road (from Patna to Gaya), and it has been found necessary to provide a great deal of waterway, by numerous and long viaducts, to pass off the spill-water which to this day rushes across this point in the rains.

I close my observations as an engineer on the old course of the Son by an extract of a letter to me from Mr. M. P. B. Duell, the Engineer of the Patna Division, an officer whose knowledge of the engineering features of this portion of the country has been obtained during an active employment of twelve years in charge of the Patna and Gaya Divisions, during which, for the purpose of ascertaining the waterways necessary at various points of the road in construction by him, he has examined the country with great minuteness and attention. Referring to the Son, he says—

When the Râmâyana was composed, the course of the Son must have been as I have suggested, as will presently appear.

When Viswamitra asked Dasaratha and obtained the assistance of his son Râmâ to protect his sacrifices, they journeyed along the Sarayu for two days, crossed it on the third, and the same day Tádaká was killed by Râmâ. On the fourth day they reached Viswamitra’s hermitage; from here they went north to Mithila, “and then the mighty saint set forth and took his journey to the north.” (Griffith’s Râmâyana, I, p. 158.)

At the close of the first day’s journey from Viswamitra’s hermitage they halted on the banks of the Son; here Viswamitra, addressing Râmâ in reply to his inquiries, says—

And Vasu bade his city fair,

The name of Girivraja bear.