Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 10 (2nd edition).pdf/419



NOIVGONG DISTRICT. 407 southern ranges, and flowing in a north-westerly direction. The principal are the Dhaneswari (Dhansiri), Kaliáni, Dikharu, and Deopání. The Diju, Nanái, Dikharu, Jamuna, Kápili, Barpáni, Dimál, and Kiling all pour their waters either direct or through other channels into the Kalang, and so into the Brahmaputra, and are more or less navigable by good-sized boats for a considerable portion of the year. During the lson, about 100 ninor streams and watercourses are navigable by small boats. The extensive forests and grass wastes of Nowgong are sources of considerable profit to the people, as supplying building materials and firewood, as well as affording pasture for the cattle. The most valuable forest timber is the stil, but few trees of large girth have survived the days when contractors from Bengal were allowed to cut down timber at their will. Young plantations, however, are now being carefully preserved. In 1883-84 there were 5128 acres of forest land specially protected by the Forest Department in three reserves, namely, Kholahát, 1878 acres ; Daboka, 520 acres; and Diju, 2730 acres. There was also an unreserved forest area in the same year of 221,957 acres, or 346 square miles. The pasture lands of Nowgong District are held in common; as the greater portion of the District is waste, no restrictions have been put upon catt! nor is any revenue derived from the pasture lands. The chief jungle products consist of lac, beeswax, Brazil moad, and udál (a gum) collected by the Mikírs. Good building stone and limestone abound at Pánímur. Coal and limestone of excellent quality are found in some parts of the bed of the Jamuna and Dhaneswari rivers. Wild beasts of all kinds are numerous, causing an average of 50 deaths a year. A Government reward of £2 is paid for a tiger's head, and of ros. for a bear's. History.—Nowgong District possesses no history apart from the Province of Assam generally. The only site of archäological interest is the temple on Kámákhyá Hill, mentioned above. This temple, as well as the more famous one of the same name in Kamrup District, is associated with the founder of the Kuch Behar dynasty, who is variously reported to have been either its original builder or restorer. It is said to have been originally a Buddhist shrine, and to have been restored in 1565 by Rájá Nar Náráyan Singh, himself a Buddhist. Indeed, local tradition asserts that Kámákhyá gave its name to the entire valley of Assam, during that troubled period which intervened between the downfall of the old Hindu kingdom of Kámrúp and the arrival of the Ahams. Both Bijni and Darrang, on the north of the Brahmaputra, which became appanages of younger members of the Kuch Behar family, are spoken of as included within the Kámákhya Kshettra.'