4.6a Kalapanee

4.6a

Kalapanee[74]

We now digress from Scott’s Road to the remarkable countryside. In 1850, the features described in Cherra continued for 8 miles, when a sudden descent of 600 or 700 feet, led into the valley of the Kala-panee river (black water), where there was a very dark and damp bungalow[75].

During 1851-52, Thomas Oldham when passing the villages of Lailangkot and Surrareem, saw the principal operations of the iron smelters in the Khasi Hills. As with Hooker, Oldham also noted the sudden descent which led into the dark valley of the Kala-panee, near which stood a small staging bungalow[76]. The almost perpendicular sides of the hills around, were clothed with the dark foliage of innumerable shrubs and creepers, indicating a soil more favourable to vegetable life than had been previously observed on the more southern portion of the tract.

From a geological point of view, in the bed of the river whose waters were beautifully clear, were seen hornstone rocks, which gave the water flowing over them a darkish appearance, and that is how the river came to be known as the Kala-panee.