MAWTAPIEW, Lawbah village (Pung)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A stream without identified name and unspecified discharge rises and overflows from a headpool, which has been dived to blocking boulders an estimated underwater depth of 7 m, lies in a valley floor exposing unspecified rock, and is fed by an unidentified catchment area. ETYMOLOGY: The place name -Mawtapiew- appears to translate as something along the lines of a Rock [of the] Pan Leaf Market (note 1). Immigrants from foreign countries (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc) preferred to call this headpool Blue Hole (note 2). SITUATION 2010: 13 kms away (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc) or, more likely, at a travelling distance of 13 km along a road approximately south from the village of Mawsynram (±250 m N25°17'53”: E091°35'01”: 1401.5 m asl, WGS84 modified from N25°17'51.0”: E091°35'11.0”: 4598 feet, Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-O/11 edition 1974) towards Shella (N25°10'43”: E091°38'18”: 24 m asl WGS84 modified from N25°1'41”: E091°38'28”: 79 feet asl Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-O/12 edition 1912). SITUATION 2009: Kharpran Daly (2009.09.11 Mss) luckily tells me that the pond / river is in Mawtapiew at Lawbah but on the Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 (edition 1912) there is no Mawtapiew (or so) shown in the vicinity of the village of Lawbah (25°14'00”N: 91°33'55”E WGS84 modified from Everest 1830 25°14'00”N: 91°35'05”E). SITUATION 2006: DIRECTOR … (s.a. circa 2006) is a bit confusing but seems to locate Lawbah, 25 km from Mawsynram close to the Bangladesh border and … the source of river Mih-um not far about 3 Kms the plateau is the legendary place known as Animal market (note 3). The problems are that a) -Mih um- is not the name of a river (DIRECTOR … s.a. circa 2006) but signifies spring (of water) in Khasi; b) The populated place of Mawsynram, which I know (note 4), does not lie close to the Bangladesh border but high up on the Shillong Plateau. c) The village of Lawbah, which I know(note 5), does not lie 25 km but about 10 km approximately south of the village of Mawsynram (N25°17'50”: E091°35'10”: 1402 m asl WGS84). d) A travelling distance of 25 km from Mawsynram (the village) generally south-west and following the route via the village of Lawbah (25°14'00”N: 91°33'55”E) gets one into the area where the Khasimara river debouches onto the plains near N25°10': E091°09' in the Shella Confederacy and not far from the border of Bangladesh. POSITION: The modified GPS position N25°13'43.2”: E091°33'47.4” (unspecified precision error): 762.5 m (more than ±15 m) asl is averaged from the two readings N 25.22867: E 91.56316: 755 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 668.jpg 10:28:22.47) N 25.22867: E 91.56300: 770 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 682.jpg 10:29:21.87). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2006 (DIRECTOR of TOURISM s.a. circa 2006): Puzzling water bubbles spring up from underground, the source of river Mih-um (note 6). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2009: A hole (Anonymous e al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). CAVE POTENTIAL: In fact, quite a few caves are known in the area (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss -Here are a few more caves- item 5).(note 5), does not lie 25 km but about 10 km approximately south of the village of Mawsynram (N25°17'50”: E091°35'10”: 1402 m asl WGS84). d) A travelling distance of 25 km from Mawsynram (the village) generally south-west and following the route via the village of Lawbah (25°14'00”N: 91°33'55”E) gets one into the area where the Khasimara river debouches onto the plains near N25°10': E091°09' in the Shella Confederacy and not far from the border of Bangladesh. POSITION: The modified GPS position N25°13'43.2”: E091°33'47.4” (unspecified precision error): 762.5 m (more than ±15 m) asl is averaged from the two readings N 25.22867: E 91.56316: 755 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 668.jpg 10:28:22.47) N 25.22867: E 91.56300: 770 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 682.jpg 10:29:21.87). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2006 (DIRECTOR of TOURISM s.a. circa 2006): Puzzling water bubbles spring up from underground, the source of river Mih-um (note 6). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2009: A hole (Anonymous e(note 5), does not lie 25 km but about 10 km approximately south of the village of Mawsynram (N25°17'50”: E091°35'10”: 1402 m asl WGS84). d) A travelling distance of 25 km from Mawsynram (the village) generally south-west and following the route via the village of Lawbah (25°14'00”N: 91°33'55”E) gets one into the area where the Khasimara river debouches onto the plains near N25°10': E091°09' in the Shella Confederacy and not far from the border of Bangladesh. POSITION: The modified GPS position N25°13'43.2”: E091°33'47.4” (unspecified precision error): 762.5 m (more than ±15 m) asl is averaged from the two readings N 25.22867: E 91.56316: 755 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 668.jpg 10:28:22.47) N 25.22867: E 91.56300: 770 m asl (Ludwig P 2010.02.03 photo 682.jpg 10:29:21.87). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2006 (DIRECTOR of TOURISM s.a. circa 2006): Puzzling water bubbles spring up from underground, the source of river Mih-um (note 6). SPRING DESCRIPTION 2009: A hole (Anonymous e al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). CAVE POTENTIAL: In fact, quite a few caves are known in the area (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss -Here are a few more caves- item 5).