Memories of Chota Sahib(HS SECOND YEAR) ENGLISH

 Memories of Chota Sahib

Q. Who was John Rowntree?

Ans : John Rowntree was the last British senior conservator of forest of Assam.

 

Q. Name the book from which the lesson Memories of Chota Sahib is extracted?

Ans : The lesson 'Memories of Chota Sahib' is extracted from John Rowntree's famous book' A Chota Sahib : Memories of a Forest Officer'.

 

Q. By what name is the peacock island popularly known?

Ans : The peacock island is popularly known as Umananda.

 

Q. What did the author observe from his bunglow beyond the Brahmaputra?

Ans : Peacock island was located in the middle of the river Brahmaputra. When viewed from Rowntree's bungalow on the other bank, he observed a splendid view with the dome of a Hindu Temple just visible through the trees.

 

Q. What are the pug marks ?

Ans : The pug marks are the footprints of animals.

 

Q. What is mahseer?

Ans : Mahaseer is a freshwater fish.

 

Q. Name the places where two forest bungalows were situated?

Ans : The two forest bungalows were situated at Kulsi and Rajapara.

 

Q. Which was the favourite place of the author?

Ans : Kulsi was the favourite place of the author.

 

Q. Name three plants mentioned in the lesson?

Ans : Three plants of which there is a mention in the lesson are sal, teak and rubber.

 

Q. According to the author which teak was the best -- the Assam teak or the Burma teak?

Ans :  According to the author Burma teak was the best.

 

Q. What is Assam cheetal?

Ans : Assam cheetal is one of the known deer species found in Assam.

 

Q. What is a mar boat?

Ans : A marboat is a kind of boat that consists of a plank platform covering two open boats placed alongside one another.

 

Q. What is the lesson 'Memories of a Chota Sahib' all about?

Ans :  The lesson Memories of Chota Sahib is all about Guwahati and its neighboring states before independence.

 

Q. Briefly describe the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra. (AHSEC 2020)

Ans: The author's bungalow was situated on the bank of the mighty Brahmaputra. From the veranda on the top of the bungalow, the author had a splendid view of the majestic river with the boats sailing over it and the Himalayas at a distance. Moreover, at the forefront, an island called Peacock island with the dome of a Hindu temple could be visible through the trees.

 

Q. What is the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati that the author mentions? (AHSEC 2015)

Ans: There is a belief that the British raj would come to an end in India if the channel between the Peacock island and the mainland ever dried up entirely.

 

Q. What does the author say about the importance of Guwahati? Is the statement true today also?

Ans: The author explains the importance of Guwahati by describing it as the port entry into Assam. In earlier times most of the travelers passed through Guwahati on their way from Calcutta to Shillong or to districts lying further up the valley. At times, they used it as a resting place by staying overnight.

 

Yes, the statement is true in our time today also. Still, it connects the rest of India with the Northeast region and so it is often referred to as the 'Gateway to North-East India.' Moreover, tourists from across the country and abroad visit Guwahati in a large number and it is a transit spot for the people traveling to other parts of the North-East region.

 

Q. What character of the North bank of the Brahmaputra does the author refer to?

Ans: The North bank, lying between the sandbanks of the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan foothills had a character all its own. It was a vast, stretch of flat and ageless land. During the hot weather strangely the rivers dried up or suddenly disappeared underground. The dwellers of the region had to dig for water which was so dirty that it had to be cleaned by using alum to precipitate the mud.

 

Q. What information does the author give us about Manas Wildlife Sanctuary? (AHSEC 2017)

Ans: The Manas Sanctuary, bordering the Himalayan state of Bhutan, was the habitat of a few rhinos. The rivers were full of 'mahseer', a fresh water fish. This was the home to Assam cheetal,a kind of deer. The river banks were favourite sites for the governor's Christmas camps. The author once witnessed a sloth bear carrying her cuddlesome cub on her back. Amid the forest, a European and his spouse had leased a piece of land from the forest department to grow simul trees for the nearby match factory. They had put up miles of electric fencing in an attempt to keep out the deer, but with little success.

 

Q. Describe the author's experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North bank of the Brahmaputra. (AHSEC 2016)

Ans: While visiting the North bank of the mighty Brahmaputra during the rainy season , the author tried to cross the flooded river on horseback.  The author with much difficulty persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in the process, he slipped off the horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vice versa. In this manner, they eventually crossed the river safely and the ride came to an end.

 

Q. Relate the author's experiences of the road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank.

Ans:  Once, the author was touring the North bank with his family. They had either planned wrongly to return late after the monsoon or monsoon was early that year. Though the roads were still suitable for motor vehicles, driving was extremely risky. Most of the roads were constructed on the top of embankments to raise them well above the normal flood level. Moreover, the roads were quite narrow and single-track. The road on which the author's car was running was extremely slippery. Consequently, the author's car went out of control and started sliding along the road, and fell into a paddy field six feet below the main road. The adventurous journey through the paddy field was quite jerky but they finally reached the road again. The car was carrying his wife, himself , their child and ayah. Fortunately, the family was safe.

 

Q. Relate the author's reminiscence of the forest bungalow at Kulsi.

Ans: The bungalow at Kulsi was the author's favourite and it was beautifully situated on a raised and forested area above the river. It was surrounded by a teak plantation planted some sixty years back and was nearly mature. There was also a rubber plantation of the Ficus elastica very close to the bungalow.

 

Q. Give an account of the author's experiences of the floods on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra during the monsoon. (AHSEC 2018) Marks (7)

Ans: During monsoon traveling from one place to another was difficult. The rivers were in flood and the bamboo bridges were frequently washed away. During the flood horses and mar boats were used to cross rivers.  During the rainy season the dirt tracks soon became unusable by normal cars as the roads became increasingly greasy. The author relates the various experiences of the floods on the North- Bank of the river Brahmaputra during the monsoon. Once the author crossed a flooded river on horseback. He, with much difficulty, persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in the process, he slipped over the rump of the horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vice versa. In this manner, they eventually crossed the river safely.

 

On another occasion, the author was touring the North bank with his family. They had either planned wrongly to return late after the monsoon or monsoon was early that year. Though the roads were still suitable for motor vehicles, driving was extremely risky. Most of the roads were constructed on the top of embankments to raise them well above the normal flood level. Moreover, the roads were quite narrow and single-track. The road on which the author's car was running was extremely slippery. Consequently, the author's car went out of control and started sliding along the road, and fell into a paddy field six feet below the main road. The adventurous journey through the paddy field was quite jerky but they finally reached the road again. The car was carrying his wife, himself , their child and ayah. Fortunately, the family was safe.

 

 

Q. Relate the author's observation on the use of mar boats as a mode of river transport in Assam. Marks (7)

Ans: The author presents a detailed description of a kind of special boat called 'mar' boats as a mode of river transport in Assam. Mar boat is a kind of ferry consisting of two open boats covered with a platform made of a wooden plank. These boats were paddled across the river or were propelled by the force of the current along a cable that connected the boats to another cable stretch across the river.

 

 

The author considered the mar boats as a brilliant device and it performed successfully. However, to balance the rise and fall of the river, continual modifications had to be made. A good number of landing ghats had to be constructed at different levels on the river bank for the landing of the travelers. Fortunately, at that time, traffic was light .

 

Q. Give the author's description of a sal forest.

Ans: The author compares the sal forest of Assam to the English woodland. The sal forest of Assam was found in the flat terrain of South-Bank. In this vast stretch of land, the reserve forests comprising particularly sal trees were mostly in one block, and the trees were scattered with villages and cultivation.

 

Q. Describe the author's experience with the bats in the Rajpara forest bungalow.

Ans: The author John Rowntree has vividly described his experience with the bats at Rajapara Forest Bungalow. He expressed his view that Rajapara Forest Bungalow would have been beautiful and charming like the one at Kulsi if some bats had not lived in the roof. Their droppings and the fusty smell made the bunglow not a worthy place to live in.  The huge fruit-eating bats, with a wingspan of five feet, were less fusty and lived in a tree outside the bungalow. They flew out at dusk in search of food. They appeared like uncanny figures gliding in the sky on silent wings.

 

 

Q. Give a brief description of Peacock Island? (2014, 16, 19)

Ans: Peacock Island was located in the middle of the river Brahmaputra. When viewed from Rowntree's bungalow on the other bank, it offered a splendid view with the dome of Hindu temple just visible through the trees. But strangely enough,unlike its name, in Peacock island no peacocks were seen but instead troops of monkeys dominated the island.

 

Q. What does Rowntree state about the large 'Bheel' close to the bungalow at Rajapara? (2015)

Ans: Rowntree mentioned that the bheel at Rajapara had been formed after an earthquake lowered the land which subsequently became inundated with water. He characterized it as an eerie spot because of the dead trees that rose out of the bheel. To Rowntree they seemed to resemble skeletons, serving as reminders of a past when the land was dry.

 

Q. Who is 'Chota Sahib' in the 'Memoirs of Chota Sahib'? (2015, 18)

Ans: John Rowntree, the last British Senior Conservator of the Forest of Assam, is the 'Chota Sahib' in the 'Memoirs of Chota Sahib.'

 

Q. How did John Rowntree find the weather when he arrived at Gauhati? (2018)

Ans: John Rowntree, when he arrived at Gauhati, found the weather bearable.

 

Q What unusual visitor did Rowntree have in his bungalow one night? (2018)

Ans: The unusual visitor that Rowntree had in his bungalow one night was a tiger.

 

Q. What is mar boat and how is it operated? (2019)

Ans: Mar boat is a kind of ferry consisting of two open boats covered with a platform made of a wooden plank. These boats were paddled across the river or were propelled by the force of the current along a cable that connected the boats to another cable stretch across the river.

 

Q.What animals did the author discover in Peacock Island?

Ans: The author discovers monkeys on Peacock Island.

 

Q. At what time of the year was the North Bank 'delightful'?

Ans: The North Bank was delightful during the cold weather.