Geology of the Bhurtpoor District, $^ 



being equal to 3i muns, at 90 sonat rupees to the seer *. It is 

 said that the water below Qo feet is also saline, but that the salt 

 in this case does not form into separate crystals, but is leftjn a 

 solid crystalline cake at the bottom of the evaporating pits. 



The soil through which the wells are sunk is clayey, mixed 

 with calcareous matter, fine siliceous sand, and scales of mica. 

 It effervesces strongly with acids, the inferior beds are more 

 tenacious and retentive than the upper, and beds of loose sand, 

 exhibiting something of a stratiform appearance, occur at various 

 depths below the surface. The principal salt manufactories are 

 at Bhurtpoor, Deeg, and Kumbeer. From sources similar to 

 the above, salt is manufactured in various other districts of In- 

 dia ; and an inquiry into the phenomena attending its occurrence 

 would be extremely interesting. Are such saline soils found 

 only in connexion with rocks of the so-called Indian new red 

 sandstone formation .? Or, in other words, when sea-salt is 

 found intermixed with the soils of the Gangetic provinces, is 

 there any reason to believe that this circumstance has any con- 

 nexion with the occurrence of rocks of the above formation be- 

 neath such soils.'* Or, on the other hand, have these saline par- 

 ticles been transported from a distance, in mixture with the 

 other ingredients of the soils, and by the same causes which 

 operated in forming the alluvia.^ Or, are they the produce of 

 some chemical decomposition still going forward in the great 

 laboratory of nature ? The experiments of Sir James Hall 

 have rendered this a most interesting subject of inquiry ; and, 

 supposing for a moment his theory relative to the influence of 

 sea-salt as a consolidating agent to be correct, might we not also 

 suppose that the salts now found intermixed with the soils had 

 originally effected the consolidation of the strata below, and 

 that, having passed through these strata in a state of vapour, 

 the superjacent soils were thus impregnated with saline matters 

 without themselves being consolidated ? The latter circumstance 

 might perhaps be attributed to diminished pressure from their 

 superior position ; and I can see nothing in the phenomena of 

 sublimation to militate against such an idea. In this view bf 

 the case, the period of deposition of the diluvia must have bednf 



of 40 Seer. 



The weight of the Sonat Rupee is about 7:11 Troy ; a Mun consists 



