Geology of the Bhuripore Districf.. T7 



limestones of the north and west, and perhaps may be identified 

 with the magnesian limestones of other countries. Many objec- 

 tions may undoubtedly be urged against such a supposftion, but at 

 the same time we must bear in mind, that objections, founded 

 on the external characters of rocks, and even upon their mode 

 of occurrence, and the position of their strata, ought to be re- 

 ceived with extreme caution. In the mean time, the absence of 

 rock-salt and gypsum in the sandstones, and the great scarcity 

 of well defined organic remains in the limestones, are negative 

 proofs which ought not to be lost sight of; n;ore especially as it 

 has now been ascertained, that a7i absence of organic remains is 

 not, as ivas formerly supposed, a characteristic feature in tlie 

 geology of Indian formations in general. The limestones of 

 Central India contain a proportion of associated carbonate of 

 magnesia, but upon this argument, for reasons stated in my last, 

 I do not place any reliance. I have at the same time shewn, 

 that we are not entitled to draw any conclusive inference from 

 the occurrence of brackish wells and saline efflorescences, in par- 

 ticular districts. 



I have already observed that sandstones, probably of anterior 

 date to those which have just come under consideration, here 

 and there crop out, more especially in the northern portion of 

 the Bhurtpoor district. These rise into low hills and hill-ranges, 

 many of which present an abrupt escarpment to the west. The 

 hill of Futtypoor Sickree, though, strictly speaking, in the mo^ 

 dern district of Agra, may be quoted as an example of this for- 

 mation ; and numerous other detached hills of a similar nature 

 may be seen in the neighbourhod. These rise abruptly from 

 an alluvial platform, like islands from the bosom of an ocean. 

 The sandstones composing them are hard, quartzose, and gritty ; 

 they occasionally incline to coarse granular, and are very gene- 

 rally ferruginous. They are much fissured and broken, and arc 

 in consequence not well adapted for building. They are, how- 

 ever, employed in the fabrication of native millstones {chiikeron), 

 and are well fitted for the purpose. They vary in colour from 

 reddish to greyish white, and are arranged in strata which are con- 

 siderably inclined with an easterly direction. I have met with no 

 organic remains in this formation, but specimens have been shewn 



