Notices of Memoirs— Geological Survey of India. 309 
of the Karroo kopjes or the massive granites of the Matopos, the same 
destruction is visible. 
Eyen more obvious is the result of the torrential rains over the 
central plateau : we see channels cut or deepened before our eyes, and 
the soil of the country is carried seaward in vast quantities during 
every rainy season. ‘he general surface, especially when the rain 
has been aided by wind, shows sometimes coverings of sand, some- 
times fine gravel, decomposed from the surrounding rocks, and there 
are many places where this material has been accumulated to such an 
extent that it is often assumed to be due to an ancient river. 
The intensity of these processes to-day is largely due to the 
seantiness of the vegetation, which is not always natural, but has been 
caused by the ruinous custom, almost universally observed, of burning 
off the grass at the end of each Summer season. Instead of such 
senseless destruction of Nature’s own protective covering, we might 
hope that it would now be realised that we need to add to, and not 
diminish, the vegetation of this part of the earth’s surface. As 
geologists, we should willingly sacrifice our interest in observing the 
rapid action of denudation, when the first of each season’s rains beat. 
down on, and wash away, the soil laid bare through the destruction of 
grass or bush, for the knowledge that the land was not being wantonly 
impoverished year by year. We should even be glad to see many of 
these surface features, which are now so easily referable to their 
underlying geological features, hidden from us by a kindly growth of 
vegetation, ‘and we should welcome a wise system of afforestation 
throughout the entire land. 
In conclusion, gentlemen, I think you will agree with me that the 
natural and the political South Africa present some striking contrasts : 
geologically this part of the world has reached a maturity which no 
human system can hope to attain, politically the entire country is in 
an embryonic stage; geologically the region is the one throughout, but 
politically we have dismembered it. It appears almost as if Nature’s 
plan had been too vast; her scheme too grand for poor humanity. 
Certainly, if the character of the people who have their home in South 
Africa develops in accord with the natural environment, pettiness of 
view or paltriness of aim will not be national traits—a country whose 
foundations are so wide cannot be the home of other than a broad- 
minded, large-hearted race, bound to play no mean part in the history 
of the world. 
I1.—Generat Revorr or tHe GeoLocican Survey or INDIA FOR THE 
year 1906. By T. H. Hotrann, F.R.S., Director. (Reprint from 
Records, Geol. Surv. India, vol. xxxv, part he Asprils M9 OF.) 
N the Introduction to his Report Mr. Holland states that ‘‘The 
great development of interest in Indian mineral deposits, as shown 
by the remarkable increase in the applications for concessions reported 
by the Local Governments, has had an effect also on the office work of 
this Department, and the duty of answering enquiries, instead of being 
a mere addition to the work of the officers at head-quarters, as was, 
formerly the case, now consumes the largest fraction of our time.” 
