2 BALL : GEOLOGY OP THE RAJMEHAL HILLS. 



tory or Paman-I-Koh/* which is bounded on the south by the Bramini 

 river. The hills south of that river and north of the Dwarka constitute, 

 and are more properly known as, the Ramgarh range. 



In some of the early historical accounts of Bengal mention is frequent- 

 ly made of these hills. As forming, so to speak, the 

 Strategical importance. 



breastwork of Lower Bengal, they have ever been 



regarded as of considerable strategical importance. In the passes through 



them and in the surrounding plains many struggles for supremacy 



took place between the Mahomedans and the people of Bengal; and 



in later times between the British and the Mahomedan powers then 



holding the country. 



To those whose knowledge of the Rajmehal hills has been derived 



only from the distant view of their bluff exterior 

 Scenery. j 



which is obtainable from the East Indian Railway, 



it will, perhaps, be matter for surprise to learn that within their limits and 

 on the western face there are scenes of considerable and varied beauty. 



Originally this elevated area must have existed as a more or less regular 

 D A f h ltered pl a ^ eau formed of successive flows of basaltic trap. 

 original form. Subaerial denudation has, however, very much mo- 



dified its primary form, and rivers acting through long periods of time 

 have excavated wide valleys which traverse the area from west to east. 



Although from various considerations it is not improbable that the 

 waters of the Bay of Bengal may at one time have washed the foot of 

 these hills, still there is no certain trace of marine action upon the rocks 

 or in the surrounding alluvial deposits. 



The principal rivers are the Brahmini, which, as already mentioned, 



bounds the Daman-I-Koh on the south, cutting off 



from it the group of the Ramgarh hills; the 



Bansloi, which has formed the Pachwara pass ; and the Giimani, which 



traverses the Chuperbhita pass up to Burhait, in the centre of the hills, 



* lit. skirt of the hills. 



( 156 ) 



