124 '^- BLANrORD, WESTERN INDIA. PaRT II.] 



on ffreenisli-grey mottled mudstone^ breaking- into small cuboidal frag- 

 ments^ with joint surfaces between, so minute that it is impossible to 

 obtain a fair fracture. This is probably decomposed trap. 



There is a low range of hills south-east of Oomrawuttee formed 



„„, ,, , „ of horizontal beds of trap. A low south-south-west 

 Hills south-east of ^ 



Oomrawuttee. ^{p ^^s observed in one spot alone, near the 



village of Karla. Upon these hills, about two miles south-west of the 



civil station at Oomrawuttee, three or four very small caps of laterite occur. 



They are similar to that found in the plain, but more compact, and would 



be useful for building. Tliey have every appearance of being detrital in 



origin, and very possibly formed from the detritus of other latreite."^ 



South of these hills is an open trap plain, through which the railway 



from Bombay to Nagpoor passes. It presents 

 Plain sonth of hills. -,• • • 



no peculiarities. 



Section 7. — ^Northern part of Khandeish from Boorhanpoor to 



Chicklee. 

 Khandeish has only been examined as far south as the river Taptee. 



,^ , „ , The northern portion of the district consists of a 



Nature of country ex- ^ 



amined. strip of variable width between the river and 



the Satpoora hills, chiefly covered by alluvium. Trap, the only other 



* These hills south of Oomrawuttee are an example of the wanton destruction of the 



forests which is taking place throughout Berar and in many 



Wanton destruction of the other parts of India. A few years ago, they were covered, it is 

 forests in Berar. 



said, with fine trees, now nothing remains upon their slopes but 



the most insignificant scrub. Springs and streams used to exist j they have entirely dried 

 up. The cleared land is in great part of no use, a portion is employed as pasturage, but 

 its value in this respect is not increased to any great extent by the destruction of the trees, 

 nnd there was ample pasturage before, as there always is upon the trap hills, for the require- 

 ments of the population. Only a very small portion of the soil is used for agriculture. 

 The majority is a waste, utterly useless, and rapidly passing into the condition of so many 

 of the hill sides in the Deccan, rocky barren rises with all the soil swept off them by rain, 

 whUe the railway running past the base of the hills is, on account of the scarcity of fuel, 

 worked with coal brought from England ! Can nothing be done to teach the natives of the- 

 country how profitable it would be to grow wood, as is done in every civilized country 

 in Europe ? 



( 286 ) 



