MALLET, VINDHYAN SERIES, 107 



length, perfectly free from disturbance or faulting of any kind. There is 

 therefore no conceivable reason why the sea should excavate deep gorges 

 like these in one place more than another, and it is difficult to understand 

 how it could do so at all. There could be no oceanic current, and the 

 effect of waves would be slight up such a land-locked gulf after it had 

 reached a certain length. The latter also would tend to widen as well as 

 lengthen the gorge, the resistance of the rock being equal on all sides. 

 As has been well observed by a recent writer,* the " assumption that 

 currents, whether of wind or water, can move up and take effect at the 

 extremity of a cul de sac is fallacious ; you may as consistently assume 

 a power to make the smoke pass up a chimney with the top closed ; 



there can be no motion without a thoroughfare With respect to the 



assumed erosive action of currents, even if any large proportion played 

 against the coast, they would be unable to make a deep inlet, for motion 

 cannot take place up a cul de sac ; a ' cushion of still water' would fill 

 the recess, deflecting the current at its mouth, and thus neutralize its 

 excavating power ; furthermore, all the persistent currents of the ocean 

 are on a scale altogether disproportionate to the details of coast outline, 

 and for the most part take grand sweeps parallel with the coasts.^' If 

 the above be true in general, how much more so when the denuding 

 power of the ocean can derive no assistance whatever from unequal 

 resistance of the rocks themselves. 



Furthermore, how is it that in an intricate system of ramifying 

 gorges like that of the Doorgowtee, the head of each separate gorge is 

 also the fall of a stream from the table-land above ? If these gorges 

 had been excavated by the sea, why should they thus coincide exactly 

 with the drainage of the table-land ? Why should not the rivers some- 

 times fall into them at the side instead of invariably at the extremity as 

 they do? Any one who has been at the various falls will probably 

 come to the conclusion that in erosive power the rivers are quite com- 

 petent to do the work, with a climate like the present one. Taking the 

 * G. Maw, Esq., F. G. S., Geol. Mag., Vol. III., pp. 441 and 449. 



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