249 



On the Geological structure and Physical features of the Districts of 

 Bamcoorah, Midnapore and Oeissa — Bengal. 



The country referred to in the following Report, and included within 



^ „ the limits of the accompanying map, (plate XIII.) 



Extent of Area. r j o r ^ vr / 



was geologically examined during the working 

 season of 1857-58. The province of Orissa, which includes the districts 

 of Pooree, Cuttack and Balasore, was examined by Mr. W. T. Blanford, 

 assisted by Mr. Harry Child ; the district of Midnapore, lying north of 

 Orissa, by Mr. Joseph Gr. Medlicott and Mr. W. L. Willson ; and the 

 district of Bancoorah by Mr. Oldham, who also visited a large portion of 

 Midnapore and adjoining districts. The details, given in the following 

 notice are derived from the Reports of these gentlemen, for each of the 

 districts examined by them, and combined into one general review of the 

 structure of the entire area. 



To the districts actually surveyed during the season of 1857 has been 

 added, on the map, a portion of the Talcheer field already described in 

 these memoirs. This addition will shew the relation existing between 

 the two districts ; while the separate map of the Talcheer district, on 

 double the scale of the present plan, will give the details. It will be seen 

 that the outline of the area, geologically examined, is extremely irregular 

 towards the west, arising from the fact that no topographical maps of 

 that portion of the country exist. It was not, therefore, examined by 

 the Geological Survej'. The total area of the districts, now published 

 for the first time, is (exclusive of the part of Talcheer included) more 

 than 14,000 square miles, extending along the right bank of the rlve^ 

 Hooghly, and the east shore of the Bay of Bengal, from Bui'dwan in 

 north latitude 23° 13' to Ganjam in latitude 19° 22'. The river Damoo- 

 dali (Damuda) forms the northern boundary of the area referred to, and 

 the Chilka Lake its southern exti-emity. 



