76 FOOTE : SOUTH MAHRATTA COUNTRY. 



of such highly silicious limestones. The change into the breccia condi- 

 tion was probably caused by the percolation of highly acidulated waters 

 which removed so much calcareous matter that the cherty skeleton 

 remaining was broken down and comminuted by the weight of the 

 superincumbent mass of rocks. Subsequent infiltration of silicious, 

 calcareous, and argillo-ferruginous matter formed the comminuted chert 

 into a breccia with variable cement. 



There is no evidence as to the period when this change took place_, but 

 it is quite probable that the great part of the change may have been effected 

 during the period of volcanic activity which produced the Deccan 

 trap, during which much evolution of acid vapours may have acidulated 

 the water of all that region. 



It is to the prominence of this section of the Kaladgi series, or to the 



action of erosion on the great thickness of silicious 

 Best scenery nil con- 

 nected with the lower rocks composing it, that the diversity of outline, and 

 quartzites. i t i i ^ • i 



what little beauty of scenery is to be seen m the 



South Mahratta country outside the Ghat region, is attributable. 

 There are not very many spots in the South Mahratta country east 

 of the Ghats that afford much pleasure to the lover of the picturesque in 

 nature ; and in most places man^s hand, by ruthlessly and, as the result 

 shows, foolishly destroying everything worth calling forest, has rendered 

 the scenery far less pleasing than it would otherwise have been. The 

 prettiest parts of the country are the valleys of the several rivers where 

 they cut through the various low hill ranges, as the valley of the Mal- 

 prabha at Ramdhal and from Aiholi (lewullee) to Nandi Kesur (Nundee- 

 kasur) in the lower parts of the river. In the middle parts of the valley, 

 Sulah, Eamdurg, Torgal, and Basargi (Bussurgee) are worth seeing ; while, 

 last of all, the deep gorge known as the Naul Tirth or " Peacock^s bath^"* 

 is one of only four spots within the Kaladgi basin which I would call 

 beautiful, the other three being the falls of the Ghatprabha at Gokak, 

 the gorge of the Markandeya river also close to Gokak; and lastly, 

 ( 76 ) 



