^14 foote: south maiiratta country. 



Instead of a rock vertically tubulated or nearly horizontally disposed, 

 this particular iron-clay consists of an aggregate of nodular frag- 

 ments in a quasi-conglomeratic mass, the quasi-pebbles being arranged 

 in rudely horizontal lines. Beyond the latter there are no traces of 

 bedding, but the downward decrement of the iron percentage in the 

 rock is very clearly exhibited. No traces of any enclosed mineral of 

 pre-trappean origin could be found in either deep section nor in any 

 of the numerous superficial gullies and cuttings to be seen in and 

 around the cantonment and town. The whole formation presents the 

 appearance of being a sub-aerial accumulation of pluvial detritus 

 of older iron-clay beds. The iron-clay which is exposed in ballast- 

 pits close to the tank north of the pit is quite different in character, 

 being truly vesicular and far more ferruginous. The stones used for 

 the walls of the pit are also of the same character, and were probably 

 quarried in great part during the construction of the moat. 



The iron-clay exposed in the old bowrie close to the post office 

 and Idgah is also of the vesicular kind. No sections were found showing 

 the relations between the vesicular iron-clay of the pit and the nodular 

 rock exposed in the hollow east of the cantonment and church hill. Should 

 any ever be made, I expect the nodular quasi- conglomeratic variety 

 will turn out to be the newer of the two. Both varieties are much 

 covered up by thick red sandy soil, and the boundaries of the iron-clay 

 and underlying traps are thereby much obscured. This red soil is so 

 largely developed over both iron-clay and trap and gneiss, and in places 

 so much charged with the nodular pieces of iron- clay, that it is often 

 impossible to draw any line showing the true boundary of the trap and 

 older iron-clay and gneiss ; hence the tract where this red iron-clay soil 

 occurs has been shown in the traps as a sub-aerial deposit. The same thing 

 was found to be necessary in mapping the valleys of the Belgaum 

 nullah, east of Belgaum, and the Markandeya (Markundee) river north 

 of that town. 



( 21i< ) 



