Chap. II.] general topography and geology. 27 



portions of the country, and especially in the large tracts occupied by 



rocks of the Raniganj series, North of .the Damuda, (with the exception 



of the valley lying North of Chinakuri, portions of the Nunia Valley, 



and some small valleys, immediately North and West of Raniganj,) this 



clay, whether alluvial, or produced by surface action, restricts all 



geological researches to the banks of streams, and even these frequently 



show but little. The circumstance of its being so much more generally 



spread upon some rocks than upon others shows it to be due, in part at 



least, to the effects of surface action upon the beds; soft sandstones 



abounding in felspar apparently becoming easily converted into clay, 



while, as might have been expected, shales and quartzose sandstones 



resist decomposition. 



Along the South border of the field, and abutting against the fault, 



are two isolated hills of considerable size, and 

 Principal hills. 



two smaller ones, composed of sedimentary rocks. 



The largest of these, Panchet (Pachete) Hill, is at the South-west 

 corner of the area occupied by the Damuda beds and their associates. 

 It is about 1,600 feet high and 2 miles long. The scarp towards the 

 North is precipitous, and marked by terraces, corresponding to the out- 

 crop of beds of hard conglomerate ;* the other sides are also very steep, 

 the top about 2 miles broad, comprising an undulating tract of dense 

 jungle. Beharinath Hill is 10 miles to the East of Panchet; it is of 

 rather less height (1,481 feet), and of much smaller extent. Garangi 

 Hill, between Panchet and Beharinath, is of inconsiderable size, and Te- 

 linda Hill, or, as it is often called, Madjia Hill, South-east of Raniganj, 

 is still smaller. Each of the larger hills has a thick cap of a peculiar 

 conglomerate, and the two smaller hills are entirely formed of it. 



* These were noticed by Mr. Williams, who speaks of " well-defined contour lines of, 

 apparently, stratification, running parallel with each other, and extending along the whole 

 length of the North side." It is clear from his Report that Mr. Williams never actually 

 visited Panche't Hill. 



