186 NEEBUDDA DISTRICT. 



mass, but formed of apparently the continuation of the same beds, and 

 which may be considered as an outlier of the great mass and affords an 

 example of the manner in which the Mahadeva sandstone sometimes 

 weathers away from the long escarpments which it commonly forms. 



Resuming the lithological description of the Mahadeva group, the 

 portion next in importance after the great sandstones, is the great con- 

 glomerate series. 



All along the south side of the Nerbudda valley from Lokurtullye on 



™ M , , , the west, to the Slier river, the hills are formed 



The Mahadeva conglo- ' ' 



merates - mainly of Mahadeva rocks. These sometimes rest 



on, and are often faulted against the crystalline schists, which with 

 their associated igneous rocks are often found to form the base of 

 the hills, and to reach a height of 200 or 300 feet above the level 

 of the valley, above which height the Mahadeva rocks almost al- 

 ways appear. Along this line of their northern boundary, the Maha- 

 deva group always has a conglomerate at its base. This conglomerate 

 may be found forming the sides of almost all the glens of the outer 

 range, and may in them be well studied. At Hinhotia and Dilheri 

 it has a calcareous base for the most part, and the 600 feet of it seen 

 in the former locality is pretty uniform throughout in general char- 

 acter : in the latter only a small thickness is observed, the sandstone 

 soon coming in. 



It may be here remarked, that this calcareous character of certain of 

 Peculiarities of the con- the Mahadeva beds, of which this conglomerate at 

 glomerate. fas base is an instance, (less remarkable however 



than another portion of the series to be hereafter described) may per- 

 haps be connected with the occurrence of great limestone accumulations 

 among the old crystalline rocks. The calcareous portions of the Maha- 

 devas are strictly confined (as far as is known) to the near vicinity of the 

 northern boundary of the group along which boundary the crystalline 

 limestone abounds, and it is certain that the occurrence of a calcareous 



