186 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



3. Memokanda on the most recent Geological Changes of the Rivers 

 and Plains of Northern India, founded on accurate Surveys 

 and the Artesian-well Boring at Umballa, to show the practical 

 application o/Mr. Login's theory of the abrading and transpor- 

 ting POWER of WATER to effect such changes. By T. Login, Esq., 

 C.E., P.R.S.E. 



[Communicated by A. Tylor, Esq., F.G.S.] 

 (EeadJune21, 1871*.) 

 In the appendix attached, to this paper wiU be found a detailed 

 report of the progress made in boring at Umballa ; and to illustrate 

 it a section has been made from the published maps of the Grand 

 Trigonometrical Survey of India. From the latter a correct idea 

 can be formed of the shape of the plains of Northern India ; while 

 the former gives the nature of the soil below the Himalayan range 

 here at Umballa. 



The section passes through the centre of the Doab, commencing 

 at the Military Station of Meerut, and running in nearly a direct 

 north line for 44 miles to where it meets the Dehra and Saharun- 

 pore road at Sg miles beyond the latter station. It then passes 

 along this road in a north-easterly direction, rather oblique to the 

 general fall of the country, where it reaches the foot of the Sewa- 

 liks, and passes up the bed of a mountain-torrent, along which the 

 road to the hUl sanatorium of Mussoorie runs, passing through the 

 town of Dehra. 



This section is therefore some 70 miles east of Umballa, which, 

 again, is about 27 miles west of the watershed line separating the 

 drainage of the Indus from that of the Gangetic valley. 



Judging from reviews of the Rigvedas, or ancient Hindoo writings, 

 though the total rainfall is probably the same now as it was 2000 

 years ago (the sun's heat and the area of sea and land being probably 

 the same), yet, from the probably wooded state of the country in 

 former days, and the perennial streams mentioned in these writings, 

 but now dried up, as for example the Sursoottee (the Saraswati of 

 ancient Hindoo literature), I think we may safely conclude that 

 there has been a great change in the rainfall and the climate of the 

 Punjab within the historic period. 



In proof of the correctness of these views I may state that, when 

 engaged on the survey for irrigating the Rechna Doab six years ago, 

 I could not help observing the number of deserted villages all over 

 the plain, where now the rainfall is scanty (in some places hardly 

 six inches in the twelve months) ; while the depth at which water 

 is reached is excessive, as shown by the following section (fig, 1). 



With only thorny scrub jungle almost devoid of foliage over these 

 plains, they are very different from what we find all along the 

 Gangetic valle5^ 



From what I then observed, the conclusion I arrived at was, 



that these plains were at one time thickly peopled, that a great 



portion of them was formerly cultivated, and that the rainfall over 



them must have undergone a great change. These views are eon- 



* See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe. vol. xxvii. p. 451; 



