LOaiJf NORTH-INDIAN GEOLOGICAL CHANGES. 195 



the tract known as the " Turai," where the spring-water rises to the 

 surface. Now, as the upper surface of the high or Bhanghur level 

 of the Doab is clay, if this deposit was at one time continuous, 

 as shown by the clotted lines, it is evident that where the land was 

 not disturbed by the upheaval of the Sewaliks, this bed of clay must 

 exist. 



This at once, I think, shows how we may have a small stream of 

 water flowing down the bed of the torrent among the hills, but this 

 water may be absorbed as soon as the line of disturbance is crossed ; 

 thus as soon as the water passes the point A it will disappear till it 

 reaches the point C, when it will again appear at the surface ; but 

 at B water can be reached only at a considerable depth, which, in the 

 present case, is 120 feet. 



Having thus tried to explain how it is probable that the surface 

 of the country did extend in the line C E D, the next subject to 

 consider is how the depression CFG took place. This depression 

 is simply a continuation of the valley of the Ganges, commonly 

 called the "Khader," in contradistinction to " Bhanghur" or high- 

 level plains of the Doab. 



In a paper of mine read in 1869 before the British Association, to 

 be found published in full in the Proceedings for that year, I have 

 stated my views on this subject in connexion with roads and rail- 

 ways for Upper India ; so, as this paper is rather voluminous, it is 

 hardly necessary for me to dwell at great length on this branch of 

 the subject. 



Before this last convulsion of nature took place, it is probable that 

 all the streams were broad and shallow rather than deep, and that 

 they had much the same characteristics as those torrents we now 

 find near the hills — that they were liable to, or perhaps always were 

 in flood, bearing down large volumes of dirty water and depositing 

 their surplus loads on either bank. 



The reason why I am inclined to think these rivers were more or 

 less in constant flood is, that, so far as the boring at Umballa has 

 gone, there has been no indication of vegetable or animal life, but 

 only of flowing water. It would however be presumptuous to say 

 that neither animal nor vegetable life existed at this supposed plu- 

 vial period from one single boring, or even from several trials ; but I 

 only say that this is quite possible if it was a period of heavy rain- 

 fall, which most probably it was. Under such circumstances, with 

 large volumes poured down the country from all along the southern 

 face of the Himalayas, this filling-up process would rather lag be- 

 hind in this neighbourhood, while the streams nearer Bengal would, 

 relatively speaking, be nearer the sea ; consequently, when a change 

 did come, it would be found that there would be a long estuary or 

 gulf extending far up above Eajmahal. At this time the general 

 velocity would probably be reduced, and light soils chiefly carried 

 down to form the surface, though this is not positively necessary ; for 

 boulders are often brought down along with clay held in suspension 

 in the water : but be this as it may, we do find that the greater 

 portion of the surface of the plains consists of lighter soils ; and it 



