﻿Vol. 
  53.] 
  SUPERFICIAL 
  DEPOSITS 
  IN 
  CUTCH. 
  230 
  

  

  where 
  seen 
  by 
  me. 
  The 
  history, 
  in 
  fact, 
  of 
  these 
  portions 
  must 
  be 
  

   somewhat 
  exceptional 
  and 
  instructive. 
  

  

  The 
  alluvium 
  comes 
  into 
  relation 
  with 
  the 
  Jurassic 
  rocks 
  (except 
  

   in 
  the 
  lateritic 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  other, 
  possibly 
  marine, 
  patches 
  of 
  similar 
  

   age, 
  which 
  have 
  contributed 
  no 
  recognizable 
  elements 
  to 
  it) 
  in 
  the 
  

   broad 
  flat 
  area 
  which 
  joins 
  the 
  mainland 
  of 
  Cutch, 
  north 
  of 
  Bhachan, 
  

   to 
  Wagir, 
  continues 
  round 
  the 
  western 
  and 
  northern 
  sides 
  of 
  that 
  

   district 
  and 
  unites 
  it 
  to 
  Bela, 
  skirts 
  the 
  south-western 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   islands 
  of 
  Kharir 
  and 
  Patcham, 
  and 
  forms 
  patches 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  

   along 
  the 
  northern 
  coast 
  of 
  Cutch 
  proper. 
  With 
  the 
  deposits 
  of 
  this 
  

   area 
  must 
  be 
  classed 
  about 
  650 
  square 
  miles 
  of 
  lower-lying 
  land, 
  

   still 
  occasionally 
  flooded, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Bani, 
  which 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  

   middle 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  between 
  the 
  mainland 
  and 
  Patcham 
  ; 
  and 
  

   the 
  deposits 
  on 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  Ean, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  the 
  

   inner 
  Ran, 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  islands, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  or 
  Great 
  Ran, 
  north 
  

   of 
  them. 
  All 
  these 
  areas 
  pass 
  insensibly 
  into 
  each 
  other, 
  being 
  

   merely 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  relative 
  heights 
  of 
  an 
  undulating 
  

   surface 
  above 
  the 
  general 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  area 
  mapped 
  as 
  alluvium 
  there 
  are 
  parts 
  which 
  become 
  

   muddy 
  in 
  the 
  rains, 
  and 
  these 
  pass 
  gradually 
  into 
  Ran 
  ; 
  but 
  a 
  larger 
  

   portion 
  is 
  sandy 
  soil, 
  which 
  soon 
  becomes 
  dry, 
  including 
  vast 
  tracts 
  

   where 
  the 
  sand 
  is 
  all 
  loose 
  and 
  where 
  no 
  amount 
  of 
  rain 
  can 
  remain 
  

   for 
  an 
  hour 
  on 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  The 
  characteristic 
  deposit 
  of 
  the 
  Bani 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  fine 
  micaceous 
  

   silt, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  is 
  dotted 
  over 
  with 
  groups 
  of 
  trees 
  which 
  stand 
  

   round 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  artificial 
  tanks, 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  wells 
  which 
  are 
  

   known 
  to 
  be 
  abundant 
  here. 
  The 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  Ran, 
  in 
  the 
  wet 
  

   season, 
  is 
  everywhere 
  covered 
  with 
  the 
  slimiest 
  of 
  muds, 
  on 
  which 
  

   the 
  camels 
  can 
  scarce 
  maintain 
  a 
  foothold; 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  probably 
  

   underlain 
  by 
  a 
  firmer, 
  perhaps 
  sandier 
  deposit, 
  as 
  below 
  the 
  first 
  

   two 
  or 
  three 
  inches 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  firm 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  traversed 
  

   while 
  covered 
  with 
  water. 
  

  

  Before 
  attempting 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  this 
  strange 
  area, 
  attention 
  must 
  

   be 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  further 
  features 
  which 
  may 
  help 
  to 
  elucidate 
  it. 
  

   One 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  the 
  Ran 
  where 
  

   the 
  alluvial 
  deposits 
  are 
  absent. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  shown 
  long 
  ago 
  by 
  

   Dr. 
  Blanford 
  1 
  that 
  both 
  the 
  Ran 
  and 
  the 
  sandy 
  desert 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  reasonably 
  concluded 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  formerly 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  

   sea, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  since 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  choked 
  by 
  blown 
  

   sand. 
  Mr. 
  Wynne 
  2 
  quotes 
  the 
  numerous 
  statements 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  

   made 
  that 
  the 
  Ran 
  was 
  navigable 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  various 
  ports 
  

   within 
  the 
  period 
  covered 
  by 
  native 
  traditions, 
  though, 
  in 
  describing 
  

   the 
  Kharir 
  cliffs 
  (p. 
  106), 
  he 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  doubtful 
  of 
  the 
  geological 
  

   evidences. 
  In 
  one 
  place 
  in 
  Patcham 
  (op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  27) 
  he 
  quotes 
  a 
  deposit 
  

   with 
  ' 
  marine 
  shells 
  nearly 
  20 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  Runn 
  ' 
  as 
  ' 
  traces 
  of 
  

   this 
  old 
  sea' 
  ; 
  but 
  elsewhere 
  he 
  states 
  that 
  these 
  'shells' 
  are 
  casts 
  

   and 
  may 
  be 
  ' 
  very 
  new 
  Tertiary.' 
  They 
  are 
  therefore 
  no 
  evidence 
  

  

  1 
  Journ. 
  Asiat. 
  Soc 
  Bengal, 
  vol. 
  xlv. 
  pt. 
  ii. 
  (1876) 
  p. 
  86. 
  

  

  2 
  Mem. 
  Geol. 
  Surv\ 
  India, 
  vol. 
  ix. 
  pt. 
  i. 
  (1872) 
  p. 
  26. 
  

  

  