﻿Vol. 
  53.] 
  SUPERFICIAL 
  DEPOSITS 
  IN 
  CTTTCH. 
  241 
  

  

  Again, 
  the 
  Ban 
  is 
  traversed 
  by 
  no 
  rivers 
  ; 
  some 
  of 
  those 
  from 
  

   the 
  northern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  mainland 
  reach 
  its 
  edge, 
  and 
  the 
  projectiug 
  

   higher 
  alluvial 
  land 
  in 
  their 
  neighbourhood 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  repre- 
  

   sent 
  their 
  deltas. 
  But 
  the 
  great 
  majority 
  begin 
  and 
  end 
  without 
  

   reaching 
  it. 
  At 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  they 
  break 
  up 
  into 
  constantly 
  sub- 
  

   dividing 
  branches, 
  which 
  dwindle 
  away 
  to 
  nothing. 
  In 
  this 
  latter 
  

   case 
  all 
  the 
  water 
  which 
  runs 
  even 
  during 
  the 
  heaviest 
  rains 
  is 
  

   absorbed 
  by 
  the 
  porous 
  soil, 
  and 
  sinks 
  in 
  before 
  it 
  can 
  reach 
  the 
  

   Ban 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  case 
  the 
  quantity 
  and 
  velocity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  are 
  

   too 
  great 
  for 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  entirely 
  effected, 
  and 
  the 
  remaining 
  water 
  

   spreads 
  out 
  in 
  a 
  broad 
  sheet 
  on 
  the 
  surface, 
  and 
  so 
  helps 
  to 
  flood 
  

   the 
  Ban. 
  In 
  the 
  higher 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Bani, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  alluvial 
  

   area 
  west 
  of 
  Wagir, 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  short 
  nullahs, 
  which 
  

   begin 
  and 
  end 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  a 
  flat 
  surface, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  follow 
  

   each 
  other 
  in 
  a 
  broken 
  line. 
  They 
  indicate 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  under- 
  

   ground 
  streams, 
  the 
  roofs 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  fallen 
  in 
  and 
  exposed 
  them 
  

   in 
  places. 
  Such 
  an 
  underground 
  course 
  must 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  original 
  

   valley 
  being 
  filled 
  in 
  with 
  loose 
  and 
  porous 
  material, 
  into 
  which 
  

   the 
  water 
  sinks. 
  This 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  actually 
  seen 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  great 
  

   rapidity. 
  I 
  have 
  known 
  4 
  inches 
  of 
  rain 
  to 
  fall 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  

   night, 
  and 
  the 
  rivers 
  to 
  be 
  torrential 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  but 
  before 
  

   evening 
  to 
  be 
  all 
  dry 
  again 
  ; 
  and 
  one 
  can 
  watch 
  the 
  water 
  sinking 
  

   in 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  their 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  nature 
  and 
  origin 
  of 
  these 
  deposits 
  can 
  also, 
  I 
  think, 
  be 
  

   determined. 
  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  Bani, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  separated 
  both 
  from 
  

   the 
  mainland 
  (except 
  at 
  the 
  two 
  extremities) 
  and 
  from 
  Patcham 
  by 
  

   an 
  area 
  of 
  Ban, 
  it 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  ' 
  a 
  bank 
  formed 
  ... 
  by 
  the 
  discharge 
  

   of 
  the 
  Cutch 
  streams,' 
  while 
  the 
  fine 
  micaceous 
  silt 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   composed 
  could 
  scarcely 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  thence. 
  Its 
  composition 
  

   and 
  the 
  power 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  of 
  retaining 
  water 
  indicate 
  rather 
  that 
  

   it 
  is 
  a 
  relic 
  of 
  the 
  sea-bottom, 
  corresponding 
  perhaps 
  to 
  a 
  higher 
  

   level 
  of 
  the 
  submerged 
  bed-rocks. 
  Th« 
  highest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  alluvial 
  

   area 
  between 
  Wagir 
  and 
  the 
  mainlard 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  direct 
  line 
  of 
  an 
  

   anticlinal 
  which 
  passes 
  from 
  one 
  area 
  to 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  is 
  doubtless 
  

   continuous. 
  This 
  may 
  have 
  orig'^iated 
  the 
  higher 
  level 
  here. 
  

  

  With 
  these 
  two 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  features 
  may 
  be 
  put 
  

   down 
  to 
  the 
  wind 
  and 
  rain. 
  The 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  may 
  be 
  

   argued 
  from 
  the 
  wide 
  sheets 
  of 
  loose 
  sand 
  that 
  lie 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  

   Wagir 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  south-western 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  islands. 
  These 
  are 
  

   comparatively 
  scarce 
  on 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  mainland, 
  and 
  entirely 
  

   absent 
  along 
  the 
  northern 
  island-coasts 
  : 
  that 
  is, 
  these 
  sands 
  occur 
  

   where 
  the 
  prevailing 
  strong 
  winds 
  will 
  be 
  stopped 
  and 
  are 
  lacking 
  

   on 
  the 
  lee 
  of 
  high 
  grounds. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  rivers 
  that 
  reach 
  the 
  

   Ban 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  mainland 
  (with 
  one 
  exception 
  where 
  

   there 
  is 
  higher 
  Tertiary 
  ground 
  to 
  the 
  west) 
  are 
  deflected 
  to 
  the 
  

   west 
  by 
  the 
  accumulation 
  of 
  sand, 
  etc., 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  ; 
  hence 
  the 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  this 
  sand 
  may 
  be 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  wind. 
  Neverthe- 
  

   less, 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  fine 
  dust 
  that 
  is 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  gales 
  must 
  fall 
  

   en 
  route 
  and 
  beyond 
  the 
  lee 
  of 
  the 
  hills. 
  Here, 
  however, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   covered 
  by 
  water 
  during 
  the 
  rains, 
  and 
  the 
  finer 
  particles 
  will 
  come 
  

  

  