3£4 



Capt. Grant on the Geology of Cutch. 



Wall of sandstone neai- Rampoora. 



is nearly flat, but broken into masses, while on the other side are heaps of 

 stone, broken and confused, and the interstices are filled with sand and small 

 trees. At the extremity of the wall the stones slope up like the end of a roof. 

 In the immediate vicinity of this wall is a small range of basaltic hills, striking 

 however at right angles to the direction of the sandstone ridge. 



Some of the rivers which flow towards the Runn from the Cutch side are 

 lost in the sand at their mouths ; though at a short distance up the bed of the 

 river, the stream runs freely. It would thus appear, that at these spots, the 

 bed of the Runn has been increased, by the sediment, probably, brought down 

 by the stream ; but so loose is the soil, that the water soaks into it and even 

 flows under it, instead of wearing channels. This phenomenon is observable 

 in the sandy beds of many of the rivers in the province. The stream may be 

 noticed running with some rapidity and of a sudden to cease, the bottom of 

 the river presenting a smooth sandy surface ; but a mile lower down the water 

 again issues and continues its course ; the intervening parts being sometimes 

 quite hard and dry ; in others forming very dangerous quicksands. 



The natives have various traditions that the drying up of this sea was sud- 

 den, and that boats were tossed on the land and wrecked ; they pretend also 

 to assign a date to this event, but their accounts difler so materially and are 

 so vague, that not the slightest reliance can be placed upon them, except to 

 the general fact. 



It is evident that the Runn could not have been drained by the bursting of 

 its boundaries, at least since it was deep enough to be navigable ; because 



on it, is even now so little raised above the sea's level as to be flooded by 

 the mere effects of the wind ; but the most probable supposition is, not 

 that it was ever a detached inland sea or lake, but that it communicated with 

 the ocean by its present outlets, and that its bed has been raised, partly per- 

 haps by a gradual movement, and partly by violent upheavements during 



